Restaurant Review: WTH, Chuy's?

It looks promising, doesn't it? 
But it was a broken promise.

We had high hopes, because Chuy's used to be pretty good. It saddens me that this location seems to have gone down the tubes. I have to preface this with the fact that they were not busy when we went over there after the lunch hour on a Saturday. So throw that excuse out the window. 

The first issue was with tea. First of all, it was weak AF, but that was the least of it. Most places have sweet tea that's entirely too sweet, so I always get unsweetened and sweeten my own. 

Maybe I am not remembering correctly, but I could have sworn that Chuy's kept sugar & other sweeteners on each table. That wasn't the case here, so I asked for sugar packets on the side. The server that delivered the drinks didn't have them (I guess our server forgot to mention it), so I asked her for sugar packets. 

She brings me pink packets of generic sweet & low. Ummm....no. I'm sure the expression on my face must have resembled Bruce Willis's face in the 5th Element when Baby Ray threw him the billiard halls instead of the gun. 

Our original server visited next, so I asked him for some sugar packets. He brought me 3 each of every sweetener. So I had sugar, and pink, blue, and yellow sweetener packets. The next time he came by,  I just asked him to bring me more white packets. Apparently, if you need sweetener here, you must ask for the color you like. There should be a warning on the front door.

I'm still a little puzzled about that. I could understand one person not knowing sugar from faux sugar, but two on the same day at the same restaurant? Are the servers informed about sweeteners and the differences or does Chuy's just assume everyone knows what's what? Why didn't they know? Very strange. 

Next...the food. Well...the pico de Gallo was nice & fresh. The jalapeno dip wasn't as good as it used to be. Everyone remarked that it tasted like ranch dressing. I thought it used to be a little thicker too. We also had some queso which, while not spectacular, was at least passable. The refried beans & rice were good.

BUT...

Entrees...oh boy...still so disappointed about these...

I ordered chicken enchiladas with boom-boom sauce. The boom-boom sauce was so weak, it wasn't even one boom. I'd say it was about 1/4 of a boom. No good, spicy OOMPH, and the aftertaste was like Campbell's vegetable soup. 

And the chicken...omg. Slices & chunks instead of shredded, and ohhhh sooooooo pale. So, so pale. No caramelization at all. Poached? Boiled? Steamed? I don't know, but the chicken was bland AF, and the "boom-boom sauce" did not help much. No Big Bada Boom here...the fuse fizzled out on that bomb.

Just look how pale that chicken is!
Poach that bitch with some spices next time, FPS!

For comparison, I'll tell you what the previous experiences with this dish were like: So good, you could have just gobbled the whole thing down lickety-split and then ordered another. It used to be packed with flavor, not this poor rendition that was heavy on the bouillon in the boom-boom sauce and the tortillas stuffed with chicken chunks poached as pale as tourist legs on a sunny beach. 

I wasn't the only one with issues. 

Cheese enchiladas served cold, like revenge. 

Fajita Platter Flop: OMG! Just look at the picture. Real grill lines or painted? Dry AF. Does this look appetizing? HELL no. 

Maybe rename them "Faux-jitas"?

 Tacos al Carbon: Dry, dry, dry. Stiff tortillas. And get a load of those bell peppers and onions! Just like the ones on the fajita platter, no caramelization at all. Frankly, caramelized onions & bells are absolutely required for fajitas! 

He gave up and just ate the meat.

So I am here to ask, and rightfully so: What the HELL, Chuy's? What happened to the reliable Chuy's? What was this nonsense? It wasn't even worth the calories! If I'm going to consume that many calories, the food needs to have some FLAVOR! 

Taco Bell would have been a better choice. It's terribly sad to have to say such a thing, but it's true. 

This happened at the location in Katy. I hope these problems aren't company wide. But there were so many! It wasn't just one thing that was bad. That would be a different story. Either something changed with the company, or this location does not adhere to company standards. 

Fix it! You are an embarrassment to Austin, Texas at this point! 

It pains me to have to do this, but you get the mango forks for that fiasco. Fix it! Bring back the good Chuy's and usher the imposter out of the door!

Kitchen Tip: Avocado Storage - Keep Your Guacamole Green

Sometimes in life you end up with leftover guacamole. What?! Say it ain't so! How can that be? 

