Kankun Chicken Tinga Tacos

Kankun Chicken Tinga Tacos

• 1 jar Kankun tinga cooking sauce
• 2 large chicken breasts
• 8 small flour tortillas
• Handful of crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 radishes thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander 

Method:

In a medium sized pot heat a small amount of vegetable oil, add the chicken breasts and brown off 5-10 minutes, turn the chicken a few times otherwise it may stick to the pan!  Add the jar of sauce and cook for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken to a chopping board and shred using two forks.  Return the shredded chicken to the pan of sauce and mix so the chicken is evenly coated in the sauce.  

Plate up your tortillas, add a good helping of the chicken to each one, top with some crumbled feta, add a dollop of sour cream and then the spring onions and radish slices and finally a sprinkle of the coriander.

This is my take on the chicken tinga taco and even if I do say so myself, God, that was good.  My good friends at Kankun Sauce provided the tinga sauce so I can't take all the credit.  These are from a new range of cooking sauces that they have brought out and this is the first one I have tried, all I can say is if the other two are as tasty as this then they are onto a sure-fire winner here.  The tinga sauce is packed full of flavour and has a nice heat behind it, so much so I had no use for chopped jalapeño peppers as the sauce was plenty hot enough without being uncomfortable!  Having looked at a few tinga taco recipes they mainly seemed to consist of the meat, some onion and coriander, so I thought I would add a few more ingredients to the mix which I'm glad I did, this was so good I want it again tomorrow but I don't have any more sauce!  

Keep up the good work Kankun, you had me with your chilli sauces and mole and now you have me yet again with these cooking sauces! Love love love them! Please give them a try, if you love Mexican food you will love these, you don't need to go out to get your Mexican fix you can now do it for yourself at home.

Sage, Chilli and Feta Sausage Rolls

Sage, chilli and feta sausage rolls

• Olive oil for frying
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 6 sage leaves finely chopped
• Kankun habanero sauce 
• 1 tsp dried oregano (plus extra for dusting)
• 200g crumbled feta
• 450g sausagemeat
• 2 X 320g packs ready rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

Method:

Heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade or 180 for fan assisted.  Heat a glug of oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for around 5 minutes over a medium heat.  Add the garlic and fry for a further 3 minutes and tip out into a large mixing bowl and leave to cool.  

Add the sage, oregano, feta and a good few glugs of the Kankun habanero sauce and sausagemeat to the onion mix.  Season with salt and pepper and then mix it all together, combining all of the ingredients with the sausagemeat.  Unroll one of the sheets of pastry and cut in half lengthways. Place a quarter of the sausage mixture down each length of pastry, just off centre.  Lightly brush the wide edge of the pastry with the egg glaze, then fold over to encase the filling, leaving a small lip of pastry.  Press down along the pastry lip to seal, using the back of a fork.  Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle some oregano over the top.  Cut the roll into the size you wish and place onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper, repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.  Bake for around 30 minutes until risen and golden and the meat is cooked through.  

For the last few years it has become a tradition to make sausage rolls on Christmas Eve and certainly something my partner looks forward to, he does love to eat them pretty much out of the oven! This is the first time I have tried this recipe, to say I was impressed is an understatement, the flavour is awesome and you get a good kick of heat from the kankun habanero sauce, I think this is a new found favourite in our household and certainly one that my partner Scott enjoyed, given the amount he has already eaten!  Luckily I was able to take some photographs before they all vanished!

Recipe adapted from Delicious Magazine

Holy Mole Beefsteak Chilli con Carne

Holy Mole Beefsteak Chilli con Carne

   

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 800g cubed braising steak
• 1 red onion 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 20g jalapeno peppers
• 400g tinned tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• Salt salt and black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh coriander
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Pinch of cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
• 3 bay leafs
• 2 tsp honey
• 70g dark chocolate (70%)
• 330ml beer
• 300ml beef stock
• 300g kidney beans
• Good few glugs of Kankun habanero sauce
• Kankun Poblano Mole sauce

Method:
Heat the oil in a large casserole dish on the hob, add the meat and fry until browned all over.  Remove the meat and tip away the excess liquid/fat left in the pan.

Whilst the meat is browning, peel the onion and cut into quarters, place into a liquidiser along with the garlic,jalapeno chillies, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and the chipotles along with some of the adobo sauce, blitz until smooth.  Add the paste to the casserole dish and fry for a few minutes.

