In part three of "This Is Not Food" I present El Monterey Chicken Club Tornados!
Maybe you've never heard of El Monterey brand products but they claim to be "Americas favorite brand of frozen Mexican food". What a claim to fame. That is really something to be proud of. I personal love their sales pitch for their new flavor Tornado... "Love Tornados? Join the Chicken Club! Savory chicken breast, ranch flavored sauce and cheese in crispy, seasoned tortillas." I read that and thought, "I sure do love tornados! How do I join this chicken club?"I'm pretty sure the chicken club is a classic Mexican dish. I think it was invented by the same guy who invented the chimichanga, John Chimichanga I beleive was his name. What a culinary hero.
For those of you not "in the know" you're probably wondering what this little delicacy is. Introduced to the convenience store market approximately five years ago, Tornados by El Monterey are credited for revitalizing the use of roller grills in convenience stores and quick-serve food outlets. Thank god for El Monterey, without them the roller grill industry might go the way of electric can opener manufacturers.
For Mexican food with a fresh twist, try Tornados from El Monterey. Soft, flour tortillas rolled in crispy seasoned batter and stuffed with delicious fillings — Tornados pack a whirlwind of flavor in every bite.
I can taste the freshness just thinking about! You know it's fresh with an ingredient list like this...
(WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS!)
INGREDIENTS:
WHEAT FLOUR (ENRICHED WITH NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, CHARBROILED CHICKEN BREAST (CHICKEN BREAST MEAT, WATER, SEASONING (MALTODEXTRIN, GARLIC POWDER, DEXTROSE, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, NATURAL FLAVORS, PARSLEY, SPICE, OIL OF GARLIC), SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LIME JUICE POWDER (CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVORS {LIME JUICE SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVORS}), GRILL FLAVOR [MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, WHEAT BRAN, WHEAT, MOLASSES, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE]), RANCH FLAVORED SAUCE (MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, ENZYMES), PART SKIM MOZZARELLA (PASTEURIZED PART SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, AND ENZYMES), MAYONNAISE (SOYBEAN OIL, VINEGAR, EGGS, WATER, SALT, EGG YOLKS, SUGAR, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), DRIED GARLIC, DRIED ONIONS, NATURAL FLAVOR), WATER, RANCH SEASONING (CULTURED BUTTERMILK, MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY, TOMATO POWDER, DEHYDRATED ONION, SALT, PARSLEY, DEHYDRATED GARLIC, FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, LIPOLYZED CREAM), NONFAT MILK, SOYBEAN OIL, MALIC ACID, CHEDDAR AND BLUE CHEESES (MILK, SALT, CHEESE CULTURES, ENZYMES), CITRIC ACID, SPICE, MODIFIED BUTTER OIL AND DEHYDRATED BUTTER, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, GUAR GUM, ANNATTO, TURMERIC, NOT MORE THAT 2 % SILICON DIOXIDE ADDED TO PREVENT CAKING), SALT), PROCESSED MONTEREY JACK & AMERICAN CHEESE WITH PEPPERS (MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), AMERICAN CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, MILK FAT, JALAPENO AND RED BELL PEPPERS, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE), VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN, SUNFLOWER, CANOLA AND/OR CORN OIL), BATTER MIX (WHEAT FLOUR, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, YELLOW CORN MEAL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHITE CORN MEAL, BUTTERMILK FLAVOR (WHEY, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL), BUTTERMILK POWDER (SWEET CREAM, WHEY CREAM), SALT, TOMATO POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SPICE, PARSLEY, GUAR GUM, LACTIC ACID), ROASTED BELL PEPPER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS IMITATION BACON CRUMBLES (TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (SOY FLOUR, CARAMEL COLOR, RED 3), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, SALT, NATURAL FLAVORINGS, AUTOLYZED YEAST, HYDROLYZED CORN-SOY-WHEAT PROTEIN, DEXTROSE), ONION, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, TORTILLA FLOUR BLEND (SALT, RICE FLOUR, GUAR GUM, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORN STARCH, SODIUM ALUMINUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM METABISULFITE, FUMARIC ACID, WHEAT STARCH, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, L-CYSTEINE, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, SILICON DIOXIDE (TO PREVENT CAKING)), CHIPOTLE PEPPER ALLERGENS: WHEAT, SOY, MILK, EGGS.