Even the most avid guacamole lover, who seeks out the very last speck with dogged determination, has this problem from time to time. 

 Question: What is the best way to store mashed avocado or guacamole to prevent browning (oxidation)? 

What I started doing a while back was this: 

Find a container with the smallest diameter that will be big enough for your leftovers with some headspace left after the guacamole has been placed inside. You don't need a lot of headspace: 1 to 1 1/2 inches is enough. 

For the leftover portion of mashed avocado below, (1/4 to 1/2 cup), I used a small, vintage serving bowl. It has about a 3" diameter on the top part but it's "fluted," so the bottom part is slightly smaller. The little ramekins used for single servings of creme brûlée or lava cake are of similar size and would be ideal for a portion this size. 

Put your leftover guacamole or mashed avocado in the bowl and smooth out the top with a spoon so it's nice & flat.  

Add a layer of your favorite salsa to cover the guacamole. It won't take much to cover it. (You can't tell from the pic but the layer of salsa on this batch was about 1/8"-1/4" deep.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a lid if it has one).

The picture below was taken the next day, 12-18 hours after the protective layer of salsa was added. If you zoom in you can see that the specks on the inside near the top are brown. (I should have left a larger schmear or a small glob o' guac uncovered, but I didn't think about that until I was taking the picture the next day. Of course!)  😁

Remove the layer of salsa to consume separately, or mix it in. Look at this lovely green color. No oxidation. No altered flavor. Oxidation does affect the flavor too, btw. But I am blessed (cursed?) with so-called "super receptors," so I can always tell. (P.S. - let's call it blessed rather than cursed. lol)

Placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole and maneuvering it around so it's airtight is also an option, but you do lose some during removal, and unless it's super airtight, you will still experience some oxidation. (Also, I'm not a huge fan of using plastic wrap, so if I can find an alternative method, I'm all in!)

You can do the same thing if you only need half an avocado for a recipe. Leave the skin on the other half. Place it on the flattest plate you have, nestled in a small puddle of salsa. You can do it without the salsa, but unless it is completely level, air will get in. Wrapping the plate with plastic wrap is optional because the intact avocado skin will protect the rest of the avocado.

I once read (and I don't remember where) about someone putting water on top of guacamole to keep it from oxidizing. Okay, but then you lose some of that good green gold when you drain it off. It may also make your guac too watery. 

Don't use water. If you're not a fan of salsa, there are other things that can be used: mayo, sour cream, hummus, a thin layer of olive or avocado oil, etc.

This would also be a good option if you make a batch for a potluck or a party. You can make ahead of time and not have to worry about it turning on you before the party gets started. 

This method may have already been posted on the internet 10,000 times. I didn't check, but one more won't hurt. So in case you missed the other 10,000 posts, here it is again. 😄 

The amount I saved is roughly the same amount that Chipotle gives you if you decide to order it as an extra. I don't know what the current price is, but the last time I was there, it was still a pretty penny.  

Product Review: H.E.B. Multigrain Taco Shells

 

H.E.B Multigrain Taco Shells

Crunchy taco shells -- I often see debates about crunchy tacos vs. soft tacos. (That would be a good topic for another blog post.) Personally, I love them all. Sometimes I crave crunchy; sometimes soft. It just depends on mood and ingredients on hand. 

These H.E.B. taco shells hit all of the right notes if you are craving crunchy tacos. They have a great corn flavor, and a nice crunch. Some of the other crunchy taco shells available from other companies often fall short on flavor. Sometimes the shells are just too thick too. 

But not H.E.B.'s taco shells. They are just right. The product featured in the photo above is made with "H.E.B. Select Ingredients." The Select Ingredients line was introduced in 2016, and they pledged to have 400 Select Ingredients products available for purchase in their stores by the end of that year. I'm sure there are many more now. 

According to H.E.B, the Select Ingredient products omit the use of HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup), artificial flavors, and synthetic ingredients. I believe them. The flavor of these taco shells speaks for itself. 

The price is right for these tacos if you are planning a party. The only drawback I have experienced thus far are the breakage points. The embedded flax seeds cause these shells to fracture differently than regular shells. Sometimes several fractures occur and the resulting pieces are smaller. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The smaller pieces are more convenient when you go in for the grand finale to enjoy that "taco salad" left on your plate after you finish your tacos. 😆

Here's the front of the box these shells were packed in, plus the sides with nutritional info: 

Happy Eating! 

