Crispy chilli beef tacos

 

Crispy chilli beef tacos

• 500g mincemeat
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 400g tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp chipotle chilli flakes
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Good few gauges of Worcestershire sauce
• Flour tortillas
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Olive oil

Method

Add a splash of olive oil to a large pan, heat and then sauté the onions and garlic, add the mincemeat (using a spatula to break up the meat otherwise it will clump together) and brown the meat, drain off any excess fat, add the herbs, spices, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and a good pinch of salt and pepper, stir through then add the chopped tomatoes and leave to simmer for at least 30 minutes, add the kidney beans and simmer for a further 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, cover a baking tray with some tin foil, brush some olive oil over one side of each tortilla (quantity depends on how many you are cooking for), place a tortilla onto the tray (oil side down)and spoon some of your chilli onto one half, top with some grated cheese and fold over then repeat.  Place the tray into the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and the tacos are crunchy.

This is quite a spicy chilli so adjust to suit your taste buds.  Packed full of heat and flavour, this is a real winner.  I served this with some homemade guacamole and pineapple salsa.  I find it better to make your own tacos as the shop bought ones are so small you can’t really get much filling in them!  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did, sadly a little bit too spicy for the boys!

Pineapple Salsa

Crispy chilli beef tacos

Guacamole

Chipotle chicken tacos with pineapple salsa

Chipotle chicken tacos with pineapple salsa

• 2 chicken breasts
• Kankun chipotle marinade
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Handful of finely chopped coriander
• 150g fresh pineapple chunks cut into small cubes
• Half a small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 radish's cut into thin slices 
• 1 baby gem lettuce, shredded 
• Handful of grated cheese
• Pack of taco shells

Place the chicken breasts into an oven proof dish, score the chicken and coat with a couple tablespoons of the chipotle marinade, I prefer Kankun sauce but there other other sauces available, cover and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and cook the chicken for around 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Whilst the chicken is cooking, combine the pineapple, coriander, chilli, lime juice and red onion, mixing everything together thoroughly.

Once the chicken is cooked drain off any juices and shred the chicken using two forks.  Heat the tacos in the oven for around 3-4 minutes, this amount of chicken should be enough for 12 tacos that you usually get in a pack.

In each taco place some lettuce at the bottom and top with some cheese followed by the chicken.  Lastly place a couple slices of the radish on top of the chicken and a spoonful of the pineapple salsa.  I have to say the salsa really made this dish, if you prefer a bit of heat, leave the seeds in the chilli!  Yet another quick and easy recipe, great to eat outside whilst you enjoy the lovely weather.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion cut into 12 wedges
• 2 different coloured peppers, deseeded and cut into 3cm chunks
• 225g can of water chestnuts
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 25g chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
• Freshly ground black pepper
• For the Sauce
• 425g can of pineapple chunks in natural juice
• 2 tbsp cornflower
• 150ml water
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

Method:

To make the sauce, drain the pineapple in a sieve over a bowl and keep all the juice, you should have about 150ml.  Put the cornflower in a large bowl and stir in 3 tablespoons of the pineapple juice to make a smooth paste.  Add the remaining juice and the water, then stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and chilli flakes until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

Cut each chicken breast into 8 or 9 pieces.  Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and stir-fry the onions and peppers for 2 minutes over a high heat.  Drain the water chestnuts and cut them in half horizontally.

Add the remaining oil and the chicken to the pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes until coloured on all sides.  Add the garlic, ginger, pineapple chunks and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds.

Give the cornflour and pineapple mixture a good stir and add it to the pan with the chicken and vegetables.  Stir well, season with some ground black pepper and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 4-6 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glossy and the chicken is tender and cooked throughout, turning the chicken and vegetables a few times.  I served this with some egg fried rice.

This recipe is taken from The Hairy Dieters “How to love food and loose weight” – Each portion has 288 calories and should provide 4 portions.

I had my doubts that this would be as good as my local takeaway, especially when I put all the liquid mix into the dish it just didn’t look right but as you can see from the photo, it all came together and looks just like the takeaway version, but I have to say this had more flavour and for a lot less calories so you don’t have to feel guilty anymore about having the takeaway feeling at home!