Tex-Mex

Fajitas are great because you can put anything you want on them. I like mine with meat, onion, and cheese, but my sister always grills some eggplant or zucchini for hers. They are also really good with refried beans, guacamole, or even Spanish rice.

Taco Salad is awesome because it is literally a whole meal in one salad—and a vegetarian meal at that. If you want to add meat to the salad, you can cook and drain 1 pound of ground beef, stir in 1 tablespoon of chile powder, and spoon it onto the salad before you add the cheese. Tortilla shell bowls can be difficult to find, but you can just line a bowl with tortilla chips and get the same effect.

If you make these for your friends, make sure you eat some right away, because they will evaporate if you walk away. Megan and I like our salsa saucy, more like a picante sauce, so we add some tomato sauce. But, if you like chunky salsa, you can skip the sauce and just use the diced tomatoes.

This dip is so easy it’s embarrassing, but we included it anyway because we love it. We usually make it in two smaller pans, one using chili with meat for me and one with vegetarian chili for Megan. This is the perfect after-school snack, taking less than ten minutes from walking in the door to munching away in front of the television.

Chili con carne is one of my favorite one-pot crowd-pleasers, and incorporating a healthy dose of Sriracha just makes it that much more delectable. However, I must disclose to my fellow chili-philes: consider having an antacid aperitif (or two) before voraciously devouring this recipe. You’ve been warned. Enjoy with Bacon-Sriracha Cornbread (page 78).

There’s just something about layers of ground beef, salsa, tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheddar cheese that appeals to the soul—at least when your mama has been making seven-layer salads and dips for as long as you can remember. Mexican flavors are particularly popular for parties—Brooke is definitely a big fan of them—but this dish is quick enough to fix for a fun weeknight fiesta, too. You can use up the broken bottom-of-the-bag tortilla chips for this meal, and you don’t need a side dish other than a little guacamole for dipping the extra chips in.

If you ever find yourself wondering what to do with that last pound of barbecue, I’ve got a solution for you: nachos. This is the best damn appetizer in the world, especially good for things like Super Bowl parties and poker games. You can make your own salsa, of course, but I usually just use whichever brand I happen to have in the fridge.

This zesty salsa gets its flavor and green hue from tomatillos. Tomatillos have a tart, citrus-like flavor that works as a zingy accompaniment to fish (see Halibut Enchiladas with Salsa Verde, page 86). When choosing tomatillos, smaller is better. The smaller ones have a sweeter taste. Tomatillos should be green and about the size of a large cherry tomato. The inside is white and meatier than a tomato. They are covered by a papery husk that may range from the pale green to a light brown. The husks are inedible and should be removed before use.

Salsa is Sandy’s condiment of choice. (Well, that and pickled jalapeños!) This recipe is one of her absolute favorites and provides her with a little taste of home. She typically adds this salsa to her morning eggs (she’s spicy that way) or serves it as a flavorful dip to sit alongside a big pile of tortilla chips. If you like a really hot salsa, leave in some of the jalapeño seeds.

If you have ever had breakfast in Texas, then odds are you’ve experienced a plate of delicious migas, a mixture of fluffy eggs, spices, cheese, and fried tortillas. For Sandy, migas present somewhat of a love-hate relationship. You see, Michael (her main squeeze for over twelve years) loves migas so much she sometimes feels he loves them more than her. He’s tried them in every restaurant in Austin, always noting the subtle differences and what would make the perfect combination of flavors. She took note and developed this recipe in attempts of satisfying her “migas man.” And let’s just say there is no longer any doubt who Michael loves more. Serve these with a side of refried beans and your choice of corn, flour, or whole wheat tortillas to enfold all of the ingredients into tasty tacos. And if you’re feeling spicy, try making your own pickled jalapeños (see below).

Enjoy this flavorful Mexican dish with a casserole twist that’s not only easy to put together but adds pure spice to the dinner routine. Since this recipe calls for you to layer ingredients as a stack, versus individually hand-rolling the enchiladas, we recommend that you bake the corn tortillas separately in the oven until crisp. With traditional enchiladas, the corn tortillas become mushy, but by toasting them in the oven, they help this casserole keep its shape. Serve with light sour cream, fresh salsa, and guacamole for a real fiesta. Olé!

