Mexican food – Food Notes

Chilli Bean Enchiladas

I love messy Mexican feasts, I really do. These veggie enchiladas were tasty, filling and very satisfying. Served with freshly mashed avocado (you can upgrade this for proper guacamole), some hot sauce and pickled jalapenos for a proper Mexican style dinner.

More with beans: Summer Pork, Fennel and Beans; Chipotle black bean chilli with guacamole; Speedy Pepper & Black Bean Chilli

Chilli Bean Enchiladas

Serves 3-4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 25 mins
Easy | Vegetarian

You’ll need:

1 onion, finely chopped;
2 garlic cloves, crushed;
1 tsp ground cumin;
2 tsp smoked paprika;
2 cans red kidney beans in chilli sauce;
3-4 tortilla wraps;
200g salsa;
100g cheddar, grated;
1 avocado;
dash of cayenne pepper;
1/2 lime, juiced;
sour cream, to serve;
chopped coriander, to serve.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for 2 mins. Add the cumin and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the beans, paprika and a splash of water. Using a potato masher, break the beans down as they warm through to make a rough purée. Season generously.

Divide the bean mixture between the tortilla wraps and roll up. Set the rolls in a tight baking dish and scatter over the salsa and top with the cheese. Bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 15-20 mins until piping hot.

While the enchiladas are cooking, mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add a dash of cayenne pepper and the lime juice. Mix well and season lightly.

Serve the enchiladas with the smashed avocado, sour cream and chopped coriander.

Adapted from a BBC Good Food recipe, available online here.

Chipotle black bean chilli with guacamole

This is a lovely recipe for a quick and easy vegetarian meal. I love the smoky flavour of chipotle chillies and they work perfectly in this black bean chilli. I’ve made some subtle changes to the original recipe from Delicious magazine – using ground cumin instead of cumin seeds and not adding milk to the chilli (though if you don’t like heat then do add 2 tbsp milk when adding in the vinegar).

Serve with rice and/or tortilla wraps, sour cream and grated cheese on the side.

More with beans: Emilia’s Bulgarian Bean Soup | Speedy Pepper & Black Bean Chilli | Summer Pork, Fennel and Beans

Chipotle black bean chilli with guacamole

Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 35 mins
Easy | Vegan | Gluten and Dairy free

You’ll need:

1 tsp ground paprika;
1 tbsp ground cumin;
1 tbsp olive oil;
1 red onion, finely sliced;
3 garlic cloves, crushed;
2 tbsp chipotle paste or 1 dried chipotle chilli, left whole;
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes;
1 tsp red wine vinegar;
Pinch of sugar;
2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed;
1 lime, quartered, to serve;

For the guacamole

2 ripe avocados;
Juice of 1 lime;
1 red chilli, finely chopped;
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish.

Toast the paprika and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan over a low-medium heat, then fry the onion for 7-8 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, then cook for 1 minute. Add the toasted spices, chipotle paste/whole chilli, tomatoes, vinegar and sugar. Season, bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

For the guacamole, peel and stone the avocados, then mash with a fork and mix with the lime juice. Stir through the chilli and coriander.

Remove the lid and add the beans. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then serve with the soured cream, guacamole and lime wedges.

Original recipe from Delicious Magazine, issue June 2013, available online here.

The only Guacamole recipe you will need

Making good guacamole isn’t rocket science, but I’m one of these people who get upset when I see mayo, cream or other things in these lines going into a good ol’ bowl of guac. In my humble opinion, guacamole shouldn’t have much more than avocado, onion, tomato, lime and coriander. I’m aware there are, of course, variations to this formula so here is my recipe for making perfect guacamole! I hope I’m not upsetting any friends/followers from Mexico… as far as I’ve done my research this should be pretty authentic, but if you make yours differently do comment below!

Guacamole

Serves 4-6 | Prep 10 minutes | No cooking
Easy | Vegan | Gluten & Dairy Free

You’ll need:

2 ripe avocados, chopped;
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped;
1 ripe tomato, finely chopped;
A small handful pickled jalapenos, finely chopped;
A small handful coriander, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced.

Put the avocado in a medium bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Add all the ingredients apart from the lime juice to the avocado and stir well. Finally, add the lime juice to taste – start with adding half and then continue to add lime juice to your liking. It should taste fresh but not sour. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and stir well. Serve immediately.

I make this almost every other week to go with any Mexican food we make at home. It’s one of my favourite dips!

~Em.

Swordfish tacos with mango & jalapeno salsa

I really love Mexican food and it’s one of my favourite cuisines to cook at home. If you are on the look out for new Mexican food ideas and want to try something different than the usual steak and pepper fajitas, with tomato salsa, soured cream and guacamole (usual in my house anyway), then look no further an make these Tacos! This is my first venture into the world of fish tacos and I guarantee it will not be the last. It was also my first time making a fruit based salsa, using mango, and I can tell you… it was SO tasty. On top of this, I served the tacos alongside Jalapeno and Lime hot sauce, and it was pretty much a taste match made in heaven.

As for the tacos, I used Lupe Pinto‘s* house made corn tortillas which are perfect for soft tacos and so flavoursome! If you are in Glasgow or Edinburgh, be sure to check them out – you will also be able to stock up on some hot sauce and fresh guacamole there, if you didn’t have time to make your own!

Swordfish tacos with mango & jalapeno salsa

Serves 4 | Prep 20 minutes + marinading and chilling | Cook 15 minutes | Fairly easy | Gluten-free | Meat free | Under 500 Kcal per serving

You’ll need:

500g swordfish steaks or other firm white fish, cut into 3cm cubes;
zest of 2 limes and juice of 1, plus lime wedges to serve (save the other one for the salsa;
1 tbsp honey;
1 tbsp olive oil;
1 tsp garlic salt;
1 tsp mild chilli powder;
1 tsp ground cumin;
1 tsp sugar;

For the salsa

1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced;
2 small mangoes, diced;
1 green jalapeño chilli, finely chopped;
¼ tsp ground cumin;
small handful coriander, chopped.

For the chilli cream

100g soured cream;
1 tbsp Tabasco, or other hot pepper sauce.

To serve:

warmed soft corn tortillas (i.e. soft tacos);
shredded white cabbage or other salad;
Jalapeno and Lime hot sauce, or other hot sauce, to serve (I used the Scottish made Bonnie Sauce Co‘s Jalapeno and Lime sauce*);
Guacamole;
Pickled Jalapenos.

In a shallow dish, mix the fish with the lime zest and juice, honey and olive oil. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 mins in the fridge. In a small bowl, mix together the spices and sugar with a little salt. Remove the fish, and skewer it onto wooden or metal skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 10 mins first. Dust with the spices and seasoning. Chill until ready to cook.

Next, make the salsa. Put the red onion in a bowl, cover with the lime juice and let sit for 5 mins. Add the remaining salsa ingredients and season. In another bowl, mix together the ingredients for the chilli cream and season.

Heat a griddle pan. Cook the fish for 2-3 mins each side on until grill marks appear and it feels firm. Serve the fish with warm corn tortillas, cabbage or salad, the chilli cream, mango salsa, Jalapeno and Lime hot sauce (or other hot sauce to your liking, guacamole, pickled jalapenos and lime wedges for squeezing over.

Original recipe from BBC Good Food magazine, issue October 2014, available online here.

*Non of the content is sponsored in any shape or form, just recommendations about the products I’ve used and have worked particularly well in this recipe.