16 Tex-mex inspired recipes

In this article we give you 16 Tex-mex  inspired recipes

Lets crack on with recipes

River Walk Strawberry Pie

1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
10 ounces frozen strawberries
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Dash of salt
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Thaw strawberries in a colander. When they reach room temperature, combine them in a large mixing bowl with the sugar, egg whites, lemon juice and dash of salt. Beat until very stiff, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Fold the whipped cream and vanilla or almond extract into the beaten berry mixture and pour into the prepared pie crust. Freeze the dessert for 2 to 3 hours or until very firm.

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Roast Turkey

1 (16 to 18 pound) turkey
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 apples
1 orange
1 lemon
2 fresh jalape?o peppers

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Rinse and dry turkey. Remove neck and giblet bag from the small cavity in front and the large body cavity. Season inside turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Use salt sparingly if using a pre-basted turkey. Rub exterior of turkey generously with vegetable oil and place in a large roasting pan with shallow sides.

Cut apples and orange into quarters. Cut lemons in half. Pierce jalape?o peppers with a fork. Insert apple, orange, lemon and jalape?o peppers into cavity. Roast turkey 15 to 20 minutes per pound. Temperature should read 180 degrees F when an instant-read meat thermometer is inserted in the thickest part of the thigh. The leg should also move easily at the joint. The turkey should be ready for 1 hour before dinner is served. Loosely tent with foil to keep warm, and carve just before serving.

Giblet Gravy

Make this gravy ahead of time and warm it just before serving.

2 ounces chicken or turkey necks
1 ounce chicken or turkey gizzards
and hearts
1/4 ounce chicken or turkey livers
9 cups water, divided
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper

Rinse necks, gizzards and hearts. Place in a large saucepan or stockpot. Cover with 8 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer. Using a large spoon, skim off foam as it accumulates during cooking. Cook until necks are soft and gizzards and hearts are tender, 2 to 3 hours. Remove from heat and let cool. When cool enough to handle, strain stock into clean saucepan with lid or into a plastic storage container. Refrigerate to congeal fat, several hours or up to 2 days. Freeze for longer storage.

Reserve gizzards and hearts; discard necks. Chop gizzards and hearts into 1/2-inch pieces. Refrigerate up to 2 days.

To make gravy, lift off congealed fat from stock and discard. Heat stock to liquefy; reserve. In stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add oil, then gradually stir in flour. Cook until flour is bubbly; reduce heat and cook until flour turns a rich brown, the color of cocoa. Gradually add warm stock, stirring with a wire whisk to eliminate lumps. Cook until thickened to desired consistency, about 20 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, rinse livers, if using, and place in a small saucepan with 1 cup water over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer until livers are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until cool. Drain livers and discard liquid. Chop livers into 1/4-inch pieces. Stir chopped gizzards, hearts and livers into gravy. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Gravy may be refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving. Reheat to serve. Thin with de-fatted pan juices from turkey or with water or stock to desired consistency.

Makes 16 servings.

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Taco Filling

4 garlic cloves, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 pounds ground beef
2 ounces Gebhardt? chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup raw potato, grated
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups water

Combine all ingredients and simmer for two hours. When the mixture is done, pour into a colander and drain well. Meat should not be greasy for tacos. Spoon meat into prepared taco shells. Top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated cheese and taco sauce if desired.

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Tex-Mex Chili Gravy

4 dried red New Mexico chiles*
8 dried red ancho chiles*
1 pound ground beef
4 cups beef stock
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons bacon drippings (optional)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Masa Harina?

* To shortcut, use about 1/2 cup Gebhardt? chili powder and reduce the cumin and oregano by half.

If using the shortcut, skip this step. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Break off the stems of the chile pods and discard the seeds. Place the pods in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them for about 5 minutes. Watch the pods closely so that they do not scorch. Break each chile into several pieces. In a blender, pur?e the pods with the stock. You should be able to see tiny pieces of chile pulp, but they should be bound in a smooth, thick liquid. Set the pur?e aside.

In a medium saucepan, brown the meat with the onion and garlic. Drain the grease. Add bacon drippings, if desired, and return the pan to the heat. When the bacon drippings have melted, add the cumin, oregano, salt and pur?ed chiles or chili powder and beef stock. Simmer the mixture for about 50 minutes, until the meat is tender and the liquid has thickened slightly.

