When I was a vegetarian, I noticed that some of the dishes that gave me heartburn in the meat-version, did not do so in the veggie version. A couple of examples would be vegetarian sausage, which is also much lower in fat than the meat-version and vegetarian chorizo. I love that stuff.
I picked up some Soy Chorizo from Trader Joes today with the idea to turn it into two different dishes – a taco filling and a vegetarian chili. Here’s my recipe for the taco filling, which I turned into a taco salad. If you are interested in making the …read more

In continuing with my experiment to use salsa as an added ingredient in dishes instead of just serving it as a tortilla chips dip, I came up with this beef and salsa quesadilla.
INGREDIENTS:
1 thin steak, cut in strips
1 cup of salsa
1 packet of Cajun Aromatica Organics
1 large flour tortilla
sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese
oil for sautéing

My favorite fast food restaurant is Chipotle. If you don’t have one in your area, it’s a Mexican food restaurant that offers a limited selection of dishes – Burrito, Fajita Burrito, Taco (crispy or soft), Burrito Bol, and Salad – that they prepare, assembly-line style, as you watch. They make the dishes according to your specifications, with your choice of meat, salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc.
I always get the same thing when I go to Chipotle – a Chicken Burrito with the medium salsa, rice, pinto beans, light cheese, and light sour cream. The chicken has a smokey flavor, with …read more

I love the Food Network. My favorite chefs are Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, and Jamie Oliver.  Hot guys who cook. What could be better than that?
I watched the Food Network show, Grill It! with Bobby Flay today. The show works like this: Bobby has a guest on the show who prepares one of their specialities on the grill. Bobby prepares a seperate dish with the same main ingredient.
For example, today Alex, from California came on to prepare his Mexican Shrimp Enchiladas. When they introduced him, he was grilling Carne Asada Tacos in his backyard, using a green salsa.
That’s the sort …read more

It’s frustrating when you go to fast taco places, order your tacos, and then when you bite into your tacos, all you get is refried beans. So most of the times I just make my own. A twist in the regular tacos is this layered taco pies from Kraft Foods that everyone would love to dig into.
INGREDIENTS :
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into quarters
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style …read more

When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time at my Grandma’s house. One of her specialties was tacos and sometimes she would prepare Chorizo, in addtion to ground beef. I was only allowed a little of it and I loved it. Spicy, red, weird – it was interesting.
My kids had never had the Chorizo experience until I picked up some vegetarian Chorizo last week. I forgot to take a picture of it, but this is similar. The brand that I bought came in sausage-like tubes.
The kids all turned their noses up at it. “Yuck,” they said. I …read more

Cinco de Mayo will be here soon!  Here’s a wonderful recipe from Brenda Ponichtera for those of us who like Mexican food. It is easy to prepare and will be enjoyed by all ages. Consider freezing leftovers in small resealable bags for a portable lunch. Add a salad or fresh fruit to complete the meal.
Photo by Jim Semlor
Baked Chimichangas
4 (8-inch) or 8 (6-inch) whole-wheat tortillas
Filling:
1 1/2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
3/4 cup salsa, thick and chunky
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated, reduced-fat cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Optional:
extra salsa
Spanish Yogurt Sauce (page 122, Quick & Healthy Recipes and Ideas, 3rd …read more

Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Today, the holiday is marked throughout Mexico and in many parts of the United States.

In preparation for Cinco de Mayo, Wholly Guacamole has shared their recipe for Flag Dip, a festive creation, shaped like the Mexican flag:
Mexican Flag Dip
Ingredients
– Guacamole
– Fat Free Sour Cream
– Salsa
– Rosemary sprigs
– Black beans and olives
– Chips for dipping
Instructions:
1. Divide a rectangular pan into thirds. Spread guacamole and sour cream,
adding salsa …read more

Now I’m regretting that last bit of chips and cheese, of course. I should have not eaten that. I hope to goodness it doesn’t affect my weigh in next week. I will be terribly disappointed if it does!