Mexican Pulled Beef

What can I say!

Falling apart beef, ideal for stuffing into burritos, tacos, pittas and dare I say, pies.

Slow cooking achieves the melt in the mouth texture and you just need tongs to serve as you pull it gently apart, top with a spoonful of the pan sauce, heaven!

Not too spicy but with a massive hit of flavour. The boys love this served with rice in a burrito with avocado and sour cream and for the gluten free option I have it with rice.

If you want, add 2-3 drained tins of black beans for the final 30-45 mins to make the meat go even further.

This quantity serves 12-14, I make this quantity and then  freeze half for an easy dinner another night.

Ingredients

2.5kg piece of beef, I use blade, cut into very large chunks, around 10cm

3 ancho chillies

100mls olive oil

6 onions, sliced

6 cloves garlic, chopped

120g chipotle chillies in adobe sauce, around 3 chillies and their sauce, diced

750mls passata or sieved tomatoes

500mls water

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 150degrees Centigrade.

Boil the kettle, place the ancho chillies in a heat proof bowl, pour over the boiling water and allow to soak for 30mins. Once softened remove stem and seeds, dice roughly.

In a large oven proof, lidded pan, heat the oil and add the onions.

Cook the onion over a medium heat until soft and caramelised, around 30mins.

Add the garlic and cook for 10mins.

Pour in the passata, ancho chillies, chipotle chillies, water, oregano, cocoa, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Bring up to the boil.

Add the beef to the pan. Stir well.

Cover the pan with a piece of overlapping baking parchment and then the lid.

Pop in the oven and cook for 4 hours.

Remove the lid and paper and allow to cook down, in the oven, for a further 30-45mins.

Pull the beef apart with forks or tongs and serve.

Stuffed Baby Capsicums with Jalapeño Chilli

These are a non spicy version of a jalapeño popper.

I found these gorgeous baby capsicums at our local green grocer this week and wanted to come up with a way of getting my non capsicum eating son to eat them!

As with many things in life, cheese changes everything! So, with a hint of jalapeño, garlic and cheese a plate of these were scoffed in no time.

Makes 10

Ingredients

10 baby capsicums

1 jalapeño chilli, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

50g cream cheese

80g cheddar, grated finely

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Take a capsicum, lay it on the chopping board and slice around a third off the top keeping the stem intact, scoop out the seeds and set aside, keep the removed top.

Repeat with the remaining capsicums.

Finely dice the removed capsicum tops, add the jalapeño, garlic, cream cheese and cheddar cheese, mix well.

Spoon the stuffing into the capsicums.

Bake for 15-20mins until the top is colouring.

Serve warm.

 

 

Chicken Schnitzel

We all love chicken cooked this way and it makes lots of schnitzels! Around 15.

I use gluten free breadcrumbs but use regular if you can. Gluten free bread is expensive here so when it’s on special or reduced I buy up big, process into breadcrumbs and freeze in ziplock bags. Due to the price and being a tight Scot I don’t even cut of crusts! These breadcrumbs were made from gluten free rolls!

If you would rather not fry the chicken it bakes well too, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade and bake for 25-30 mins.

The schnitzels can be frozen uncooked and cooked. Leftovers are popular in rolls as fast food chains chicken burger!

Ingredients

5 large chicken breasts

3 eggs, beaten

300g gluten free fresh breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons dried mixed herbs

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon salt

freshly ground pepper

Method

Take each breast and cut into three chunks.

Line a chopping board with baking parchment, place a piece of chicken on and top with another piece of parchment.

Using the flat side of a meat tenderiser, bash the chicken into a thin shnitzel, around 3mm thick, set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, herbs, salt and pepper.

In another bowl, beat the eggs.

Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mix to coat, set aside and repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Pour enough oil into a frying pan to just cover the bottom, heat over a medium high flame.

Once hot, add a few pieces of chicken, don’t over crowd the pan, cook until golden and crisp, turn over and repeat.

Chocolate Orange Bliss Balls

What can I say! No added sugar, gluten free, egg free, dairy free and phenomenally tasty!

Loved by all the boys, these are a wee treat this week.

Makes 24.

Ingredients

250g stoned dates

75g raw cashews

40g desiccated coconut, plus extra for coating

zest of a large orange

10g cocoa powder

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Method

Process all of the ingredients, except the extra coconut, until a thick paste is formed.

Roll into small, teaspoon sized, balls.

Roll the balls in the coconut.

Store in the fridge.

Scallops with Chilli, Garlic and Lemon

Scallops are classed as a treat in our house. These were cooked in a pan but they work well on the barbecue too.

I make the flavoured oil up in advance and let it sit, this allows the oil to have a bit of kick before the scallops go in for a quick marinade. I tend to buy them with the roe off as that’s what our local fishmonger has!

Serves 4.

Ingredients

500g scallops

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 red chilli, finely diced

zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

In a bowl, combine the garlic, chilli, zest and oil, set aside for at least an hour.

Marinade the scallops in the oil mix for 20mins.

Heat a large, non stick frying pan very high heat.

Once very hot, tip the scallops in.

Cook until golden, turn and repeat.