Mexican Cooking Tips

The most important thing about Mexican cooking is mixing and matching a variety of ingredients. Be creative, keep it fun and fresh. Combine salsas, vegetables, beans, rice and meats and watch spectacular, tasty meals come to life. Keep your Mexican food exciting, inventive and great-tasting at home with these suggestions.

• Experiment with tortillas. To make them more crisp, place a few teaspoons of oil in a frying pan and fry tortillas, one at a time, for a few seconds until crisp.
  
• Mexican cheeses are more spicy and flavorful than a typical cheddar or American cheese. Explore your supermarket and try some Queso Fresco, Queso Añejo or Chihuahua.
  
• Next time you prepare nachos, layer ingredients between whole tortillas, instead of using tortilla chips. Remember to wait and cut your nachos after the ingredients have been baked.
  
• To keep your fajitas fresh, grill your meat and veggies on an outdoor grill. The flavor will shine through.
  
• Give some authentic Mexican fruits and vegetables a try. Check your local supermarket for jícamas, papayas, avocados, squash, Herdez Mangos and Herdez Guayabas.
  
• Toasting seeds, spices or other ingredients will bring out their flavor.
  
• To serve your food, present the ingredients on individual platters, plates and bowls and let your friends and families pick and choose which ingredients they want to incorporate into their meal.

* DVO welcomes your kitchen hints and cooking or nutrition questions! Email us and we'll post your hints and Q/A's in upcoming newsletters! *