Italy Meets Mexico: Mexican Bruschetta #Recipe

Blending two different cultures when creating meals is quickly becoming the new craze in cooking.

This is quite the norm with my cultural background as there is such a diversity with our dishes offering a usual mix of Chinese, Spanish and Filipino cuisine.

Two of my favourites, Italian and Mexican, mingle to create a real delicious appetizer, Mexican Bruschetta.

I have this really addictive taste for fresh, crispy crunch loaves of bread.

When I was younger, my grandma use to make fresh bread and would just dip it in olive oil (the really good stuff!). I loved it!

Ever since then, I have been trying to master making my own bread from home - but never have I come close to even duplicating the way she use to make it.

Combining my love for French Bread and an Italian Antipasto favourite of mine with my family's love for Mexican Food, I created my own spin on Bruschetta with my Mexican Bruschetta.

MEXICAN BRUSCHETTA

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes

Yields: 6 Servings 

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette 
• Olive oil 
• 2 - 3 Mexican Chorizo
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow red pepper, sliced
• 3 - 4 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup of Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 avocado for garnish, sliced
• 1 tsp of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning 

Method:

1) Remove the casings on the Chorizo and crumble/chop onto a separate plate

2) Cut the baguette diagonally in 1½” slices and using a pastry brush, coat each side. 

3) Cook the Chorizo in olive oil in medium heat

4) Add the onions and garlic and cook unto translucent

5) Add peppers and tomato and cook until tender

6) Add mushrooms and Old El Paso Seasoning, stir together and cook for 5 minutes

7) In a separate pan, toast both side of the the bread and place on large plate

8) Spoon Bruschetta toppings on top of each slice of bread

9) Add some Avocado slices atop or as garnish on the sides if you like

I hope you all enjoy this appetizer as much as me and my family and friends do!

Try and mix things up next time you're planning your meals or next event. It's fun and unique and you just may create something brand new for your family to enjoy for the years to come.

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Disclosure: I’m part of the Old El Paso Ambassador program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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Mexican Fiesta Made Easy: Chicken Tortilla Lasagna #Recipe plus #Giveaway

Get ready to Mex-it-up!

My family and I like to have fun in our home with Mexi-Mondays (choice of Tacos, Quesadillas, Mexican Rice and Chicken, Fajitas, etc.) and would make it fun by incorporating a little bit of fun like watching a Mexican Movie - we love Selena and Nacho Libre (ha-ha!) in our home! For the adults, we enjoy La Bamba or Desperado. 

Or even just cooking and dining to some beautiful Mexican music. I have such a fondness for Mexican music - it's so charming and cheerful. And not to mention, it really gets the party started in the kitchen.

My husband and I sometimes like to dance around and the kids like to dance along! It's always a good time.

Here's one of our favourite songs of all time, Voltare from Gipsy Kings (a very popular Mexican band).

Ever since the school year started, my schedule has changed drastically and a little kitchen dancing can be such a nice stress-reliever. But easy, quick-to-make, delicious and filling meals is what matters the utmost to me, especially now more than ever.

As you already know, I am a big fan (and brand ambassador) for Old El Paso (Check out my recipe for Mini Tex-Mex Meatloaf!), as I find their quality of products always make for a variety of swift and tasty recipes.

There are some days when tacos just won't cut it and I want to provide my family with something new and delicious at the table for Mexi-Mondays. Mondays are one of my busiest (4 cups of coffee...) kind of days, but I love how easy this recipe is to make.
Are you a fan of Lasagna? How about Chicken?
Then you will LOVE my Chicken Tortilla Lasagna!
This is a kind of meal that will surely have you dancing to the dining table.

CHICKEN TORTILLA LASAGNA
Cooking Time: 30-45 minutes
Yields: 4-6 hearty servings

Ingredients:

- Olive Oil or Canola Oil (or whatever oil you prefer to cook the chicken in)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Medium-sized onion, chopped
- 1 pack of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
- Package of large Flour Tortillas (or whole wheat - I like Dempster's Tortillas!)
- 2 cups of Old El Paso Salsa (Mild if you're eating with small children)
- 1 1/2 cups of Old El Paso Refried Beans
- 2 cups of sour cream
- 1 cup of guacamole
- 1 cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese
- chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

1) Rub the OEP Taco Seasoning all over your chicken breasts
2) At medium heat, heat some oil in a frying skillet, cook the onions until transparent and then add in and cook your chicken breasts

3) While your chicken is cooking, make your sauce combining the salsa, refried beans, sour cream and guacamole (yummy!)

