My second product review...

Well, what is it...

It's a 4-pack of Cholula Hot Sauce!!

Let's see...we have Original, Chili Garlic, Chipotle, and Chili Lime...

 I love this unexpected perk of food blogging...being asked to cook with and write about food products, things I love to do anyway.  It does, however, mean that I need to get back to some original and creative cooking...I've still been cooking, but mostly from my quick and easy repertoire...this calls for some recipe creating (and I still have seven bottles of Jarritos waiting in the pantry too!!)...

Funny...there seem to be more peanuts than BEFORE I took out the bottles...

I forgot about the Jarritos!!

Jarritos al Pastor

As you may (or may not) recall, I received 11 bottles of Jarritos soda back in June to do a product review.  After preparing one chicken dish and one cocktail, the box got tucked away in the pantry and forgotten about (sigh).  Reminded by the little guy that I still had the soda (HE didn't forget),

I drug the box out of the pantry.  I took the bottle of Piña (pineapple) and used it as the base of a marinade for al pastor (yeah, I know, this isn't a big stretch).  Remembering the delicious result the long marinade of the chicken produced, I decided to let the pork experience the same long bath.  The pork turned out scrumptious, tender, and moist, just as the chicken had, and the depth of flavor was incredible.   While not everyone may like a fruit flavored soda, Jarritos has proved itself to be a wonderful marinade base for meat...I'm thinking a Latin/Asian fusion dish for the mandarin :)

I also took the opportunity to break out the jalapeños en eccabeche that I had made at the beginning of the month.  These turned out every bit as delicious as I had hoped.  I had had a nagging fear that the processing time would overcook the veg, but this was not the case, and they were still nice and crisp.  Unfortunately, Ben and I ate half a jar in this one sitting (I guess there are worse things to over indulge in :), so I shall need to make some more of these before summer's end.

Jarritos al Pastor

2 to 2 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin

1 bottle Jarritos Piña

1 large onion, cut into a large dice

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 can chipotles in adobo, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. oregano (preferably Mexican)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 20oz. can pineapple chunks

1 tbs. olive oil 

Slice the tenderloin into one inch slices, don't worry about trimming off the fat unless there is a lot (there usually isn't).  Mix the remaining ingredients, except the pineapple and oil, in a gallon zip lock bag; add the pork slices and stow in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days (Mine was 3 days), turning occasionally.

When you are ready to cook, remove the pork from the marinade to a foil lined serving platter (easy cleanup).  Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice for another use, and place in a medium bowl.  Remove the onion chunks from the marinade and add to the pineapple; drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and toss to coat. 

Light your grill (I used gas) and once it is hot, grill the pork until it is just cooked through; throw away the foil, revealing a clean platter, and remove the pork to rest for 5-10 minutes.  While grilling the pork, cook the onion and pineapple in a grill basket until tender and starting to brown (this actually took longer to cook than the pork).

 Once the pork has rested, cut it into thin slices and pile in the middle of the platter.  Spoon the cooked onion and pineapple around the outside and serve (if someone doesn't want the pineapple, they can easily get just the pork).  Serving suggestions:  warm corn and/or flour tortillas, grated queso cotija (or other cheese), chopped onion with  fresh cilantro, diced avocado, salsa of choice (I used salsa ranchera), and lime wedges...we had all of these :-)

Other stuff...

I like to make my own salsa ranchera, but as this can be a bit time consuming, I have also found a favorite to purchase at the grocery.  I like the Herdez brand, available in the Latin section of most groceries.  All the salsas are good, but salsa ranchera, of medium heat, is, by far, my favorite.

I decided to use the reserved pineapple juice in a riff on the classic margarita.  This was the perfect cocktail to go with the spicy complexity of this meal.

Pineapple Lime Margarita

1oz. tequlia blanco or plata (white or silver)
1oz. triple sec
1 oz. pineapple juice
1oz. lime juice

Shake the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice.  Garnish with a wedge or slice of lime and a pineapple chunk.  Makes one drink.

