Tag: Tex-Mex

Spaghetti Western

Mention “green spaghetti” in passing, and I’d wager that that vast majority of people would immediately think of pesto. That was certainly my first, second, and last thought too, before I moved to Texas. Here, and especially in the southernmost part of the state, right alongside the border of Mexico, it’s something else entirely. Espagueti verde, a uniquely Tex-Mex invention, is slowly gaining traction farther afield.

Born From BBQ

My first exposure was probably the same as most outsiders, through the feverish praise bestowed on Lockwood’s own James Beard semifinalist and one of New York Times’ best restaurants of 2024, Barbs B Q. No, nothing is remotely vegan, including and especially the green “spaghett,” so you don’t need to stress over standing in that perpetual line. As a dish of legend and lore, its influence has outgrown the humble lunch counters and potlucks that once contained it.

Easy Being Green

Impossible to miss cloaked in an arresting green cream sauce, roasted poblanos and fresh cilantro are responsible for both the flavor and the name, with a touch of spinach thrown in for extra vibrancy. Some describe it as a smooth salsa verde alfredo, but that’s really selling it short. The charred edge from the peppers lends a subtle smokiness with a buttery, velvety depth from the supple flesh itself. The topping of vegan cheese is honestly superfluous, but it does make for a pretty picture.

Truly Awesome Sauce

You might have noticed that I used bucatini instead of spaghetti in my version. Why? Because bucatini is simply the superior noodle, that’s why. You can use absolutely any pasta shape you have in the pantry, be it long or short, thick or thin. The sauce is generous enough to coat whatever you throw at it, and nobody’s meemaw is going to materialize in your kitchen to issue a citation for improper noodle selection. For that matter, you could use it to smother baked tofu, creamed corn, roasted cauliflower, or grilled summer squash. Green Spaghetti is supposed to be a side dish, but with that sauce on the plate, it’ll upstage any entree.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: It Takes Tortillas

2n1 Salad Bar and Grill – Falafel Wrap
Carnaless – Bacon Con Guacamole Breakfast Taco
Carnaless – Beef Fajita Quesadilla
De Nada Cantina – Crispy Mushroom Picadillo Tacos
De Nada Cantina – Verduras Taco
La Yunta – Chips & Guacamole
Nissi VegMex – Fajita Nachos
Rad Radish – Chilaquiles
Ramen Del Barrio – Champiñón Taco
The BE Hive – Taco Crunchwrap
Vivo – Emma’s Choice with Mushroom and Spinach Enchiladas + Tofu Puffy Taco
Vivo – Tofu Puffy Taco

Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

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.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

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.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

The X Factor

I know, I’m a cheap date, but one of my favorite things at Eldorado Cafe is completely free. The first basket brimming with tortilla chips arrives sometimes before you even secure a seat, no questions asked, aside from which type of salsa you want. From mild to wild, there’s not a single wrong answer, and it would serve you well to double down with an extra order or two. However, I can confidently say that Salsa X, which falls in the middle of the road in terms of heat, is absolutely at the top of the hierarchy.

What is Salsa X?

Salsa X could easily be overlooked. Rusty orange, emulsified to a creamy consistency, it’s smooth aside from some flecks of charred chilies and spice. Unadorned and unpretentious, the flavors speak for themselves. Deeply roasted tomatoes, ripe with umami, meet with a gradual heat that builds to a comfortable smolder. Balanced by acidity to cut through the richness of the roasted elements, there’s a subtle, natural sweetness that smooths out the edges, preventing any bitterness from creeping in. For something so simple, it’s remarkably layered in complex flavor.

Taking second place twice in the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival for the restaurant red sauce category, I know I’m not alone in my obsession. Still, no one seems to have quite cracked the code for a perfect replica, nor even figured out why it’s called “Salsa X.” I can’t help with the latter, but I’d like to take a shot at the former.

Making Salsa X at Home

To reverse engineer this Tex-Mex masterpiece, we need to start at the source. A bit of internet sleuthing reveals the base ingredients: tomato, onion, garlic, chile de arbol, chile morita, water, oil, salt. From there, it strikes me as having a similar construction as doña sauce, replacing the fresh jalapeño with toasted chilies, and roasting up tomatoes and onions for a bit more body. Could it really be that simple?

I would never be so bold as to say that it’s perfect replica. I would, however, say that it’s pretty damn close. Smooth, subtly smoky, and savory, with heat that slowly blooms, but never overwhelms.

Every ingredient, few as they are, carries incredible weight in the final blend. Technique is just as important too; this is no dump-and-stir recipe. Take time to properly roast the vegetables and toast the chilies, and your patience will be rewarded. Restaurants benefit from scale, equipment, and repetition that’s hard to match, but home cooks have the upper hand when it comes to attention to detail. You have the power to adjust to taste, either in the heat or consistency, until it’s just right. Maybe, you’ll end up with something entirely different, in a good way. Maybe you’re just a step away from discovering Salsa Y or Z.

Until Eldorado Cafe takes mercy on us salsa-lovers and bottles the stuff for sale nationwide, I’m reasonably content with my copycat, interspersed with visits for the real deal, of course.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments