Red Chilli Rice

I love this rice for popping into burritos along with what we call taco coleslaw.

Apart from being a gorgeous colour, this rice has bags of flavour and can really stand alone if you are having it as a side dish.

Leftovers reheat well and I send the boys to school with rice filled wraps too, anything to fill them up!

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin crushed tomatoes

1 small onion, peeled and quartered

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 chipotle chilli in Adobe sauce

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried dill tips

1 lime, juiced

75g butter or oil

400g basmati rice

750mls water

Method

Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle chilli, oregano, dill, lime juice and salt in a food processor and whizz to make a loose paste.

Heat the butter in a pan that you will use to cook the rice.

Pour in the tomato paste and simmer gently for 30mins until dark and thickened.

Add the rice to the pan and cook for 1 minute and then add the water, stir, cover and bring up to the boil.

Simmer for 18 minutes, turn the heat off but leave the lid on.

After 10 minute rest, remove the lid, stir the rice and serve.

Mexican Peanuts

With no added fat, these little peanuts pack a punch, especially if you add more cayenne. As these were made as a nibble for one of my youngest sons party they are less spicy to suit the younger taste buds!

Ingredients

375g raw peanuts

4 limes, juiced

1 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoons garlic powder

A pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 110 degrees centigrade. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Pour the nuts onto the prepared tray and bake for 30 minutes.

While the nuts cook, mix the lime juice, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

After the thirty minute bake, tip the nuts into the lime mix and tip back onto the tray with the baking parchment still on it.

Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool before serving.

Mexican Corn On The Cob

The picture really doesn’t do this corn justice but quite honestly, it doesn’t last long enough for photos to be taken!

With a household of boys if you serve food on a stick or with a bone they will eat their fill of it without complaining, I’m sure it harks back to caveman days!

These are moreish, you can use the whole cob but these half cobs are cute and if you are feeding smaller mouths, a little more manageable.

I have given instructions for cooking indoors but these work well on the bbq. Peel the husk  off, remove the fronds and put the husk back over the corn and bbq. Once cooked, unwrap, dip in the sauce, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

6 corn cobs,husk and fronds removed, cut in half

150g sour cream

110g mayonnaise

1/2 lime, juiced

15g fresh coriander levels, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

Salt and pepper

60g Parmesan, grated

Method

Boil the corn for 5-6 minutes in salted water until cooked.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream, mayo, lime juice, coriander, garlic, salt and pepper.

Heat a large dry frying pan over high heat.

Tip the corn into a colander to drain.

Now add the corn to the dry pan and turn regularly until it has coloured.

Stick a small skewer into the end of each cob half.

Using the skewer, pick up the cob and dip it in the sour cream dip, swirling it around to cover it.

Place on a serving plate and repeat with the remaining corn, sprinkle over the cheese and serve. 

Slow Roast Lamb With Ancho Chilli And Garlic Marinade

Spring is finally here in Western Australia and lamb is back on the menu!

This is a great recipe of you are feeding people who aren’t too keen on chilli, bags of flavour and not too spicy. It is also slow cooked so, ideal if you are entertaining as you really have very little to do once the lamb is in the oven.

It can easily feed a bigger crowd, just add more side dishes but the leftovers are divine too, I’ll share my Mexican Stir Fried Rice recipe soon using leftovers from this lamb!

I serve this with steamed rice, fresh salsa, salad, guacamole, tostades and refried beans, that way everyone can have as little or as much as they like!

Serves 10.

2.5kg leg of lamb

3 red onions, peeled and sliced into 1cm rings

3 dried ancho chillies

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

200mls water, just under boiling point

8 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1.5 litres chicken stock

Method

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Centigrade. Line the base of a roasting tin with the onion rings to create  a rack to keep the meat off the base, initially.

Prepare the marinade now. Place the chillies in a heat proof bowl, add the nearly boiled water and cider vinegar. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Once the chillies have soaked, carefully lift them from the water, remove the stem and seeds and return to the water. Now add all of the remaining ingredients except the onions, lamb and stock.

Using a stick blender, whizz the marinade to a thick paste.

Take the leg of lamb, using a sharp knife, stab it multiple times to at least 5cm at its thickest part.

Pour the marinade over and push it down into the cuts, make sure all of the meat is covered, underside too.

Lay the lamb onto the bed of onion rings, pour the chicken stock around the lamb, seal completely with foil and slide into the oven.

Bake for 6 hours, turn the oven up to 200 degrees Centigrade, spoon off as much of the fat as you can and return the lamb to the oven to crisp up a little, around 30 minute

Now, using tongs, pull off large chunks of meat and drop them into the pan juices, as you come across the bones remove them all. You should now have a pan of meat, juices and onions, I give this a gentle stir and then serve.

 

Smoked Paprika And Cayenne Tortillas

Shop bought corn tortillas here is Oz have a nasty habit of splitting and being rather similar to cardboard in texture so I now make my own.

I invested in a tortilla press a while ago and the boys happily work in the production line to make bigger batches of these. If you don’t have a press, don’t panic, a couple of heavy books will work a treat too!

This recipe makes 12 tortillas but I usually triple the recipe as the tortillas will last for a week in a sealed bag or a few months wrapped well in the freezer.

Ingredients

220g masa lista, Mexican corn flour

325mls warm water

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

a pinch of cayenne powder

a pinch of salt

Method

Weigh the flour, smoked paprika and cayenne into a large bowl.

Pour the water in and using your hands, mix to form a dough.

Knead gently and then divide into twelve portions and roll into balls.

Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Do not add oil.

Take a piece of baking parchment that will fit over the press, top with one of the dough balls and then top with another piece of parchment.

Pull down on the press to flatten the dough.

Once the pan is very hot, peel the parchment from the dough and place it in the pan.

Cook for 30 seconds and then flip, cook again for 60 seconds and then flip one last time and cook for 30 seconds.

Set aside, covered in a clean tea towel and continue cooking the remaining tortillas.

Serve warm.

Mexican Green Chorizo

This is so tasty I always make double!

Can’t get the kids to eat greens? Give this a try, I serve it with mini tortillas and the boys make their own, we can get through an entire lettuce, 2 capsicums, 4 avocados and 10 tomatoes, never mind the sneaky spinach and capsicum in the chorizo!

Although I crumbled this for tonight’s dinner it also works well as a burger and sausages.

Leftovers are brilliant with eggs, over an omelette or scrambled eggs is a favourite in our house of I have thrown a little chorizo crumble into the boys school wraps for added zing!

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

small green capsicum

80g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks

30g green jalapeño chilli, deseeded

4 garlic cloves, peeled

50g baby spinach leaves

1 lime, zest and juice

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

500g minced pork

a little oil to fry

Method

Over a BBQ or gas ring, singe the skin of the capsicum, all over until it is completely black. Pop the capsicum in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wait for 15-20 minutes and then remove from the bowl and rub off the skin, remove the seeds and stalk too.

In a food processor, whizz the capsicum, coriander, jalapeño, garlic, spinach, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper to form a bright green paste.

Weigh the meat into a bowl and add the paste, mix really well with your hands.

Form into any shape that you want, patties, sausages or crumble as I use.

Heat a large frying pan, I use a 32cm non stick pan, add a splash of oil and once hot tip in the green meat.

Using the side of a wooden spoon break up the meat, turning and squishing all the time.

To begin with lots of fluid will release but just keep cooking, on high heat until the water evaporates and the meat is beginning to colour up.

Serve immediately.

 

Three Bean Chilli

It’s always handy to have a good vegetarian chilli recipe and this one is a winner, we have it with a dollop of sour cream and a little grated cheese with rice or I thicken the sauce and use it as an enchilada filling, yummy!

If you can’t find tinned cherry tomatoes then tinned chopped tomatoes work just the same and I buy big jars of fire roasted capsicums as I’m lazy, you could char the capsicums over the barbecue and peel them yourself if you are that way inclined!

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients

A good splash of olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

4 garlic clove, crushed

2 red chillis, deseeded and finely diced

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

4 Fire roasted capsicum, finely sliced

2 x 400g tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 425g tin black beans, drained and rinsed

1 x 400g red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes in tomato juice

500mls vegetable stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons maple syrup

salt and pepper

Method

In a wide pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until soft.

Add the garlic and chilli and cook for one minute.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring up to a gentle simmer, uncovered, simmer for 45 minutes until thickened.

 

Prawn and Mango Tostadas

Prawns and mango, summer must be coming!

These are simple but flavour loaded, I like to oven bake my corn tortillas to crisp them up, it’s healthier than frying!

I also like to add a few slices of avocado to make a more filling tostada if these are for a main course.

Serves 2.

Ingredients

16 large raw prawns, tails on

1 large red chilli, quartered lengthwise and then sliced

juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1 large mango, cubed

fresh coriander

4 corn tortillas

Method

In a bowl, combine the prawns, chilli, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Allow to marinade for 30minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade, pop the corn tortillas onto two baking sheets and bake for 5-7 minutes to crisp up.

Heat a large frying pan until very hot.

Add the prawns, chilli and all of the liquid and quickly fry until the prawns are pink and cooked through and the liquid has evaporated.

In a bowl, combine the cooked prawns, mango and coriander.

Spoon onto your tortillas and serve.

Chipotle Chilli Mushroom Tostadas

There’s no missing the meat with these tostadas!

Mushrooms are such great carriers of flavour and these aren’t too spicy, I’ve been known to eat any leftovers for breakfast.

If you are not avoiding dairy, a little sour cream over the top when they are hot is a lovely addition, otherwise I like a squeeze of lime and some fresh coriander.

I like to just crisp my corn tortillas up in a hot oven or on a hot pan, you can fry them in oil the traditional way but we are trying to cut down a bit so baking it is!

Serves 2 as a starter.

Ingredients

30mls olive oil

1 small red onion, diced

1 small red chilli, finely diced

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

pinch chipotle chilli

250g mushrooms, I quarter mine

salt and pepper

a little fresh coriander and lime juice to finish

4 small corn tortillas

Method

In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the fresh chilli and onion, cook until soft.

Add the chipotle chilli and smoked paprika followed by the mushrooms, cook quickly over a high heat.

Once cooked, spoon onto your tortillas and sprinkle with coriander and a little squeeze of lime juice, serve immediately.

Mexican Sweetcorn

This makes corn on the cob rather boring I’m afraid!

Finished off with some zingy lime juice, this will really get your taste buds going!

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

40g butter

20mls Olive oil

3 large corn on the cobs

2 shallots, cut into thin rings

1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped

a handful of coriander, leaves and stems chopped roughly

salt and pepper

50g feta

a pinch of cayenne

lime to serve

Method

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a hig heat.

Once very hot, add the sweet corn, shallots and chilli and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Season well, stir through the coriander.

Top with the crumbled feta and a pinch of cayenne.

Serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the sweetcorn.