In a small bowl, mix the Masa Harina? with 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, and stir the mixture back into the gravy. Simmer the gravy for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with Tex-Mex enchiladas, tamales or other dishes.

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Tex-Mex Enchiladas

Chili Gravy
2 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 cups warm water*
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

* Or use 2 cups warm water plus 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce.

Place shortening in skillet over medium heat. When shortening melts, use a whisk to stir in flour. Add chili powder, water (or water and tomato sauce). Allow liquid to simmer, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set sauce aside.

Filling
3/4 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place ground beef in small skillet and cook over medium heat until meat is browned. Season with salt and pepper. Drain well and set aside.

For Assembly
4 cups grated longhorn or Cheddar cheese
1 cup finely chopped onion
12 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place vegetable oil in small skillet over medium heat. Dip tortilla in hot oil until softened, about 15 seconds. Allow excess grease to drain back into skillet. Dip tortilla in chili gravy and place the tortilla in the pan. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Filling, 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped onion down the middle of the tortilla. Roll tortilla to enclose filling and place seam side down in the pan. Continue filling and rolling to make 12 tortillas. Arrange tortillas to fit snugly in pan. Pour Chili Gravy over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese and onion. Bake until bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

NOTE: For cheese enchiladas, omit ground beef. Use cheese and onions as filling.

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Tex-Mex Enchiladas

1 tablespoon shorteningg
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon red chili powder (or more)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 corn tortillas
1 onion, chopped
2 cups grated Longhorn cheese

Melt shortening in a heavy skillet. Stir in flour and make a roux. Add chili powder and water; stir and cook until the gravy is thick. Keep warm while preparing the tortillas.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease an ovenproof casserole dish.

Heat oil in a skillet and lightly fry each tortilla for about 5 seconds on each side. Do not overcook or they will get rubbery. Drain on paper towels. Dip each tortilla in the gravy, put some of the onion and cheese on the tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in a casserole dish. Repeat until all 6 tortillas have been rolled. Pour the chili gravy over the tortillas, top with more cheese, and bake for about 10 minutes.

Serves 2.

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Tex-Mex Truckstop Enchiladas

Filling
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup beef stock
1/3 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup chopped roasted mild green chile, such as
New Mexico or poblano, fresh or frozen
Salt, to taste

In a skillet, fry the ground beef with the onion until the meat is gray. Pour off grease. Add stock, corn, green chile and salt. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day. Reheat the filling before proceeding.

1/2 recipe Tex-Mex Chili Gravy
Vegetable oil (for frying)
12 to 16 corn tortillas
Grated mild Cheddar cheese
Onion, chopped
Fresh jalape?o or serrano chile, minced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a medium baking dish.

Heat 1/2 to 1 inch of oil in a small skillet until the oil ripples. With tongs, dunk a tortilla in the oil long enough for it go to limp, just a few seconds. Don’t let the tortilla turn crisp. Repeat with remaining tortillas and drain them.

With tongs, dip a tortilla in the gravy liquid to lightly coat it. Lay the tortilla on a plate, sprinkle about 4 tablespoons of filling over it, and roll it up snugly. Transfer the enchilada to the baking dish. repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Top the enchiladas with the remaining chili gravy, making sure that each enchilada is submerged in the sauce. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the sauce is bubbly. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle immediately with cheese, onion and jalape?o. Serve hot, using a spatula.

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Texas Barbecue Sauce

This sauce can be used with beef, pork and poultry.

6 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed
4 dried chiltepin chiles
1/2 cup commercial “chili” sauce
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
1 cup catsup
5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke

Cover the chiles with hot water and let them sit for 30 minutes until softened. In a blender, pur?e the chiles with 1 cup of the water they were soaked in until smooth.

Saut? onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Pur?e the sauce in a blender until smooth. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

To use, apply toward the end of the grilling time as the sauce may burn otherwise.

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Texas Crabgrass

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
1/2 pound fresh crabmeat or 1 (7 ounce) can crabmeat, drained
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a small skillet, melt the butter and saut? the onions for 4 to 5 minutes. In a saucepan, bring the spinach to a boil, cook for 1 minute, drain well, and add to the butter mixture. Add the crabmeat and cheese. Heat and serve in a chafing dish with crackers or Melba toast rounds.

