make your own mexican stuff

[Jonathan Wilson]

I currently buy the old-el-paso Mexican dinner kits (soft tacos, fajitas,
enchiladas etc) but they can be expensive. How hard is it to make my own
Tortillas, seasoning mixes and sauces/salsas and would doing so be likely
to save me any money vs just buying the OEP stuff? Would I need any special
equipment or ingredients to make my own Mexican stuff?

[not no-one]

On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:12:05 +0900, Jonathan Wilson

Post by Jonathan Wilson
I currently buy the old-el-paso Mexican dinner kits (soft tacos, fajitas,
enchiladas etc) but they can be expensive. How hard is it to make my own
Tortillas, seasoning mixes and sauces/salsas and would doing so be likely
to save me any money vs just buying the OEP stuff? Would I need any special
equipment or ingredients to make my own Mexican stuff?

I hate to answer a question with a question - BUT- how many do you
eat? if you only have them every now and then then I doubt there
would be any savings (Still a lot of fun tho) WARNING - experimenting
with blends and mixes can be addictive ! ;-)

If you eat heaps then yes you can make your own. There are plenty of
sites around that tell you how (Google is your friend)

Regards
Dean

Spice West

http://www.spicewest.com.au

[not no-one]

Post by not no-one
On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:12:05 +0900, Jonathan Wilson

Post by Jonathan Wilson
I currently buy the old-el-paso Mexican dinner kits (soft tacos, fajitas,
enchiladas etc) but they can be expensive. How hard is it to make my own
Tortillas, seasoning mixes and sauces/salsas and would doing so be likely
to save me any money vs just buying the OEP stuff? Would I need any special
equipment or ingredients to make my own Mexican stuff?

I hate to answer a question with a question - BUT- how many do you
eat? if you only have them every now and then then I doubt there
would be any savings (Still a lot of fun tho) WARNING - experimenting
with blends and mixes can be addictive ! ;-)
If you eat heaps then yes you can make your own. There are plenty of
sites around that tell you how (Google is your friend)
Regards
Dean
Spice West
http://www.spicewest.com.au

Also forgot to add this link that will give you a strating point ...
http://www.texascooking.com/features/sept98flourtortillas.htm

[Jonathan Wilson]

Post by not no-one
If you eat heaps then yes you can make your own. There are plenty of
sites around that tell you how (Google is your friend)

I eat them all the time.
Even just finding a way to produce the sauces and seasonings myself (if I
could make them cheaper than buying the OEP ones) and buying the OEP
tortillas would help (since making my own tortillas looks too hard,
especially without a tortilla press)

[ant]

Post by Jonathan Wilson

Post by not no-one
If you eat heaps then yes you can make your own. There are plenty of
sites around that tell you how (Google is your friend)

I eat them all the time.
Even just finding a way to produce the sauces and seasonings myself
(if I could make them cheaper than buying the OEP ones) and buying
the OEP tortillas would help (since making my own tortillas looks too
hard, especially without a tortilla press)

One of the few good things in yankland is the huge abundance of tortillas in
every supermarket in teh land, even in vermont! You cn get corn nd flour
ones... I prefer flour tortillas as the corn ones have a slightly fishy
smell and taste. They are cheap as hell too.

spicing is easy: use a ton of cumin, and fresh coriander, and salt! And
chilli. Teh Essential Ingredient often has tins of pickled jalapenos, same
brand as in the yank supermarkets (Embasa, mainly). About 4 times teh price,
too, unfortunately.

[Amarantha]

Post by Jonathan Wilson
I currently buy the old-el-paso Mexican dinner kits (soft tacos,
fajitas, enchiladas etc) but they can be expensive. How hard is it to
make my own Tortillas, seasoning mixes and sauces/salsas and would
doing so be likely to save me any money vs just buying the OEP stuff?
Would I need any special equipment or ingredients to make my own
Mexican stuff?

I've made tortillas at home; it's pretty easy and extremely cheap. Google
a few recipes until you find one you like. Mine were not as soft as the
packet ones, but next time I shall try adding some baking powder or oil for
softness. You don't need a tortilla press - a rolling pin takes a little
more time but is just as effective for small batches.

I've never used the packet seasoning mix, and salsa is as easy as
chopping/mixing a few herbs and veggies of your choice :)

K

[ant]

Post by Amarantha
I've never used the packet seasoning mix, and salsa is as easy as
chopping/mixing a few herbs and veggies of your choice :)

Yep, you play with anything bright tasting. Good tomaters, finely chopped
red onion, a little bit of chilli, lemon juice, green coriander (really
important), salt... play with that.

Plant some coriander, find a slow bolting sort, and every few weeks, put a
few more seeds in. They are like ferns, they like light, water and food. In
the heat they'll bolt, so you keep poking a seed into the soil very
regularly, so you have coriander all the time. It's marvellous. Bunches in
US supermarkets are dirt cheap, as the Mexicans use heaps of it. Grow your
own is the go here. My dog eats mine...