Editors of Adams Media - The 50 Best Tex-Mex Recipes. Tasty, Fresh, and Easy to Make!

The 50 Best
Tex-Mex Recipes Tasty, fresh, and easy to make! Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc. Avon, Massachusetts Contents Introduction Did you know that Tex-Mex cooking is the oldest regional cuisine in America? Tex-Mex cooking consists of recipes and foods native to Mexico, updated with tastes imported from Texas, Europe, and the rest of America. The fifty delicious recipes collected here range from burgers to flan, from barbecue to ceviche, and everything in between! If you are following a special diet, Tex-Mex cooking can fit into your lifestyle. If you are controlling carbs, most of the meat and vegetable dishes are made for your diet. For low-fat devotees, any vegetarian or salad recipes would be a good choice. The special foods of Tex-Mex cooking, especially chiles, add flavor and variety to any diet and can jumpstart your metabolism, without adding any additional calories.

Tex-Mex also offers a high degree of versatility. Recipes can be radically changed by simply adjusting the spice and seasoning. The food can be complex and subtle or truly searing and obvious, depending on your mood. If your family doesnt like spice, replace the chiles with black pepper. If you want to really feel the burn, add another cayenne or chipotle. Its all up to you! Learn about the heat and flavors of chile peppers and spices and you will always be able to control the taste of the food you serve.

These fifty recipes will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the foods, cooking techniques, and tastes of Tex-Mex cooking. Here youll find everything from hearty breakfasts and easy suppers to elegant appetizers and good-enough-for-company dishes to show off at your next party. Youll also learn about calcabacita , nopales , picadillo , and more, expanding your knowledge of the world along with your kitchen repertoire. After all, theres no better way to travel without leaving your home than to learn a new cuisine! Sweet and Spicy Grapefruit Salsa Dont mess with Texas when it comes to grapefruit. For the Lone Star State, the deep ruby reds trademarked Rio Star and Ruby Sweet are a great source of pride and enjoyment. Yields 2 cups Ingredients 2 Ruby Red grapefruits cup finely sliced sweet onion 1 avocado, peeled and diced 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons diced jalapeo pepper teaspoon salt teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Peel grapefruits, removing all the white pith possible.

   Then cut between the membranes, freeing the grapefruit sections. Place in medium bowl with sliced onion. Prepare avocado and squeeze the grapefruit membranes over them. Add to grapefruit mixture along with honey and remaining ingredients

2. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with chips as a dip, or as a side with grilled chicken or steak.

What Are Sweet Onions? Sweet onions, bred to be sweet and mild, must contain at least 6 percent sugar by weight to earn that label.

Other varieties of sweet onions include the famous Vidalia from Georgia, the Maui from Hawaii, the Walla Walla from Washington, and the AmenSweet from Michigan. Crispy Mexican Egg Rolls This fusion dish blends the best of Mexican ingredients and bundles them in a convenient Asian-inspired fried wrap. Serve with guacamole topped with fresh cilantro to cut the heat. Serves 10 Ingredients 1 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed 2 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 jalapeo pepper, minced teaspoon cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup shredded Muenster cheese 20 egg roll wrappers 3 cups vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 250F. In heavy skillet, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Remove from heat and stir in drained black beans, chicken, jalapeo pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cheese until blended
2. Place about 3 tablespoons mixture on 1 egg roll wrapper.

   Moisten edges of wrapper with water. Roll up wrapper, folding in ends, to form a roll. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

3. In large saucepan, heat oil until a thermometer registers 375F. Fry egg rolls, two at a time, for 58 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden brown.
4. Remove and drain on paper towels.

   Keep warm in 250F oven until all are done. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or ranch salad dressing for dipping.

Make-Ahead Tip You can make these spicy little egg rolls ahead of time and keep them, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Fry them up as your guests arrive, adding about 23 minutes of cooking time because the filling is chilled. Spicy Chilled Shrimp and Scallops The prep time is minimal for this saucy seafood medley, but marinating it makes all the difference, so allow yourself enough lead time to allow the flavors to meld before serving. Serves 6-8 Ingredients cup minced onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon oil 1 pounds large shrimp, deveined and peeled pound bay scallops 1 jalapeo pepper, minced 1 serrano pepper, minced 1 cup chunky salsa 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 red bell pepper, chopped cup chopped cilantro

1. In heavy skillet, cook onion and garlic in butter and oil over medium heat until crisp-tender.

   Add shrimp and scallops; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink and scallops just turn opaque; remove skillet from heat.

2. Add minced peppers, salsa, horseradish, lemon juice, and bell pepper. Pour into serving bowl, cover, and chill for 34 hours to blend flavors. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Fried Nopales Nopales are the pads of the prickly pear cactus. Tart and reminiscent of the flavor of green bean or asparagus, this delicacy is widely used in Tex-Mex cooking in salads, soups, casseroles, or grilled.

Here you can enjoy it fried. Serves 8-10 Ingredients 2 precleaned nopales pads 1 egg, beaten cup milk cup yellow cornmeal cup flour 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt teaspoon cayenne pepper Vegetable oil

1. Rinse the nopales pads and scrub with a vegetable brush to make sure all spines are removed. Using a vegetable peeler, remove any nodules or discolored skin. Cut nopales into " strips.
2. In shallow bowl, combine egg and milk and beat well. In another shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper and mix well.

   Dip the nopales strips into egg mixture, then roll in cornmeal mixture to coat. Place on wire rack to dry for about 30 minutes.

3. Pour 1" of vegetable oil into a heavy saucepan and heat to 375F. Fry coated nopales for 24 minutes until coating is brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Ingredient Substitutions You can buy nopales already thoroughly cleaned, sliced, and canned in a water or vinegar solution, but they will be difficult to coat and fry.

Other vegetables can be used in this recipe, including green beans, small mushrooms, pepper strips, and sliced yellow squash or zucchini. Salad of Sweet Onion, Corn, and Tomatillo Tomatillos and ground cherries are often confused for the same fruit, due to the distinctive papery husk that surrounds them. But the latter is much sweeter. If you have access to fresh tomatillos, use them in this recipe. Serves 4

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