In a small pan over a medium heat, add a tablespoon of the Kankun Poblano Mole paste with 4 or 5 tablespoons of water and stir through, you want a runny consistency therefore add extra water if needed.  You can also use beef stock instead of water when making this.

Return the beefsteak to the casserole dish and add the mole sauce along with the beef stock, bay leafs, honey, beer and chocolate.  Stir thoroughly and then add the tomatoes, tomato puree, a few grinds of black pepper, a good pinch of salt and a good few glugs of the Kankun habanero sauce, stir through, place a lid onto the dish and place into a preheated oven at 160 degrees.  This will need to cook for around 3 hours as we want the beef nice and tender.  I would suggest giving the chilli a stir each hour.  After two hours of cooking add the drained kidney beans and stir through.

I would recommend making this recipe the day before as this really enhances the flavour.  When serving stir through the chopped fresh coriander and serve with, sour cream, grated cheese, tortilla chips and rice.  When I make my rice I like to stir through some fresh chopped coriander to add some flavour.  This dish is a real crowd pleaser and should serve 5-6 people.  The different spices along with the mole and habanero really give this chilli a depth of flavour and I hope you enjoy it as  much as I did.

Kicking Prawn & Avocado Salad

Kicking Prawn & Avocado Salad

• 350g fresh or frozen peeled cooked prawns
• 1 large ripe avocado
• 6 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 2 lemons
• 15g basil (around half a bunch)
• 1cucumber
• 4 spring onions
• Mixed bag of salad leafs
• 200g ripe cherry tomatoes (quartered)
• Punnet of cress
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 200g fresh peas
• 1 red chilli
• Kankun habanero sauce

Firstly, if using frozen prawns, make sure they are thoroughly defrosted before using!

Peel and remove the stone from the avocado, putting the flesh into a blender with the yoghurt and the juice of 1 lemon.  Reserve a small handful of the basil and place the remainder of the bunch into the blender and blitz until smooth, season to taste.

Trim the finely slice the spring onions.  Peel the cucumber, halve it lengthways and scrape out the core and finely slice.  By removing the core it makes it less watery!  In a large salad bowl add the mixed salad leafs along with the cherry tomatoes and most of the cress.  Drizzle over 1 tbsp of oil and the juice of the remaining lemon and then plate up.  This recipe should serve 4, obviously amend the ingredients depending on the number of guests.

Drain the prawns and then toss with 2 tbsp of the sauce and the peas and add to each plate of salad. Spoon the remaining sauce over each plate and scatter over the finely sliced chilli and the reserved cress.  Once plated, drizzle over the Kankun habanero sauce.  The avocado has quite a mild flavour therefore the habanero sauce really lifts the flavour and gives it a real kick!  Again, depending how hot you like it, adjust your glugs accordingly!!

This is great for alfresco dining, perfect with some crusty bread or if you make smaller portions it goes well with a lovely piece of steak or chicken.  

Funked Up Kankun Habanero Mushrooms

Funked Up Kankun Habanero Mushrooms

• 250g button mushrooms
• Large knob of salted butter
• Few glugs of Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Few splashes of Kankun Habanero Sauce
• 100ml vegetable stock

Method:
Make up the stock according to the packet instructions.  Brushing any soil away from the mushrooms, chop them in half.  Place a medium sized pan on the hob and melt the butter on a medium heat, once melted, add the mushrooms to the pan and stir until all of the mushrooms get a good coating of the butter.  Add the stock to the pan along with the Worcestershire and habanero sauce, a few grinds of pepper and saute the mushrooms until the stock has been reduced and thickened.

This is a bit of a twist on plain old mushrooms, hence they are funked up!  They go with so many different dishes however for me, they are always perfect with a good old fry up.  Given the habanero is pretty hot, use as much or as little as you want or can take ;-)

Mexican style chicken katsu curry

Mexican style chicken katsu curry

• Bag of tortilla chips
• 2 chicken breasts
• Rice (enough for two portions)
• Handful of chopped coriander
• Kankun Pipian Mexican Mole
• 1 beaten egg
• Small dish of flour
• Vegetable or rapeseed oil

Method:

Take a few handfuls of the tortilla chips and place into a blender and blitz for a short while. Whilst you want to break the tortilla chips down to act as breadcrumbs on the chicken, you don't want them too fine, they should contain bite sized pieces which will give the chicken a good crunch.

