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

Chilli Chicken

Chilli Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts cut into bite sized chunks
• Oil for frying

Batter

• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp chilli powder 
• ½ tsp ground black pepper powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 3 tbsp water

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 spring onions finely chopped (keep green ends for garnish)
• 2 green chilli cut in three 
• 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ½" ginger finely chopped
• 2 green pepper diced
• 1 red onion diced
• 1 tbsp chilli garlic sauce
• 3 tbsp Kecap manis
• 50ml water
• 1 tsp corn flour mixed with 3 tsp of water
• Pinch of salt

Heat the oil in a deep wide sauce pan or a wok, approx 1cm deep.  In a mixing bowl add the corn flour, plain flour, chilli powder, black pepper and salt. Add the vinegar and water; mix to make a thick batter. Add the chicken pieces to it and mix well coating all the pieces with the batter.

Fry the chicken in the hot oil in batches for 1-2 minutes until lightly coloured all over. Drain the chicken on kitchen paper and set aside.

To make the sauce; refresh the oil in your pan/wok and heat on a medium heat.  Add the white part of the spring onions and fry for a few seconds followed by the green chilli, chopped garlic and chopped ginger. Fry for 10 seconds and add the green peppers along with the red onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened.

Add the chilli garlic sauce and the Kercap manis and stir well. Add the water and bring to a boil and simmer for a 1 minute on a low heat. Add the corn flour water mix, season to taste and simmer for a further 2 minutes as it begins to thicken. Turn the heat off and cool the sauce slightly.

When you’re ready to serve add the fried chicken pieces to the gravy, stirring well making sure to coat all the pieces with the sauce evenly. Simmer the sauce on a low heat for a minute. Serve with fried rice and garnish with the green part of the chopped spring onions.

Another tasty takeaway dish that you can make in the comfort of your own home.  This recipe feeds 4 and I can guarantee it will be a hit with you and your friends.  As usual, you can adjust the chilli powder and amount of chillies to suit your taste.

Chilli Chicken

Chilli Chicken

• 250 grams of boneless chicken pieces, cubed

For batter:

• ½ cup of plain flour 
• ¼ cup of cornflour or cornstarch
• 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
• ¼ tsp of chilli powder
• 1 tsp of soy sauce
• ½ tsp of black pepper powder

For stir-frying:

• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 cup of cubed onions
• ½ cup of cubed capsicum (bell pepper)
• 2-3 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp of crushed garlic
• 1 tsp of grated ginger
• 1 tsp of tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp of vinegar 
• 2 tbsp of sliced spring onions 

Method:
Mix all the ingredients for the batter and add enough water to make a thick batter (similar to bahji batter), add the chicken and mix well so all the chicken is coated.

Heat oil for deep frying in a large frying pan or a wok, when the oil is smoking hot add the chicken pieces (you will need to do this in batches so you do not crowd the pan) and fry on a medium heat until golden brown and slightly crispy - once cooked drain and set aside.  Continue with the next batch until all of the chicken is cooked.

Remove most of the oil from the pan/wok and add the onions, ginger, garlic, and green chillies, sauté until the onions turn transparent and soft then add the soy sauce, vinegar and tomato ketchup, cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the fried chicken pieces and peppers, mix well then sprinkle some water over the top and cover the pan.  Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, uncover, mix well then serve garnish with spring onions.

Who needs to get a takeaway when you can make this restaurant quality meal yourself in the comfort of your own home!  You can adjust the chilli quantity to suit your own needs, I do go a bit hotter but that's just my preference.  We love this dish and usually serve with egg fried rice.  Eating in can be the new eating out with this dish!

Chilli Con Carne Stack

Chilli Con Carne Stack

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 red pepper finely chopped
• 2 medium vine tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g beef mince
• 100ml red wine
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 240ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium cinnamon stick
• 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g tin sweetcorn
• 30g dark chocolate (85% cocoa solids)

Method:-

Heat the oil in a medium pan over a low heat.  Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent.  Add the garlic, pepper and vine tomatoes and cook, stirring for 6-8 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.  Make a space in the centre of the mixture then add the chilli powder, paprika and cumin.  Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile season and cook the mince in a separate pan over a high heat until browned.  Drain the fat from the mince and add the mince to the tomato mixture along with the wine.  Stir over a high heat until the wine evaporates.  Stir in the oregano and thyme, then the tomato paste.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tinned tomatoes and stock.  Cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally.  Add the bay and cinnamon, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the lid and stir in the beans and sweetcorn, then cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Taste and season the chilli then stir in the chocolate until it has melted.  Remove the pan from the heat and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Whilst you can serve the chilli with rice, for this recipe I shallow fried several small flour tortillas and built a chilli stack, adding cheese, sour cream and jalapeño slices along with homemade guacamole.  This chilli has a great flavour however I do prefer a bit more heat, I therefore added a diced red chilli and a good helping of Kankun habanero sauce to give it a bit more bite. Credit to Chef Ernesto Puga Cardoso for the recipe.

