A bit of ill health and a bit of traveling have kept us from writing sooner but don’t you know still we still found time to discover new items and new recipes for the online store to share with you!

 

Products

Tejano salsa has recently released yet another great product with the best (yes we are prejudiced) Habanero salsa on the market. Vacuum packed as are all the Tejano salsa products, without sugar, vinegar or preservatives. It is HOT and it is good!
Click here to view our Habanero Reserve salsa.
Click here to view our line of Tejano products.
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In the past, we have tried to hang our own chili peppers into a rista or even to buy them from commercial growers. Many times we’ve experienced problems with mold (probably because it is so humid in Houston!) or our clients have had problems in the long term. Houston, we have solved the problem!

These waxy paper and foam chili peppers are so realistic in appearance, someone was in our warehouse last week and reached over the tables to touch them and ask us how long we had been drying these! That is my testament to how good they look!

Click here our chili pepper rista.
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We also found a great looking chili pepper and garlic swag made of the same waxed paper and foam that adorn our commercial kitchen at www.tejanosalsa.com (headquarters for the homemade Habanero salsa) because our staff of ladies told us to hang these everywhere as they bring good luck in Hispanic homes (I think we have 10 up in total!).
Click here to view our chili/garlic swag.
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Graduation is just around the corner and what do our kids need to send them off into the world without our great cooking and condiments always at hand? Why a Tabasco Trio no doubt, including Tabasco sauce and salt & pepper shakers!
Click here to view our Tabasco Trio.
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Recipes  
This first recipe is from a client of ours, Melissa Rice, who had purchased our Cowboy Trail Dust and inadvertently was sent one Tejano Chipotle Chili Mix. Would you believe friends that Melissa entered a chili cook-off contest using our chili mix and WON!! That is what we call a mistake turned good!

 

Vegetarian Chipotle Chili

 

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ cups onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp black pepper

2 tsp chipotle chili powder

2 tbsp tomato paste

4 large carrots, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, chopped

2 cups tomato juice

2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained

1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained

2 tbsp Chipotle Tabasco sauce

salt to taste

 

Garnish:

16 oz. sour cream

2 tbsp. Chipotle Tabasco sauce

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in large heavy pot over high heat.  Add onions garlic, cumin pepper flakes and black pepper. Sauté until onions are transparent. Stir in chili powder and tomato paste. Sauté for 30 seconds then stir in celery, carrots and peppers. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.

 

Stir in tomatoes, tomato juice and beans. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the Chipotle Tabasco sauce and season to taste.

 

To make garnish: Stir together the Chipotle Tabasco sauce and sour cream. Top each bowl of chili with a spoonful of the sour cream/Tabasco mixture and then sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Award winning recipe - 1st Place

Graciously provided by: Melissa Rice, Winner "Vegetarian Chipotle Chili"

Chili Cook-Off, Kankakee, Illinois. 

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This recipe I found on Chef2Chef Recipe Club that is outstanding and easy. What a compliment to your homemade tortillas or quesadillas. From the French word “Coulis”, a thick, puréed sauce.

 

Avocado Coulis
2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into bite sizes
½ cup chicken broth.
2 roasted jalapeno peppers, seeded.
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. lime juice
salt & pepper to taste.

 

Directions:
In a food processor, combine avocado, chicken broth, jalapeno peppers and garlic until puréed. Add salt & pepper to taste. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and thin down (if needed) with a bit of water or broth.
We dipped our homemade tortillas in the coulis and served it warn over quesadillas. Yield 2 cups.

So easy…so good!

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Cheddar Beef Tortilla Pie

1 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced.
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. chili powder

1 ¼ pound lean ground beef

1- 15oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1- 16oz. can diced peeled tomatoes with juice

½ cup Tejano salsa mild

6 corn tortillas, cut in wedges, divided

1 cup packed Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:
Place the oven rack in the lower middle position. Pre-heat to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high setting, add onion, garlic & sauté 5 minutes until soft. Add cumin & chili powder & stir. Add ground beef and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring.  Pour into a large strainer until fat drains. Return mixture to skillet; add beans, tomatoes, and salsa. Simmer 6 minutes until slightly thickened.

 

Spread half the beef mixture in a 9” deep-dish pie plate. Arrange half of the tortilla wedges over the beef mixture. Sprinkle ½ the cheese. Repeat layers again.

Bake until cheese melts and pie is heated throughout (about 30minutes). Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
For more great Tex-Mex recipes, visit our site here…..plan to stay a while.

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Time to spread a little good…..

Saint Basil Coffee
Saint Basil Coffee is a non-profit coffee company whose revenue primarily supports missions in Latin America. The company was started by a group of Catholic lay people working with priests of the congregation of Saint Basil in response to Pope John Paul II's appeal for social justice.

Saint Basil Coffee is made from Arabica coffee beans purchased at a higher price from small independent coffee farmers whose coffee is distributed through cooperatives and certified as Fair Trade coffee. Saint Basil Coffee is organic and certified Fair trade coffee. The revenue from the sale of Saint Basil Coffee goes to world missions of the Basilian Fathers to provide help for the impoverished communities of Latin America. The coffee is brought into Houston where the website and sales are maned totally by volunteers.

 

Friends, this is excellent coffee and worth your notice! The paper work is nearly complete where your purchase will be a charitable donation so please inquire on your next purchase. The conference rooms around the country will need this coffee….why, the aroma alone will soothe any deal in progress!

Visit their website to view more information & purchase: www.saintbasilcoffee.com .
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If you think your friends and family might enjoy our information and recipes contained in this newsletter, well go right ahead and pass it on, we love to spread the word about Tex-Mex style Mexican food, cookware and gifts…..we’ll find more to talk to you about next month. Meanwhile come on over and visit us a while at www.texmextogo.com .

 

We’re always glad to hear from ya’ll….we’ll be back…

Chef Annie
chef@texmextogo.com

www.texmextogo.com