Category Archives: Mexican

Mexican Pizzas


Mexican Pizzas
 
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All the usual Mexican culprits on top a wholewheat pitta creates a pizza-like sensation.
Author:
Cuisine: Mexico meets Italy
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Wholewheat pitta breads (we used 8 small: bonus: they all fit in the oven at once!)
  • 1 can oil free refried beans (tip Coles own brand)
  • ½ cup salsa of choice, we used Old El Paso Mild
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 1 cup Red roasted pepper / capsicum strips - from a jar or homemade
  • 2 can red kidney beans (or black beans), drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups frozen corn (not essential to defrost)
  • 1 large avocado
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • Juice of a lime
  • Extra salsa of choice
  • Chillies etc to taste as required
  • Fresh chopped coriander if liked
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 220 C
  2. In a medium bowl mix together the refried beans, the ½ cup salsa, and herbs and spices.
  3. Place your pitta breads on large oven trays (we used pizza trays with the holes) lined with baking paper.
  4. Divide the bean mixture up evenly between each pitta and smooth out evenly to the edges.
  5. Top generously and evenly with onion, capsicum, beans and corn.
  6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 or until piping hot and base is crispy.
  7. Whilst they are baking blend together the cashews and lime juice until thick and creamy.
  8. Top with dollops of salsa, cashew-lime cream and avocado, chillies, coriander etc and serve!

 

Lentil, Mushroom, Walnut, Quinoa & Black Bean Taco filling

This has been a long work in progress. Our family loves Mexican food and we usually make burritos or tacos but I have been looking for a dryer taco “meat” which doesn’t make them soggy.  After trying lots of variations I’ve come up with a winner!  Topped with avocado, salsa and spring onions, these tacos are delicious!

Lentil, Mushroom, Walnut, Quinoa & Black Bean Taco filling
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
  • 3 cups finely chopped mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon each of coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and dried oregano
  • 3 T tomato paste
  • 1 can lentils or 1.5 cups home cooked
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 packet cooked red quinoa, or 1.5 cups of home made
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup frozen sweetcorn - defrosted
  • Salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Fry off the onion, spices then add all other ingredients.
  2. Add a splash of water and keep stirring from time to time until it dries out a little - should be fairly dry
  3. Toast corn tortillas in hot pan with lid so they steam and crispen.
  4. Spoon 2-3 dessertspoons in each taco and top with your favourite toppings - fresh salsa and diced avocado, hot sauce, coriander and lime juice!

 

Easy Enchiladas

I have been trying to come up with really easy recipes for after work suppers which involve little in the way of chopping, measuring etc as after  hard day at work that’s all just too much sometimes.  There’s really nothing wrong with canned beans, tomatoes, and frozen vegetables etc so finding ways to use them to speed up your evening meal is a no-brainer.
Here I’ve used canned beans along with frozen kale, wraps and jarred tomato sauce to create a delicious enchilada bake.  I topped ours with my Quick Cheezy Sauce which only takes 5 minutes to make but if you really don’t feel like even slicing a leek you can omit and top with purchased breadcrumbs, homemade breadcrumbs with walnuts or just the tomato sauce itself. I hope you try it!  A possible variation, if you like a refried beans type of filling is to substitute the can of chilli beans and sauce for one of refried beans instead.  Either works well, it’s just your preference.  If you can’t get or don’t like frozen kale, you can use spinach instead.  :

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Easy Enchiladas
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 can black beans - rinsed & drained
  • 1 can lentils - rinsed & drained
  • 1 can kidney beans in chilli sauce - not drained
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon semi dried coriander (Gourmet Garden range)
  • 1 pack frozen kale defrosted and water squeezed out
  • 3 tablespoons salsa
  • 2 cups passata
  • Thin wraps - I used BeFree gf sweet potato ones or mountain bread ones are ok
  • ½ batch my quick cheezy sauce
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade.
  2. Mix the beans, seasonings, spices, coriander, kale, salsa together in a large bowl. Add some chilli if you like it spicy!
  3. Pour one cup of the passata into the bottom of a lasagne style dish and tip to cover evenly.
  4. Spoon a generous amount of filling in to each wrap and then roll up and place into the dish.
  5. Continue until all the filling is used up, 5-6 wraps is usual.
  6. Pour the other cup of passata over the top and then the cheezy sauce if using.
  7. Bake in the oven for 30 mins, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent burning if necessary.

 

Mexican Chickpea Quiches

These are real crowd pleasers, perfect as part of a party banquet, but equally at home as part of dinner with maybe some rice and salad.  These are flavoured a la Mexican, with cumin, coriander, red and green capsicum, onion and red kidney beans, but they can be themed any how – swap out the spices for fresh shredded basil, drop the beans but add sliced black olives and they become pizza quiches.  Try sweetcorn and Thai curry paste and make Thai inspired quiches, or try potato, pea and maybe cauliflower, with curry powder and they’re Indian!  The sky’s the limit! 🙂