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Canary Island Doughnuts

This is a San Antonio specialty.

Filling
1 pound (about 1 large) boiled or
baked sweet potato, mashed
1 1/2 cups chopped toasted almonds
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons Pernod
1 teaspoon aniseed, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Pastry
8 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 cup Crisco?, chilled
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
Ice water

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Sprinkle in the lemon zest. Cut in the shortening and butter with a pastry blender or fork. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, adding only the minimum needed to barely hold the dough together. Wrap the dough in plastic, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick on a floured pastry board or counter. With a biscuit cutter, cut out 4-inch rounds. Top each round with about 2 tablespoons of filling. Fold the round in half, pinch the edges to seal them, and crimp them with a fork.

Add vegetable oil to a heavy saucepan to a depth of at least 4 inches, and heat to 350 degrees F. If the oil smokes before reaching the correct temperature, it cannot be used for deep frying. Use only fresh, unused oil. Fry the doughnuts until they are lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain them, and sprinkle them with sifted confectioners’ sugar. Serve them immediately.

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Texas Ham Loaf

1 pound smoked ham, ground
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
3/4 pound ground pork
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons apple cider
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Warm oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Saut? onion until it has softened. Combine onion with remaining ingredients except apple cider, dark brown sugar and the 2 teaspoons of prepared yellow mustard. Mix well. Place the meat in a loaf pan, and smooth its surface. Bake the ham loaf about 1 hour.

While the loaf bakes, combine the apple cider, brown sugar and 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard. After the ham loaf has baked 45 to 50 minutes, brush it with the glaze, and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting the loaf.

Serve the ham loaf hot, at room temperature, or cold.

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Texas Pecan Nuggets

4 1/2 cups pecans, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups brown sugar, loosely scooped, not packed
1 cup finely grated coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl, mix pecans, brown sugar, coconut and salt. Add honey, egg whites and vanilla extract; blend by hand or with a rubber spatula just until ingredients hold together.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment baking paper or foil, drop batter by rounded tablespoons 1 inch apart. Bake about 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not over-bake. Cool completely on lined cookie sheet.

If cookies stick, peel paper or foil from cookies. To store, layer cookies between fresh parchment paper in airtight container.

NOTE: Bake on a dry day. Humidity makes these cookies very sticky. Makes 4 dozen nuggets.

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Texas Red

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 to 2 1/2 pounds lean boneless beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons Gebhardt? chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon crushed dried hot peppers
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoons Masa Harina?

In a large Dutch oven heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saut? until very lightly browned. Add the beef cubes in several batches and brown on all sides. When all the beef is browned, add all remaining ingredients except the Masa Harina?. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is very tender. If too much of the liquid cooks away, add some more hot water during the cooking. Adjust salt and chili powder, adding more to taste if desired.

To thicken the chili, mix the Masa Harina? with a little cold water, then add this to the chili while it is still simmering. Cook the chili 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Serve the chili in bowls with saltines and cooked pinto beans on the side.

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Texas Tavern Burgers

1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine and cook 1 cup onion and butter until clear and tender. Remove from fire and add remaining ingredients except beef, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook ground beef and remaining onion until brown. Add to mixture. Salt and pepper to season. Spread on toasted buns.

Serves 10.

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Texas Trash?

1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups Rice Chex?
2 cups Wheat Chex?
4 ounces shoestring potatoes
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup salted nuts

Combine butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt and garlic powder. Blend well in skillet. Add remaining ingredients. Put into a baking dish. Bake at 250 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Makes 9 cups.

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Tex-Mex Meatloaf for Two

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles,
drained and divided
1/4 cup regular oats, uncooked
1 egg
2 tablespoons catsup
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound ground beef
1/3 cup catsup
1 teaspoon minced onion
Dash of garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine 2 tablespoons chopped chiles and next 6 ingredients; stir well. Add ground beef and stir just until blended. Shape mixture into two (4 x 2-inch) loaves; place in an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Combine catsup, remaining chopped chiles, minced onion and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon sauce over cooked loaves; sprinkle with cheese.