Last night we had a large dinner party, and I made Tex Mex. Not many people are familiar with such cuisine here in Switzerland, so it was an adventure for quite a few of our guests! Rather than a recipe this time, I’ll give you my menu with links to the recipes I based my dishes on:
For the Apero:
Spiced nuts, Guacamole & Salsa with tortilla chips, and Pina Colada (virgin, with Coruba Rum or Malibu Coconut Rum on the side for those who like it spiked)
Drinks served for the main meal:
Corona beer; Desperados tequila beer; a variety of drinks such as Coke, 7-Up, etc.
Main Meal Choices:
Nopales (cactus salad) [I used Feta cheese, as Cojita is not available here.]
Spanish Rice (with coriander cooked in)
Tortillas, Tortilla chips
Toppings:
Sour Cream with Chives, shredded lettuce, grated Cheddar cheese
Desserts:
Sopapillas (Cheesecake bars) (I used phyllo dough, as crescent roll dough is strictly an American product)
I made the meats without hot peppers; I cannot eat spicy, and many people don’t like it, so I served spices and tabasco on the side for those who wanted a zing.
I basically set up the kitchen counter as the buffet, with tortilla chips and bowls of guacamole & salsa along the tables. Needless to say, the whole menu was a hit! The Apple Tiramisu has become my signature dish, as it’s requested again and again; I couldn’t leave it out, though it’s not Mexican, which is why I included the Sopapillas, for the authentic theme.
* I cooked both of these simultaneously in my crockpot: I put the beef into a metal bowl that just fit into my crockpot width-wise; the chicken was in the main pot, and then I sunk the bowl up to the rim in the liquid, to get an even heat distribution. They both cooked beautifully, though occasional stirring of the chicken was a bit tricky. To serve, I set the bowl into a pan next to the crockpot to minimize mess.
[In gathering the recipes for these links, I was reminded again of why I have Firefox! If you don’t yet have it, do yourself a big favour and download it as your browser: It has a function that allows you to look at a basic website without all of the flashing, pop-up annoyances they call “ads”!!]
CuppaNatter 