And next up is...Toronja

Toronja (Grapefruit)

photo courtesy of Jarritos

In Mexico it is much more common to drink a cocktail made with grapefruit juice or soda (a Paloma) than with lime juice (the "traditional" Margarita).  Go figure that we associate an "American " favorite (we are all Americans after all) so strongly with Mexico, just like we celebrate Cinco de Mayo (the date of a relatively minor battle against the French), rather than Mexivo's true Independence Day of September 16th (freedom from Spain!).  Oh well, I digress...In a no brainer, I decided to use the bottle of Toronja/Grapefruit soda to make this cocktail.  Again. Chris and I did a taste test of the soda on its own, and both of us found it to be very pleasant (and I'm not a big soda drinker)...I could seriously drink this soda on its own an enjoy it (everything in moderation).  I mixed up the cocktail and just said "Wow," this is pretty darn good!  This complimented the Lemon Lime Chicken Tacos we had for dinner last night perfectly...give this a try, it is seriously good...

Paloma Cocktail

2 oz. tequila blanca (silver)

1/3 to 1/2 bottle Jarritos grapefruit soda

1 big juicy lime wedge

Fill a 10oz. glass with ice, squeeze the lime wedge over the ice and drop into the glass.  Pour the tequila over the ice and top with the grapefruit soda.  Sit back in a scenic location (I like my deck) and be transported to Mexico.

And the first up is...Lima-Limon

Lima-Limon (Lemon Lime)

photo courtesy of Jarritos

I was poking around on the internet looking for inspiration for the eleven bottles of Jarritos awaiting me in my pantry.  Cooking with soda seems to involve a lot of onion soup mixes, canned cream soups, ketchup, or jello, none of which sounds appealing to me (quite yucky, in fact), so the thinking cap has gone on and sent me pondering my options.  I have a few ideas, some obvious, some not so, but we'll have to see how it goes.

First out of the box is the Lima-Limon, or Lemon Lime.  I have an agreement with Chris that he will get to taste test each soda before I do anything with it, so I called him to the kitchen and we popped the top.  I must say that the soda was not what I expected at all, the color and taste more reminiscent of Mtn. Dew than the 7-Up that I was expecting.  I am not a fan of Mtn. Dew, but Chris found the taste very acceptable and said he could drink the whole bottle.  If the caffeine content is more reasonable than the dew's, I just may let him in the future...except for Piña, this is the only other one he has tried and he is already bugging me to go to the grocery and buy them all (that's what I get for limiting soda consumption I suppose).


I thought that the lemon lime flavor would lend itself nicely to chicken, and after viewing an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives the night before where Guy visited that Koren-Mexican fusion taco truck in LA, I wanted tacos.  Fortunately the contents of my fridge and pantry allowed me to go in that direction (any real surprise there?)...

 taacos de pollo lima limon con frijoles

I had the chicken and veg marinating, and did not discover until I went to cook them that the gas frill was out of gas. so I didn't get to cook them as planned.  The next evening rolled around, and with family in from out of town, I still did not get to cook this chicken.  This leaves me tonight, with this chicken in the marinade more than two whole days, and afraid of what I was going to get.

What I got was absolute delishiousness....the chicken had a distinct lemon lime flavor, but still subtle, even after two days.  I grilled up the chicken and veg before slicing up the chicken and tossing it with the veg.  This was served on warm corn tortillas with shredded cheese, avocado slices, crema, salsa roja, and shredded lettuce.  On the side we had the frijoles I had made two nights previously (and reheated gently in the microwave).  These tacos were delectable and got me thinking that this marinade would be fabulous for fish tacos (but not marinaded for 2 days!)...

A post postponed...

Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

Okay, so yesterday's plan to make my first dish using Jarritos soda was a bust...I went to light up the gas grill to find the tank empty, as was the spare in the garage (why do we have a spare if it is empty?)...we had errands to run after dinner, we were all hungry, and I didn't feel like coming up with an alternate cooking plan, so we ended up at LaRosas eating za...ate least it tasted good.  I'll have to get those tanks filled and try again this eve...