4) Once chicken is cooked and cooled, shred and put into a bowl

5) Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees celcius.
6) Arrange your Tortillas on a lightly oiled flat baking sheet and then create your lasagna in the following order:

a) Sauce

b) Chicken

c) Cheese

d) and Repeat!

7) Usually I have up to 3 stacks of Tortillas in the middle and top off with 4th Tortilla and lots and lots of Cheddar Cheese.
Pop into the Oven and bake for 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling.
Let sit out to stiffen for 15 minutes then cut into triangular pieces.
Serve with a nice dollop of sour cream and top with some cilantro. I also like to include some of the special sauce on the side as well.
Delicioso!

This is yet another example of the delicious meals you can create using Old El Paso products.
Feel free to follow Old El Paso Canada on Facebook or Old El Paso Ambassadors for more great recipes at hashtag #youmexiCAN on Twitter and Facebook.

To help you Mex-up your dinner routine, I am giving away an Old El Paso Prize Pack worth $75!

1) Leave a comment below telling me what your favourite Mexican dish is
2) Submit via rafflecopter plus chances for additional entries

Rules:
Open to Canadian Residents only.
Winner will be randomly selected on October 1st, 2013.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclosure: I am participating in the Old El Paso Blogger Campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills, and received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own. 

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It's a Meatloaf Kinda Night: Mini Tex-Mex Meatloaf #Recipe

I was never a picky eater growing up as a child.
Seriously. Ask my mom.
She will tell you that I was always curious and open to trying new things and she was thankful that she didn't have to worry about what to feed me.
Unfortunately that non-picky-eater-ness did not rub off on my daughter.
It is SUCH a challenge getting her to eat anything and everything these days and most often I find her either playing with her food or negotiating with me about something to get out of finishing her meal.
Okay I do blame her diplomacy on me. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I also don't blame her on her dinner boredom because I have to admit, she does see some of the same things often.
It's either Meatloaf or Spaghetti most times.

When you have the very little time to be Martha Stewart creative with your meals and have something new on the dinner table each night, sometimes you just gotta stick with the classics.
Classics as in easy to make and satisfies hunger.

I recently became a new Brand Ambassador for Old El Paso Canada (by the way they're on Facebook now - check them out!) and it really got my inventive juices flowing when it came to meals.
We love Old El Paso in our family (a definite go-to for their Salsa!).

We especially love the aromatic and piquant flavours of Mexican food and with the ease that the Old El Paso Products can provide you that you can pick up off the shelves of your local grocery store, you can really mix it up for dinner and offer some zest to your meals.

So of course, during yet another Meatloaf kinda night, I whipped out some of my Old El Paso taco seasoning and incorporated it into my meatloaf concoction and what a change!
It spiced it up and gave it some kick and I was actually surprised that my daughter ate it up!

One of the challenges with meatloaf sometimes is that because of the thickness, it takes a lot longer to really cook it through so I decided to start making mini meatloafs using my muffin tin.
It not only cooked it quicker, but it just made total sense with a 4 1/2 year old that loved everything mini.

How cute are these?
They're yummy too by the way.

Try them out for your next dinner and don't forget to throw in some of that Old El Paso seasoning!
You can also really Mex-it-up by adding some Old El Paso Refried Beans in the meatloaf and some salsa as part of the glaze with some Mexican Rice on the side!

Ingredients

• 1 (6 ounce) box Stuffing mix (any flavor is fine but I use the chicken stuffing)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1.5 lbs ground beef or 1.5 lbs turkey
• Small onion, chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
• Equal parts Ketchup and Brown sugar for glaze

Directions:

1) Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
2) Spray muffin tins with cooking spray (Pam).
3) Fill muffins tins to top, slightly rounded.

4) Add the glaze to the top of each mini meatloaf

5) Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes

And that's it!

Within the next 3 Months, stay tuned for some mucho delicioso Mexican recipes using Old El Paso's yummy product line to help you get out of your dinner rut!

You can follow along for all the scrumptious action on Social Media with hashtag #YouMexiCAN!

Here's a sneak peek at what's to come next month! 

Hungry yet?

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Disclosure: I am participating in the Old El Paso Blogger Campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills, and received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own. 

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