This is a 3 bowl job, place your tortilla crumbs into a large bowl, beat the egg in a separate bowl and place the flour into the third bowl. Take each chicken breast and firstly dip into the flour, ensuring the whole chicken is covered, then dip into the beaten egg, shake off any excess egg and then dip into the tortilla crumb (press the chicken into the crumb on each side to ensure the crumb sticks). If your chicken breasts are on the large size, place them into a freezer bag and give them a good whacking with a rolling pin to flatten them out. The thicker the chicken breast the longer it takes to cook which will probably end up with the tortilla crumb burning! Once you have coated the chicken, place it onto a plate and put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes (this will harden the crumb up).

Into a large frying pan, pour enough oil to cover at least a third of the depth of the chicken. Heat the oil over a medium heat, once it is hot enough (drop a small piece of tortilla into the oil, if the oil bubbles, it is hot enough) place the chicken breasts into the pan and cook for around 10 minutes each side (the breadcrumbs should be nice and crispy by this time).

Whilst the chicken is frying, cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, stir through the chopped coriander.

In a small pan, add two tablespoons of the Kankun Pipian Mole paste and a good glug of water. Over a medium heat stir the paste until dissolved in the water. The aim here is to get the mole to a gravy type consistency so you will probably need to add more water as you go, if however you make it too watery, simply add some more mole paste to thicken it up.

Once all the components to your dish are ready, slice the chicken into pieces and plate up with the rice and sauce. I put the mole sauce into a small dish in order to dip the chicken into.

This is a twist on the traditional Japanese chicken katsu curry which I think works really well. The mole sauce has a bit of a kick which develops after each mouthful and the tortilla crumb gives a good crunch to the chicken. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. Another recipe which is perfect when having friends round for dinner.    

Kankun Chipotle Chicken Pizza

Kankun Chipotle Chicken Pizza  

• Pack of chicken fillets
• Ready made pizza dough (or you can always make your own!)
• Kankun Poblano Mexican Mole
• Tub of mozzarella pearls
• Couple of handfuls of grated mozzarella
• 1 pepper deseeded and thinly sliced.
• 2 tbsp jalapeno peppers finely chopped
• Handful of rocket or pea shoots
• Thinly sliced red onion
• Kankun habanero sauce
• Kankun chipotle sauce
• Pizza stone

Method:

Place the chicken fillets into a tupperware container or dish and coat with the Kankun chipotle sauce, give a good mix in order to ensure the chicken is fully coated and then place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Once the above has been done, place the pizza stone onto the middle shelf in the oven and turn on your oven to 220 degrees (always place the stone into a cold oven) and heat the stone for around 20 minutes. Whilst the stone is heating up, fry the chicken fillets for around 10/15 minutes in a frying pan over a medium heat.

In a small pan add a tablespoon of Kankun Poblano mole paste and 5 tbps of water, stir through over a medium heat until the paste has dissolved. For this recipe we want a thickish consistency as the mole is going to act as the base sauce on the pizza.

Whilst you can make your own pizza dough I am not adverse to cheating and use ready made pizza dough. For this recipe I used chilli pizza dough and combined the two balls of dough together in order to make one large pizza.

Roll out your pizza dough on a floured work surface until it is big enough to cover most of the pizza stone. Take the pizza stone from the oven and place the dough on top. Spread the mole sauce over the base of the pizza and sprinkle with the grated mozzarella. Top with the chicken fillets, sliced pepper, red onion, jalapeno pepper and mozzarella pearls. Place the pizza back into the oven and cook for around 10-15 minutes. Keep your eye on the pizza as sometimes it can cook quicker! A good sign that it is done is when the mozzarella has fully melted and the edges of the pizza look crispy.

Remove the pizza from the oven and top with the rocket or pea shoots and a good dash of the Kankun habanero sauce then serve.

For those who haven't used a pizza stone before, you must get one, it's the only way to ensure that you get a truly crisp base to your pizza as the stone ensures an even cook throughout the pizza.

This is a bit of an alternative to the usual style of pizza and for me it really worked. You can use whatever toppings you like and make it your own.