In the meantime, I'd like to share a super simple pasta dish I made a while back.  This dish is so simple that it could easily become a weeknight staple, especially since it would be so easy to add some other veg to the saute, and the type of sausage used is only limited by what you happen to have on hand.  This made a lot of food and I was able to eat lunch from it for a few days.

Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

1 14-16 oz. box sturdy pasta shape 

     (I used a whole grain penne)

1 head of broccoli, cut into bit sized florets

     (I really cheated this and had a bag of prepared fresh broccoli)

1 12-16 oz. pkg. sausage limks 

     (I used a precooked Italian sausage with sundried tomatoes)

10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced as thinly as possible

coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

grated Parmesan, or similar cheese, to serve

Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli during the last few minutes of cooking; drain, reserving about a cup of the cooking liquid.  Slice the sausage links thinly and brown in a large saute pan, adding the garlic, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes (if using), during the last few minutes of cooking.  This process will take longer if using a fresh sausage, but not too long since you have sliced it up.  Don't worry about draining off any fat unless it seems like you have a lot- if using precooked sausage this should not be an issue at all.  Toss the drained pasta and broccoli in the pan (or large serving bowl) with the sausage, adding some cooking liquid if it seems dry.  Serve with grated Parmesan cheese,

It's here, it's here, my Jarritos is here...

11 flavors, a t-shirt and a CD

Nearly two weeks ago I received  a random email from a marketing firm in LA asking if I would be interested in sampling all eleven flavors of Jarritos soda, and then sharing my thoughts about the product with you, my wonderful readers.    I first tried Jarritos during a trip to Mexico in 2007, and of the few flavors I have tried, my favorite has been the Piña (pineapple).  I don't know how my little blog was selected, but I find it all to just be kinda cool (I'm a newbie to this, can you tell?).  I replied (obviously) that I would be very happy to do this, and after some cheerful coorespondence with the marketing rep, the wait was on.  The much anticipated package arrived Friday afternoon, and not only did I get the soda sampler, but also a t-shirt (can't have too many of those) and a Latin music CD (or those either).  Before I ramble on any further, let me tell you a little about Jarritos, for those of you who may not be familiar...

What are Jarritos...

Jarritos, is a Mexican soda brand started in 1950 by Don Francisco "El Güero" Hill.  Jarritos is made in fruit flavors and with less carbonation than soft drinks made in the US, although the biggest difference lies in the use of real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup, in its production (one of those things our family is trying to limit).   The word jarrito means "j little jars," in Spanish and refers to the Mexican tradition of drinking water and other drinks in clay pottery jugs.

 Today, Jarritos is the leading brand in the US in the Mexican soft drink category and has become a Mexican cultural icon. Whether it is the distinctive glass bottle, or the eleven unique fruit flavors, Jarritos has become fairly well known in the US, and can be found in many major grocery stores. Jarritos flavors are a reflection of Mexico in its array of traditional Mexican flavors, including: mandarin orange, lime, hibiscus, mango, strawberry, lemon-lime, pineapple, tamarind, guava and grapefruit.

Traditionally, water and other drinks were kept in clay pottery jugs called jarritos to keep them cool and fresh. Today, Jarritos bottles reflect this heritage with their unique shape.  Jarritos flavors are based on Mexican regional traditions in food. Grapefruit, for example, is made from fresh grapefruit from the state of Veracruz.   Jamaica (hibiscus) uses extracts from jamaica flowers originating in Guerrero and Oaxaca. The region of Colima provides lemons for a lemon flavor, and the same with pineapple from Tabasco. Today, these popular flavors still come from these regions where each year growers compete to provide Jarritos with the best fruit. 

The challenge...

The easy part of this challenge is to just actually taste each of the flavors and share my opinions with you.  This part of the challenge will also include the opinions of Christopher, my little guy, who has made me promise that he can be part of this.  The bigger challenge will be in how to use these sodas beyond simply tasting...as a mixer for adult beverages is a given, but can I cook with them as well?  I guess you will just have to keep reading to find out...