Taco Bell Enchiritos - The Original, Not The Sad Reboot

When Taco Bell had an actual bell on their restaurants back in the day 
(Public Domain photo)

If I had a time machine, I would travel to a Taco Bell like the one pictured above, and order an Enchirito. Maybe even two. I'm talking about the original Taco Bell Enchirito, not that lame version they brought back when they "revived" it. According to Taco Bell lore, the Enchirito first appeared around 1970. It was discontinued as a menu item in 1993, but they brought it back around 2000. Well, they didn't really bring it back. They brought back the shadow of an Enchirito. It was taken off the menu again around 2013, though there are rumors circulating that you can order it from the "secret menu," or order certain menu items for an Enchirito "hack." 

Okay...you can hack all the livelong day or try to order from the secret menu, but you will never get a true Enchirito that way. I do remember the year they took them off of the menu. We didn't have a Taco Bell very close to us but we'd go there from time to time when we drove to Katy or Houston for errands. I remember when they removed it and I was sad. Later, they added it again, and I tried it a couple of times, but it was never the same -- just like when Coke changed their formula and then supposedly changed it back after public outcry. It was never the same either -- (If you can get your hands on a Coke that is bottled in Mexico, it will come close, but even that isn't as good as the original was.) -- but that made it easier to give up an unhealthy beverage, so that's not necessarily a bad thing. 

Let's get back to the Enchirito though. I have thought about making my own copycat version, and I have made sort of a pseudo-version from time to time. Now I'm thinking about getting a bit more serious about it. I have looked through many copycat recipes to see if anyone is making the original version of the Enchirito, but I have yet to find one. 

Most of these copycat recipes use flour tortillas. That's what I always hone in on. The tortilla. I have also run across some recipes that use corn tortillas. Well, guess what? They are both wrong. 

The Enchirito tortilla was a hybrid tortilla, not flour or corn. Both. I remember the original tortilla, because the first time I tried the "reboot," it was flour, and it was disappointment. The Enchirito's tortilla had a unique flavor. It was absolutely not simply flour, and it definitely did not have the taste or texture of a corn tortilla. 

I know there will be people who want to argue about it, but just think about this: an Enchirito was supposed to be a cross between a burrito and an enchilada. If you use a flour tortilla, you have a burrito. If you use a corn tortilla, you have an enchilada. You MUST have the hybrid tortilla to have a true Enchirito. I trust my taste buds implicitly. 

But to bolster my case, I jumped on a search engine and found some vintage Taco Bell commercials and print ads. I am not going to post all of those here, obviously, both because of copyright issues, and the time it takes to add attribution links to the ones that are possible to use. 

I did find one nice one on Creative Commons though, and I'm able to share that one here. Note the color of the Enchirito's tortilla in the photo, just as I remember, and just as all of the others I viewed. It is off-white, a bit on the tan side. It's definitely not a white flour tortilla, and certainly not a corn tortilla. 

I will be going into the laboratory with my trusty sidekick, Igor, as soon as possible, so we can make the hybrid tortilla that a copycat Enchirito recipe deserves. Stay tuned! 

Original Enchiritos
("Enchirito" by mush m. is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Hassle-Free Cheese Enchiladas with Homemade Chili Gravy

Fast & Hassle-Free Cheese Enchiladas

A cheese enchilada dinner in under an hour. Works for me. The homemade chili gravy is a MUST though. The canned stuff totally sucks.

Use your favorite cheese. I used American cheese in brick form, (Velveeta or the like), and cut the cheese (ha ha) into sticks after it had some time in the fridge so it would be easier to cut. The enchiladas were topped with grated cheddar cheese, plus diced onions (truck-stop style, back in the day).

The best thing about these hassle-free enchiladas is skipping the PITA oil procedure. I don't like using the microwave method, (and we don't have a microwave in the house anyway), so this is what I do:

Heat up a comal, or cast-iron frying pan, (I have also used a non-stick pan and it worked just fine), spray lightly with oil spray, take the corn tortillas out of the package and put all of them in a stack in the middle of the pan. I used 10 the last time, so all 10 were stacked on top of each other in the pan.

