Tag: Mexican
Don’t Mess With Tex-Mex
As a youngster hailing from New England, I was woefully uninformed about the fine nuances of Tex-Mex cuisine. Hell, to my greatest shame, I once pronounced publicly that I “generally wasn’t a fan of Mexican food,” which still haunts me to this day. It’s still buried somewhere in the archives if you dig deep enough. Mexican food, itself a fusion of indigenous ingredients, Spanish influence, and regional variations that span all of Central America, gained a new accent when Tejanos took to the kitchen.
I once scoffed at Tex-Mex as being a watered-down version of Mexican cuisine, leaning toward milder seasonings, white flour tortillas, and a heavy hand with cheese, and I was wrong about this too. This is also an equally valid, equally delicious approach, bringing to life different flavors that aren’t trying to replicate anything else. Tex-Mex is American, bold, sometimes brash, and unapologetic.
Given the considerable overlap, it can be difficult to tease the two apart. Many of basic staples, the sides and sauces that are the building blocks of bigger dishes, look the same, no matter who’s table they’re destined for. I realize now, with age and greater perspective, that my disdain was rooted in the fallacy of “authenticity,” a concept I’ve railed against vehemently and yet failed to see how it applied here. Tex-Mex cuisine is authentic to Texan cooks, following time-honored recipes that, like any others, subtly change and adapt to individual tastes. When I learned to stop judging it, I learned there was so much to love. I haven’t looked back.
Maybe there’s a greater lesson to be learned here, beyond the meal at hand. For now, though, I’ll leave you with that food for thought, and a list of my current twenty best vegan Tex-Mex recipes. Que aproveche.
Refried or Die
Living in Texas has shown me the wonders of refried beans. Up until this point in my life, my primary reference was the stodgy, miscellaneous bean matter that emerges from a can in one solid brick. Minimally seasoned, mostly homogeneous, I never saw the appeal. Was it the adult equivalent of baby food, delivering nutrition with no teeth required? Mercifully, the real deal is anything but a culinary compromise, cementing its place in American foodways for many centuries to come.
Once Bitten, Twice Fried?
Pinto beans are the most common legume to be refried, thanks to their abundance, affordability, and creamy texture that breaks down easily with the lightest touch. Frijoles refritos were born in Mexico and contrary to common belief, mean “well-fried,” not “re-fried” beans. The idea is to stew them until they give up on individuality, fusing together as one. Like most marvelously simple dishes, the key ingredient is time.
What if there was a way to speed up the process without sacrificing flavor, texture, or nutrition, though? Sure, you could employ the handy old pressure cooker, or start with canned beans to begin with, but I believe I’ve found an even better shortcut. It’s time for red lentils to shine.
Paint The Town Red
I’ve never met a red lentil that wanted to stay whole. Instantly blending themselves into a rustic mash without even a passing glance at the immersion blender, they’re ideal for creating quick, creamy refritos on the fly. Moreover, their mild, earthy sweetness readily melds with savory aromatics, smoked paprika, and a touch of lime. Thickening into a supple, savory spread that clings beautifully to tortillas, toast, or whatever vehicle happens to be nearby, it’s remarkable what a few spare pantry staples can do.
Love Your Legumes
If you, like me, are late in discovering the joys of a proper refried bean, figuring out what to do with them is the biggest barrier to legume enlightenment. You can very happily eat them straight out of the pot, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t look for inspiration further afield. I can only scratch the surface on the multitude of possibilities:
- Side dish: When the budget is tight, you really can’t beat a meal of brown rice and refried beans. You could serve them alongside any sort of Mexican or Tex-Mex specialties too, from enchiladas to rellenos.
- Dip: All you need to do is add tortilla chips and boom, you’ve got bean dip! Take a step further by mixing in vegan sour cream, salsa or pico de gallo, and top with vegan cheese and/or cilantro for more festive fare. Don’t forget that 7-layer dip is always a possibility, too.
- Nachos: Instead of dipping your chips, dollop the refried lentils right on top. This has the added benefit of being able to justify drowning your troubles in gooey queso while still getting a healthy serving of fiber and protein.
- Tacos, burritos, and quesdillas: Leverage your refritos as the featured protein or let them support another main player in any of your favorite tortilla-based meals. A good bean and cheese burrito is the gold standard for a drunken late night snack, if you ask me.
These are the absolute basics, the classic examples that will never steer you wrong. That said, I’ve seen refried beans used in more imaginative creations like pizza, lasagna, dumplings… We’d be here all day if we kept talking about further adaptations.
Cut Out The Cans
I’m still loathe to buy a can of refried beans. As emergency rations, they excel. For daily subsistence, even on a budget or tight schedule, we can do better. Refried red lentils are my new ride-or-die staple food.