All hail to the Queen! If you’re a fan of our Traditional King Ranch Casserole (page 41), you will love this lighter version, which delivers on taste but not on fat. We cut out the creamy soups to home in on the flavors from the green chiles and Rotel tomatoes. That’s not to say that this dish is super-spicy; it has a kick, but is overall very fresh. The cornstarch and broth mixture is called a slurry, and is used to thicken soups, stews, and sauces. Here are a few tips for making a slurry: Never add cornstarch directly to a hot liquid or it will lump; slurries should be 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts liquid, and, when stirred, should have the consistency of heavy cream; if you don’t have cornstarch, you can substitute flour—just use twice as much.

Tamales are a huge part of the Christmas celebration and tradition in the Rio Grande Valley, where Sandy was born and raised. As such, the holiday season simply wouldn’t be complete without eating copious amounts of tamales. Tamales are fun to make, but very time-consuming, so many people simply purchase them from a local restaurant. We go to Delia’s in Edinburg, Texas. Around Christmastime, they make about 25,000 tamales and become so busy that the doors are closed to regular customers and the police are dispatched to direct traffic. If your order isn’t in at least two weeks prior to Christmas, then you’re out of luck! Our spin on the tamale is a casserole that saves you both calories and countless hours of preparation.

Say no to grapefruit diets, and yes to feeling satisfied. Similar to a burrito filling, this casserole boasts a creamy rice mixture made with low-fat sour cream and green onions, all covered in a spicy meat sauce and topped with reduced-fat Cheddar. Round out a healthy dinner by serving this dish with either a fruit or green salad and dinner rolls. It’s also perfect to use as a filling for whole wheat or corn tortillas.

Upscale enchiladas? You betcha! Take your enchiladas to serious new heights by baking fresh halibut, instead of frying it, and cooking the enchiladas in a delicious tangy verde sauce. Serve with black beans sprinkled with Cotija cheese, and a simple side salad for a truly flavorful meal.

The King Ranch Casserole is as much a part of Texas history as the Alamo. So imagine when Crystal—originally from Georgia—marched into Sandy’s kitchen with some ideas on how to improve the dish. Yep, you guessed it. Disaster. You just can’t mess with Texas. Our recipe hasn’t budged from the original, which has been in Sandy’s family for as long as she can remember. Our fellow Austinites share the same love for this traditional recipe and have made the King Ranch one of our most popular menu items. Enjoy!

This classic Tex-Mex stew (see photograph page 10) is rich and delicious without the hours of simmering that most stews require. I cannot imagine ever eating this without Aunt Edna’s Homemade Flour Tortillas (page 171) to soak up every last drop of flavorful sauce.

There are as many different styles of tortillas as there are regions in the parts of the world where they are eaten. I make tortillas like the ones I grew up eating in my Aunt Edna’s kitchen in Texas: thick, fluffy, and addictive! This dough can be used to make them any way you like: small or large, thick or thin. With practice, you’ll get more efficient and turn into a one-person assembly line: cooking one tortilla while you roll out another. Nothing is better to sop up the creamy gravy of Aunt Didi’s Carne Guisada (page 107). Or eat them warm, straight off the comal (a flat griddle, see below) and spread with butter. I still love them for breakfast, these days usually with beans rolled up inside.

In Texas it is a given that everybody needs a good recipe for corn bread, and here is mine. I like it warm from the oven slathered in butter. It’s also good served with Chili con Carne (page 110).

These days I’m more likely to eat Chili con Carne with flavorful Corn Bread (page 181), but when I was a kid, “Frito pie” was one of our favorite after-school snacks: Place a generous handful of Fritos or other corn chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle over some hot Chili con Carne, and top with cheddar cheese. Every delicious bite is cheesy, crunchy, and meaty! Mexican chorizo is a fresh (not dried) pork sausage seasoned with chiles; it makes all the difference between this Chili con Carne and more basic versions. This chili is better if it’s made a day ahead.