BBQ Central Radio: New El Capitan Seasoning Giveaway Promotion!

Santa Barbara Spice Company would like to announce a promotion of our El Capitan Seasoning on the BBQ Central Radio show! Weekly for the next couple of months, we'll be giving away jars of El Cap to BBQ Central listeners.

Hosted by Greg Rempe, BBQ Central radio show is the only live weekly show on ANY radio that talks about the art and sport of bbq and grilling. You can also check out their radio show archives to listen to tips and techniques from pros and backyard grillers alike.

The show airs every Tuesday at 9pm EST on The BBQ Central Radio Network.

Thanks to all our friends for your continued support!
Santa Barbara Spice Company

Review of El Cap on TooBusyToCook.com!

Thanks to toobusytocook.com for the pictures and links back to El Capitan Seasoning!

Check out their review here

Thoughts From the Kitchen

I’m in my kitchen a lot and I love it. Kitchens really are the heart of every home. We think about our food here. We make lists to stock our pantry with ingredients we love. We plan days to feast and days to use up delicious leftovers while we live our busy lives. We clean. All this gives us a self-nourishing routine as a part of our living life. I love that about cooking.

Tonight, I’ll be cooking fish tacos on the stove in a cast iron skillet, using El Capitan Seasoning, of course! They’re an easy dish for the end of a busy week. I’ll dip tilapia filets in flour, then beaten egg, and then grill them lightly in olive oil over medium-high heat for nice color in a heavy skillet. El Cap makes these delicious. Warm some corn tortillas in foil in the oven, using two per taco. Some finely shredded cabbage, sliced onion, avocado and shredded cheese. A green sauce, or your favorite sauce, and a little sliced lime finishes off delicious fish tacos!

Friday finds me in the kitchen once again. It’s been a busy week and fish tacos are on the menu! I hope your Friday is a good one. What are you cooking this weekend? Whatever it is, take a deep breath, relax and enjoy your time in the kitchen. In there, we are the heartbeat of the home.

Jane

El Capitan Chex Party Mix

Hey everyone. Richard here with a party snack that is easy to make and sure to be a hit. I’ve been enjoying Chex party mix since I can remember. My grandmother used to make it for us every Christmas. Try some for your next party or as a good crunchy snack to have around the house. Here’s our version of this longtime family favorite recipe…

4 cups Corn Chex cereal
4 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup Wheat Chex cereal
2 cups pretzels
1 cup mixed nuts

6 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp El Capitan Seasoning
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 dashes of Tapatio or your favorite hot sauce

Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Mix the Chex, pretzels, & nuts in a large roasting pan or cookie sheet with sides. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and spices. Coat the Chex mixture evenly with the spiced butter mixture by pouring it on and stirring the mix with a wood spoon or spatula. Bake the mix for 1 hour or until coated pieces are crisp. Stir it every 15 minutes. When done, let the mix cool then store it in an air tight container. When you are ready to serve, place the party mix in a bowl and share it with your friends and family or… scarf it all yourself. Either way, it will disappear quickly.

If you are out of El Cap or running low, you can find more at the Santa Barbara area retailers listed on our website at www.sbspice.com.

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones from us at Santa Barbara Spice Company!

Stretch your Food Budget by Grilling!

Everyone is watching their budget these days. Interest in saving money and finding value are driving consumer food sales. In this tight economy it’s no surprise that a full 71% of American families are planning on using leftovers in their weekly menu. Here’s a great tip on how to save money; when you fire up your grill, plan on putting some extra meat or vegetables on to cook for flavorful, healthful leftovers!

Grilled and roasted meats and vegetables make perfect leftovers and will add delicious flavor to your favorite dishes. We use El Capitan Seasoning for grilling (www.SBSpice.com) and the flavor it gives leftover grilled foods is wonderful! For example, roasted red bell peppers and green chilies from the grill will keep in the fridge for several days and taste incredible sliced on a sandwich or diced in eggs.

One meal made with leftover grilled food that’s VERY popular in our house is enchiladas. They’re easy to make and delicious! Here's how:

• Soften a corn tortilla by quick-frying it in canola oil and transferring it to a small plate for rolling.
• Start with thin slices of your leftover grilled meat and a little cheese. From here you can add whatever you have and would like to use! Some ideas for grilled fillings include onions, green chilies and red peppers. Add a little salsa or hot sauce to taste.
• Roll up each enchilada and arrange them in a baking dish on top of a little enchilada sauce with the rolled seam down. (If your enchiladas won’t stay rolled, try a broken piece of spaghetti to skewer it together. Safer than a toothpick!)
• When all the enchiladas are made, top with sauce and a little cheese and you’re done!
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Uncover for about 10 minutes to finish, or until lightly browned and bubbly.

We like to serve this dish with some rice and fresh sliced tomato from the garden. Adding some homemade beans makes it a hearty meal.

Planning ahead a little with your food menu like this will not only save your family money, it will give you delicious food to cook with. So, next time you fire up your grill, grab your El Capitan Seasoning and cook up some extra food for delicious leftovers!