Friday, April 25, 2008

A Good thing you can find in Kansas.......





When you are a stranger in a strange land it is fun to discover new things and see things in new ways. When I was a child, Velveeta Cheese was served in our house. But I have not seen anyone in Canada eat Velveeta Cheese in probably 40 years. But here in Kansas, you can make a delicious dip, called Queso if you have Velveeta Cheese and a can of Rotel Tomatoes. Rotel Tomatoes? ...... This is one product that should be available in Canada - it is just delicious. The product, first made in the 1940's in Texas by Carl Roettele, is a blend of tomatoes, green chilis and spices. His tomatoes are perfect in Tex-Mex, Creole and Cajun dishes. There are four kinds of Rotel - I took a picture of three of them for you.

Miguel's daughter uses Rotel mixed with fresh avacado to make a delicious guacamole and she also makes an impressive salsa with Rotel. Many people use it in chili, or with baked chicken or other meats or use it to make great bean dishes. But at every informal party I have been at in Kansas (and often at bridge evenings) the ubiquitous Queso appears. It is very addicting - trust me. When I was searching for information about Rotel, I came across a blog that explains Texan food favourites, called the Homesick Texan. Here is her recipe for this dish:


It’s a cheesy delight, and was a party staple growing up in Texas. It’s quite simple: You take a block of Velveeta, a can of Rotel, throw the two together in a pot and as the Velveeta melts, you can add a bit of milk to thin the mixture. Pour it in a bowl and serve with tortilla chips. Voila! An instant hit, I promise. It’s amazingly addictive, and a bowl never stays full for very long. If you like, you can jazz it up by adding a scoop of guacamole or some taco meat,
but it’s terrific without any embellishment.


As I haven't really been cooking here in Kansas, I have found lazy-girl ways to use Rotel. I add it to canned lentil soup (and then add fresh spinach at the last moment) to make a spicy interesting soup. I add it to pasta and bean dishes. The Homesick Texan also offers a recipe for a purist type of Queso, without the Velveeta - it sounds good too. One thing I am taking back to Vancouver is a case of Rotel - so get ready to try it my Vancouver friends (even if it does have Velveeta Cheese).........

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Can you bring some home with you? or become a Canadian distributor?