WHEAT FLOUR (ENRICHED WITH NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, CHARBROILED CHICKEN BREAST (CHICKEN BREAST MEAT, WATER, SEASONING (MALTODEXTRIN, GARLIC POWDER, DEXTROSE, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, NATURAL FLAVORS, PARSLEY, SPICE, OIL OF GARLIC), SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LIME JUICE POWDER (CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVORS {LIME JUICE SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVORS}), GRILL FLAVOR [MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, WHEAT BRAN, WHEAT, MOLASSES, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE]), RANCH FLAVORED SAUCE (MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, ENZYMES), PART SKIM MOZZARELLA (PASTEURIZED PART SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, AND ENZYMES), MAYONNAISE (SOYBEAN OIL, VINEGAR, EGGS, WATER, SALT, EGG YOLKS, SUGAR, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), DRIED GARLIC, DRIED ONIONS, NATURAL FLAVOR), WATER, RANCH SEASONING (CULTURED BUTTERMILK, MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY, TOMATO POWDER, DEHYDRATED ONION, SALT, PARSLEY, DEHYDRATED GARLIC, FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, LIPOLYZED CREAM), NONFAT MILK, SOYBEAN OIL, MALIC ACID, CHEDDAR AND BLUE CHEESES (MILK, SALT, CHEESE CULTURES, ENZYMES), CITRIC ACID, SPICE, MODIFIED BUTTER OIL AND DEHYDRATED BUTTER, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, GUAR GUM, ANNATTO, TURMERIC, NOT MORE THAT 2 % SILICON DIOXIDE ADDED TO PREVENT CAKING), SALT), PROCESSED MONTEREY JACK & AMERICAN CHEESE WITH PEPPERS (MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), AMERICAN CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, MILK FAT, JALAPENO AND RED BELL PEPPERS, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE), VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN, SUNFLOWER, CANOLA AND/OR CORN OIL), BATTER MIX (WHEAT FLOUR, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, YELLOW CORN MEAL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHITE CORN MEAL, BUTTERMILK FLAVOR (WHEY, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL), BUTTERMILK POWDER (SWEET CREAM, WHEY CREAM), SALT, TOMATO POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SPICE, PARSLEY, GUAR GUM, LACTIC ACID), ROASTED BELL PEPPER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS IMITATION BACON CRUMBLES (TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (SOY FLOUR, CARAMEL COLOR, RED 3), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, SALT, NATURAL FLAVORINGS, AUTOLYZED YEAST, HYDROLYZED CORN-SOY-WHEAT PROTEIN, DEXTROSE), ONION, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, TORTILLA FLOUR BLEND (SALT, RICE FLOUR, GUAR GUM, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORN STARCH, SODIUM ALUMINUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM METABISULFITE, FUMARIC ACID, WHEAT STARCH, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, L-CYSTEINE, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, SILICON DIOXIDE (TO PREVENT CAKING)), CHIPOTLE PEPPER ALLERGENS: WHEAT, SOY, MILK, EGGS.
Oh boy, that is fresh. They use real fresh lime juice powder! And 2% or less imitation bacon crumbles to give it that authentic "club" flavor. And one of my personal favorites, yellow 6. Known in the "food" industry as Sunset Yellow FCF and by the "E number" E110, this product gives foods an amazingly natural yellow hue.
A synthetic coal tar, yellow 6 can be found in almost everything. Here are just a few items...orange jelly, marzipan, Swiss roll, apricot jam, citrus marmalade, lemon curd, sweets, hot chocolate mix, packet soups, trifle mix, breadcrumbs, cheese sauce mix, soft drinks, capsules of DayQuil (in high concentrations), some extra strength Tylenol, Astro peach yogurt (potentially others), fortune cookies, some red sauces, certain pound cakes, snack chips and other yellow, orange, and red food products.
Yellow 6 is also (surprise, surprise) a possible carcinogen and may be responsible for causing an allergic reaction in people with an aspirin intolerance, resulting in various symptoms including gastric upset, diarrhoea, vomiting, nettle rash (urticaria) and swelling of the skin (angioedema). The colouring has also been linked to hyperactivity in young children.
I personally believe that all these possible affects (cancer, hyperactivity) really are worth it when you see the delicious, yellow colored, creamy, cheesy interior of a Tornado. Almost like looking into the eye of a storm, it's the power of nature, lassoed into a tortilla like a Mexican charro. Make sure you grab a few off the roller grill next time your in 7/11, in fact try all six. Ranchero beef and cheese, grilled chicken and cheese, southwest chicken, cheesy pepperjack, cheesy pepperoni and the instant classic...chicken club. HAPPY EATING!
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