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Mexican Eggs

Mexican Eggs

• 50g cooking chorizo, cubed
• 1 red onion finely diced
• 1/2 red chilli finely diced (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (plus extra leaves to serve)
• 4 large free-range eggs
• Pickled jalapeños to serve (optional)
• Kankun habanero sauce

Method:-

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and dry fry the chorizo for a couple of minutes, add the onion, chilli and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.  Add all the tomatoes, paprika, coriander and 100ml of water.  Season well, stir then cook over a medium heat for around 15 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes have softened.  Make 4 indentations in the sauce and crack an egg into each one.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the whites are almost set.  Scatter with fresh coriander and pickled jalapeños and serve straightaway.

This is a great dish perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I like it spicy so drizzled some Kankun habanero sauce on top of each egg.  I also placed a warm tortilla on each plate and served the eggs on top. 

Recipe is courtesy of Dean Edwards via delicious magazine

Kankun Chilli Con Carne

Kankun Chilli Con Carne

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Onions chopped
• 1 Large red pepper chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves minced
• 1kg lean beef mince
• 2x400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2x400g cans red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 Tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tsp ground coriander
• 1 Bottle of Kankun Chipotle Sauce
• 1 Beef stock cube
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Large bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped

 Method :-

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion, pepper and garlic until softened.  Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.  Once browned, drain off any excess fat, stir in the tomatoes, bottle of Kankun chipotle sauce, cumin, coriander and crumble in the stock cube.  Season well with salt & pepper and add some water to loosen the dish up.  Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.  Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander, cook for a further 10 minutes uncovered.  Serve with rice, guacamole, sour cream and green salad.

Recipe courtesy of Kankun Sauce

Fried halloumi & chorizo Salad

                   Fried halloumi & chorizo Salad

• 1 small red onion
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into thick slices
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• Sliced chorizo
• 50g kalamata or other black olives, stoned
• 50g plain flour
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 250g halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices
• 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lucy's raspberry dressing (or dressing of choice)

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, paprika and some salt and pepper. Moisten the halloumi slices slightly with water, then press into the seasoned flour and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the halloumi over a medium heat for about two minutes on each side, until golden and slightly softened on the inside.  Heat a separate pan and fry the chorizo until crispy.

Toss the salad vegetables with the dressing, turning them over with your hands to make sure everything is lightly coated. Divide the salad between your plates and top with the hot halloumi and chorizo  and serve immediately. Made with Steves Leaves and Lucys Dressings

Roasted Cod with Orange & Beetroot Salsa

Roasted Cod with Orange & Beetroot Salsa

• 1 Beetroot
• 1 Orange
• 2 Cod fillets
• 1 Onion
• 1 Red chilli
• 1 Small bunch coriander
• A handful of new potatoes

Peel the beetroot and cut into 1cm cubes (if you have disposable gloves use them, it gets messy), wrap the cubes in foil with 1/2 tsp of olive oil and a good grind of black pepper and a couple of pieces of salt.  Cut the potatoes into 8 pieces, cut the onion In half, finely chop one half and the remaining half cut into cubes approx 1cm in size.  Toss the potatoes with the cubed onion in 1tbsp of olive oil and season, lay out onto baking tray and cook in the oven at 200C for 15 minutes along with the beetroot parcel.  Finely dice the chilli.

Zest the orange then cut into segments.  Once the beetroot is cooked mix this with the orange segments, the chilli, orange zest, 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and all but 1tbsp of the coriander, season with salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with 1tbsp of oil.  Pat the cod dry and dust the skin side with a little flour.  Place in the pan skin side down for 3-4 minutes and then turn and cook for a further minute.  Serve the cod with the potatoes and salsa and sprinkle over the remaining coriander.

Recipe courtesy of HelloFresh