After the bottom tortilla is heated, (and lightly toasted), spray the tortilla on the top of the stack, and flip the whole stack. Flip the tortilla that was on the bottom, spray it, then flip the whole stack over again. When the first tortilla is lightly toasted, remove it from the stack and place it in a container with a lid. (I don't have a tortilla holder so I use a wide, shallow bowl and put a pot lid that fits the bowl on top. The key is having enough space so the entire stack is covered when you're finished toasting the tortillas.) Keep going with the stack until all are lightly toasted. (And hey...you can do this one tortilla at a time, but by keeping them in a stack, the weight of the other tortillas hastens the toasting. Besides, it's fun to do it this way. lol)

I don't spray each tortilla every time, it just depends on how much oil is still on the bottom of the pan.  If there is still a sheen on the bottom of the pan, I don't use the oil spray. When you are ready to assemble your enchiladas, flip the stack over and start with the tortilla that's on the bottom.

You get more flavor this way than you would with the microwave method, and you don't have to deal with the PITA method and get oil everywhere and have the oil odor lingering in the house all night long. It's a win-win.

Hassle-Free Cheese Enchiladas

For the chili gravy: 

1/4  cup oil or butter

1/4  cup A/P flour

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cumin (to your taste)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp. paprika

1-2 Tbsps. chili powder (to your taste)

1 pinch of red pepper (or more if you like more heat)

2 cups of water, chicken stock, beef stock, or vegetable stock)

S&P to your taste

1 Tbsp. tomato paste (optional)

1. Using a 10-inch frying pan, make a roux with the flour & oil (or butter). Cook at least 3 minutes to eliminate the raw taste of the flour -- letting it cook until it is slightly golden is optional, but preferred. 

2. Add the chili powder & paprika, stir until combined, keep stirring & cook for 1 to 2 minutes. 

3. Add the stock while stirring to prevent lumps. 

4. Add the rest of the ingredients. Let it simmer for a few minutes before assembling the enchiladas. 

5. You might want to add a little extra water or stock to thin the gravy out a bit more before using. 

For the enchiladas:

10, six inch, white or yellow corn tortillas (homemade or your favorite brand)
16 oz. brick of American cheese or 20 oz. of your favorite cheese, shredded (I used American cheese but I didn't use the entire pound)
1/2 -3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese for the topping
Oil spray (as needed)
Chili gravy (recipe above)
Optional: 1/2 cup white onion (small dice)

1. Heat 10 corn tortillas using your preferred method.

2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

3. Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with oil spray. Ladle some chili gravy into the baking pan, just enough to cover the bottom.

4. Ladle a scant amount of chili gravy onto a tortilla, (1-2 Tbsps.), then enough shredded or diced cheese for filling (1-2 oz.). ***Alternatively, you can dip the tortilla in the gravy, but ladling it in does the job with less mess.*** Sprinkle in a teaspoon of diced onions if desired.  Roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down into the pan.

5. Keep going until all tortillas are filled, then ladle as much chili gravy as you like over the top of the enchiladas.

6. Cover your pan with a lid or with aluminum foil and place it in the oven.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and sprinkle with the rest of the onions, if desired. Bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese melts.

8. Enjoy with your favorite side dishes.

Feel free to use more cheese. I don't like cheese overkill...(cheesed up to the point where all you taste is cheese and none of the yummy gravy or the corn tortillas), so I don't use an insane amount.

Tex-Mex Tales

I haven't checked in for a while and shame on me! There have been many food adventures since I last posted and I have a lot of catching up to do. Today, though, I need to opine about Tex-Mex.

We recently heard some sad news about the state of  a couple of Tex-Mex restaurants in our little town of Sealy, Texas. There was a report of possible rodent infestation at two of our local restaurants. The sources which generated this information are credible.

I'm not going to mention any names...if you live in Sealy and you want to know, send me a private message. I will describe the incidents, though.

The first incident involved take-out containers. The recipients of the take-out containers are related to me, so I take their word on this. The containers had been gnawed on by rats (or other small rodents). I shudder to think of what else they might be up to in that particular kitchen. Why didn't the waitstaff notice the teeth marks? I don't know. Maybe they did and decided to use them anyway to save money. Maybe they thought no one would notice. Yeah, that didn't work out so well. Now the word is out.