De Nada; You’re Welcome
“You’re welcome” is typically heard as a response, reflexive and impersonal, to any verbal show of gratitude. De Nada Cantina implies a fuller understanding: you are welcome.
Crispy Mushroom Picadillo Taco
Putting hospitality first, De Nada believes that when you put people first, the rest will follow. Judging by the nearly unanimous raves for their original downtown Austin location, they’ve got that equation right. As founder Stephen Shallcross explains it, “Hospitality is about taking care of people. We believe in hospitality. It doesn’t mean treating anyone, be they vegans, or gluten-free, or wheelchair users, as special. Everyone should be taken care of equally. It’s in our DNA to take care people, in the dignity of all people.”
Stephen Shallcross, owner of 2 Dine 4 Hospitality Group, which includes De Nada Cantina, Sawyer & Co., SWOOP House, Lil’ Easy Cajun Food & Bar, and 2 Dine 4 Fine Catering
Expanding into a larger kitchen in their newly opened South 1st location, the already accommodating menu has expanded accordingly. Myriad meatless options showcase the inherent richness of whole foods, seasoned with the same care and attention given to prime cuts. The mushroom picadillo in particular, developed through multiple trials and many revisions, is a shining example of that commitment. Layers of spices blended so harmoniously that it’s impossible to tease them apart are infused into every molecule of the humble fungus, swaddled in soft, handmade blue corn tortillas, or crispy hard shells if you’d prefer a nostalgic American flourish.
Vegan Enchiladas
Vegetarian enchiladas aren’t victims of subtraction after being converted to veganism. Creamy green pipián sauce blankets the bundle lavishly, as if those pumpkin seeds are channeling the very spirit of sour cream. Even the refritos negros, otherwise unremarkable black beans, dazzle with depth that has an uncanny cheesy undertone. It’s the kind of thing that anyone could enjoy, without even realizing they’ve eaten a vegan meal.
Camote Taco
What began as trying to accommodate friends and family turned into a genuine passion for making plant-based foods. John Mackey, co-founder of Whole Foods Market, was an early supporter and client, who really started the wheels turning. His signature can be seen all over the catering menus, which are additionally low-sodium and almost entirely oil-free.
Frozen Margarita
Don’t worry, if you’re just here for the comfort food, no one is about to give you a lecture about healthy living here. That piece of the puzzle is incidental to simply starting with quality ingredients and not messing them up. There’s still plenty of spirit behind the bar when you want to let loose. Crowned the best margarita by The Austin Chronicle now three years running, frozen or on the rocks, large or slightly less large, these drinks do not mess around. The way that happy hour deals bring crowds in droves is self-explanatory.
Verduras Taco
In 2026, accommodation is out; inclusion is in. Everyone is truly welcome here.
De Nada Cantina
1302 S 1st St.
Austin, TX 78704
Pleased as Ponche
Ponche is a lot of things, drawing parallels to innumerable other festive drinks. You could see it as being related to mulled cider, stewed with warm spices and served steaming on cold winter nights. The inclusion of fruits calls to mind sangria, even more so if it happens to be spiked, though more likely with brandy, rum, or tequila than wine. Fruit punch, of course, given that the name translates about the same, has an obvious relation. Mexican ponche, however, is its own unique party starter, even when it defies easy definition.
Paantsch, Ponche, Punch
Ponche has come a long way to reach its current destination as a Latin holiday staple. Originally from India, it was called “paantsch,” meaning “five,” and was accordingly made with five basic ingredients: alcohol, fruit juice, sugar, water, and spices. British sailors became hooked on the brew, bringing it with them on their travels to Europe and the West Indies, adapting it to use local fruits. The Spanish eventually introduced the drink to Mexico, where it was developed into the distinctive drink we know and love today, transformed by the native fruits of the Americas.
Key Ingredients
What makes Mexican ponche special is also what makes it difficult to replicate faithfully in different parts of the world. Key ingredients that may not be as common in US households include:
- Piloncillo: Unrefined dark brown sugar, often sold in hard cones or blocks, to be chopped, grated, or dissolved in hot liquids, such as this.
- Tecojotes: AKA Mexican hawthorn, similar to crabapples, they have a sweet and sour tropical flavor, and can be eaten both raw and cooked.
Fortunately, there are as many versions of ponche as there are people that make it, so there’s nothing wrong with a bit of improvising based on availability. This is one of those recipes that’s more like a set of guidelines than rules, open to interpretation as you please.
Serves You Right
Both a drink and a snack, a huge asset to busy hosts is the way it’s served as is, whole fruits and all. Guests can help themselves while the pot simmers gently on the stove, infusing the whole house with citrus and spice. Whether you chose to spike it or not, it’s sure to raise spirits with just one sip.