Mexican Chickpea Fritters

Mexican Chickpea Quiches
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Snacks
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 15-18
Ingredients
  • 2.5 cups of chickpea flour (also known as besan flour / garbanzo flour)
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • chilli powder - to taste (optional)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 medium red capsicum (bell pepper), diced small
  • 1 medium green capsicum (bell pepper) diced small
  • 1 medium red onion, diced small
  • 1 cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup sweetcorn, frozen or canned
  • Equipment: 12 hole muffin tray (I used silicon for easy removal) - stand on a large baking tray before filling if you are using a silicon one.
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees C
  2. In a large bowl, combine the chickpea flour, herbs and spices, water and salt and whisk well. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry off the capsicum and onion until tender. Tip the vegetables into another bowl and mix in the beans, corn, & olives
  4. Pour the batter into each muffin tray, filling ⅔ full.
  5. Using a small spoon, add a heaped teaspoon of the vegetable mixture to each muffin hole.
  6. Stir each muffin hole to distribute the vegetables.
  7. Place into the oven, bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool until able to handle them. Place upside down on the baking tray (use baking paper to line) and pop back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes until bottoms are also golden.
  8. You should have enough batter left to make a few more.
  9. Lovely served hot, warm or cold.

 

 

Mexican Pasta

Quick and easy weeknight dish that can be on the table inside 30 mins and you can spice it up or down depending on you or your family’s tastes.

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Mexican Pasta
 
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Author:
Cuisine: Italian / Mexican
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 300g wholewheat fusilli /penne etc
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1 green capsicum diced
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 t cumin
  • 1 t coriander
  • 1 t oregano
  • 1 t smoked paprika
  • ¼ - 1 tsp chilli powder to taste
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 1.5 cups sweetcorn
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 jar mild (or medium / hot) salsa
  • Garnish:
  • 1 avocado diced
  • Chopped coriander
  • Hot sauce
Instructions
  1. Bring water to the boil in a large pot and boil your pasta.
  2. Water sauté the onion and capsicum over a medium heat, then after a few minutes add the garlic and herbs / spices and stir for another minute.
  3. Add all other ingredients apart from garnishes and mix thoroughly. Simmer until hot then tip in drained pasta once it's ready.
  4. Dish up and garnish as desired with avocado, coriander and hot sauce.

 

Mexican Burrito Bowl

I do love a bowl – when you lay all your ingredients out in the bowl to look pretty, rather than just mix them all together.  This is a simplified chilli recipe which takes just 30 mins so you can put your rice on, chop the tomatoes for your salsa and mash some avocado whilst it simmers.  Some sweetcorn is also nice on the side if you  have some in the freezer or a can in the cupboard, to add some more colour to the plate.  Have hot sauce on the side so those chilli addicts can add their own, keeping this quite mild for little mouths. Leave the chilli out all together if you like.

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Mexican Burrito Bowl
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 160g long grain brown rice
  • 2 small/ medium brown onions (180g chopped weight)
  • 1 small green capsicum (180g " " )
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium stick celery (80g " " )
  • 1 slightly heaped tsp ground cumin
  • 1 slightly heaped tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes (can reduce to be really mild)
  • 1 tsp beef style stock powder
  • 2 cans chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup water
  • 1.5 - 2 cans drained kidney beans (depends how thick you like it!)
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • ½ tablespoon maple syrup
  • To Serve:
  • Salsa:
  • 300 g baby tomatoes
  • ½ bunch coriander
  • ½ a red onion,
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Guacamole:
  • 1 large avocadoes: lime / lemon juice / salt.
  • Sweetcorn: -
  • Allow 75g per person: - defrost frozen corn / or pour boiling water over it or simmer for a minute.
  • Or alternatively, serve with corn on the cob.
Instructions
  1. Put your rice on to cook.
  2. Dice the onion, capsicum, celery and crush or grate the garlic.
  3. Add to a warmed large casserole dish or saucepan and stir for a few minutes until softening, adding a tiny splash of water to stop them sticking if necessary.
  4. Add the garlic and stir in for a minute or two, again to stop it sticking.
  5. Add the cumin and coriander, mix again to thoroughly distribute and toast the spices a little until you can smell them.
  6. Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes, water, stock powder, beans and corn and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the capsicum and onion are soft.
  7. Meanwhile: Make the salsa: chop the baby tomatoes into quarters, finely slice the red onion, shred the coriander, squeeze the lime juice and mix them all together in a small bowl
  8. Make the guacamole: Mash a large avocado, adding salt, lime and or lemon juice to taste.
  9. To serve: Let each person add each ingredient to their own bowl, or arrange them beautifully yourself!

 

Spicy Mexican Capsicum & Bean Soup with Potatoes

Here’s real winter warmer!  Perfect for a weeknight dinner with some crusty bread.  This is kid friendly with only a teaspoon of chillies, but you can ramp that up for more adult palates.

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Spicy Mexican Capsicum & Bean Soup with Potatoes
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 red capsicum, chopped
  • 1 green capsicum, chopped
  • 1 yellow capsicum, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 cups (750ml) good-quality vegetable stock
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ cup (35g) semi sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chopped chillies in oil
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 x 400g can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
  • 4 medium potatoes, diced
  • Frozen corn, 1 cup
Instructions
  1. Sauté the capsicum in a large casserole dish with the garlic and a splash of the stock until softening, then add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, all the spices, herbs, chillies etc, tomato paste and cook on medium whilst stirring for a minute or so. Add beans, potatoes and corn and the rest of the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.