The second incident is far worse. Witnesses described a scene right out of a horror movie...oh, let's say...like "Willard" or "Ben." Meat had been left out on the counter to defrost, (already a big no-no and food safety hazard). The worst part? Rats were gnawing on the meat. Oh, yum-yum! NOT!

That's a little too close to "Demolition Man" food for me. (Remember the burger?) Not that that particular restaurant would have substituted a few of the rodents to make up for the loss of the meat, but...well...my mind wanders.

So...even if there is an announcement that these problems have been resolved...I just don't see myself being able to dine at either of the places again. Ever. It's a damn shame, because both of them were good. Not the greatest ever, but good most of the time.

Now if we crave Tex-Mex, we're out of luck as far as dining out. Well, there is one other place here, but we haven't been in years. Their beans always taste "off," like they weren't held at proper temperatures. (My theory on that was that they must have used them for the lunchtime buffet and saved them for the evening meal.)

That leaves driving out of town or home-cooked Tex-Mex. We do it on occasion anyway, so it's not that much of a stretch. That's what we ended up doing yesterday, on a bigger scale. We did a "combo meal": salad plate with tacos & guacamole...then cheese enchiladas, tamales, Mexican rice and beans. All dishes were made from scratch, except the tamales. Fresh and delicious! Untouched by rodent lips! Win, win, WIN!!

Of course, some of the products had GMO ingredients...hard to avoid since GMOs have invaded so many of our crops. But, the good outweighed the bad, in my opinion. 

Cheese Enchiladas from the home kitchen

No need to boil your corn tortillas to soften them. There is a better way. We'll talk about that later, though.

Loaded Tacos! 

Fortunately, we had some sour cream on hand, too. Oh, and don't buy that nasty taco mix full of fillers. You can make it at home in a snap.

Cheese Enchilada Plate with a tamale, refried beans & yummy rice

All we needed for this was a little extra gravy...I should have made two batches. The beans were brined overnight before cooking. We've been doing this a lot lately...it really makes a difference!

Now our Tex-Mex craving has been satisfied...and we have leftovers!! WOO-HOO!!

Have a great day and may you enjoy "rodent-free" cuisine for the rest of your life!

Tex-Mex Chicken Breasts with Rockin' Red Sauce

Annnnnnd....we have yet another success story from "Dr. Frazier-stein's" lab!! This recipe is fast and easy and will surely please lovers of Tex-Mex!

Click the link below to view this yummy creation:

 Tex-Mex Chicken Breasts with Rockin' Red Sauce

Very Tasty!!

Pamper Yourself.....with a Jalapeno Omelette

I was dining alone one night and I really wanted an omelette. Not just because I wanted to eat one. I really wanted to make one because they are fun to make. (We had a good portion of leftover chicken chili in the fridge, so I wasn't sure if I should. I should just eat the chili, really.) Then I thought: Why not? I can make a version of "huevos rancheros"--omelette style.

The result was very pleasing aesthetically and the flavor was fabulous. So I started thinking about a lot of things. I enjoy pampering others with wonderful food from the kitchen. Why not pamper myself sometimes? We all should. Instead of getting dinner together in a slapdash fashion when dining alone--make it fancy once in a while. Pretend you are "The Chef" and you are preparing a meal for royalty. Actually, pretend you are making it for someone special, because you are! (I must add: I consider all recipients of my kitchen creations as royalty. Special and royalty.)

I just have to add: Hey, this lovely meal was made using leftovers!! Isn't this far better than going through the drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant? Honey, does a chicken poop in the coop? HELL YEAH!

So here it is, a lovely jalapeno omelette. Fresh jalapeno (small dice) was added to the beaten eggs before cooking. You can see the Monterrey Jack cheese that's inside the omelette peeking out, like a movie teaser clip.

The omelette is topped with leftover homemade chicken chili. The chicken was freshly ground thighs from Whole Foods. There was no "eau de dishrag" odor when the chicken was cooking. (That happens with ground poultry sometimes, but not when the ground poultry is fresh and organically grown.)

Topping the chili: a little grated Tillamook Cheddar and some more diced, fresh jalapeno. Serve with your choice of tortillas--in this case, two white corn tortillas.

It was a very good supper. I recommend that you try this at home. Less than 10 minutes and you gots a great meal, Y'all!!! WOO!! :)

Jalapeno Omelette