Chipotle Pork Pittas

Chipotle Pork Pittas

• 4 wholemeal pitta breads
• Kankun Mexican Chitpotle Sauce
• Kankun Mexican Habanero Sauce
• 4 pork loin steaks (1 per pitta)
• Handful of grated cheese
• Rocket & pea shoots
• 1 tbsp Jalapeno peppers finely chopped
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• Handful of cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
• Vegetable/Rapeseed oil

Method:

Place the pork steaks into a container and cover with the Kankun chipotle sauce, mix well to ensure all of the steak is covered and then place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Add a dash of vegetable/rapeseed oil to a frying pan and put on a medium heat. Cook the steaks for a few minutes each side, you will know when they are done when the steaks change colour from pink to a white colour. Remove from the pan and place onto a chopping board and allow to rest for a few minutes. Whilst the steaks are resting, pop your pittas into the toaster and once done cut a slit into each one to make a pocket.

Stuff each pitta with the rocket and pea shoots and then top with cheese. Thinly slice the pork steak and put this into each pitta along with a sprinkle of jalapeno pepper, red onion and some of the quartered tomato and then a good few dollops of Kankun habanero sauce.

I had the pork steaks in the fridge, they were destined for another recipe, I'm so glad I changed my mind and came up with this instead, it was so tasty and quick and easy to make, an ideal mid week dinner for all the family.

Mexican Style Toad In The Hole With Coriander & Chilli Batter

Mexican Style Toad in the Hole

• For the batter
• 3 eggs
• 285ml milk
• 115g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• Half a large red chilli, remove the seeds and finely chop
• Handful of finely chopped coriander 
• 5 Jalapeno & Cheese sausages – these were sourced online from Angus & Oink
• Kankun Mexican Mole Poblano - visit the Kankun site

Method:
Mix the batter ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.  Heat the oven to 240 degrees.  In a thin baking tin put 1cm/just under ½ inch of rapeseed oil and place this on the middle shelf of the oven (place a tray underneath the tin in order to catch any oil spills) and heat the oil until it is smoking hot.  Add the sausages to the tin (beware of spitting oil) and return to the oven until browned all over.  Pour the batter mixture over the sausages (give the batter a last mix before doing so as the coriander and chilli will have settled in one place in the mixture) and return the tin to the oven and cook for at least 20 minutes, until the batter is crispy and the sausages cooked through.

Whilst the toad is cooking, put a tablespoon of the mole paste into a saucepan and add about 5 tbsp of water and stir over a low heat.  You will need to add more water to this as you go as basically we are using the mole as a gravy to pour over the toad therefore we need a runny consistency.

Once the toad is cooked carefully place it onto a large platter and drizzle with the mole gravy and serve with sides of your choice.  I used a cheats Mexican microwave rice (it saves time ok!) and made esquites, see (put in link) for the recipe.

I hope you enjoy this twist on a British classic.  The mole gravy has a nice chocolatey flavour which goes really well with the coriander and chilli in the batter and combined with the jalapeno hit from the sausages I think it works really well, even if I do say so myself :-)

Mexican Meatball Tortilla

Mexican Meatball Tortilla

For the tomato sauce

• 35ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 X 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• Pinch of sugar

For the meatballs

• 1 red onion, grated
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 red chilli finely chopped, remove the seeds for less heat
• Splash of olive oil
• 500g beef mince

• 4 tortillas
• Tbsp chopped jalapeños
• Grated mozzarella cheese
• Kankun chipotle sauce
• Kankun habanero sauce
• Thinly sliced pepper
• Thinly sliced red onion
• Sour cream
• Pea shoots

Method:-

To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a large frying pan then add the onion and garlic and fry over a gentle heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often until softened but not coloured.  Add the chopped tomatoes with the sugar, season well and turn the heat up so the sauce is bubbling gently, cook for 40 minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile make the meatballs.  Put all the ingredients apart from the oil in a bowl.  Season and mix with your hands then roll into 24 walnut sized balls.  Heat the oven to 220 degrees or 200 for fan assisted.  Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat.  When hot add the meatballs, frying on all sides for 5-6 minutes until golden.  Drop them into the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Place your tortillas onto baking trays, spread a tbsp of Kankun chipotle sauce over each base then sprinkle a handful of the grated mozzarella over the top of each tortilla.  Divide the meatballs and sauce over each tortilla and add a further handful of mozzarella over the top.  Add the peppers, red onion and jalapeño and place into the oven for around 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.  Remove from the oven, dollop some sour cream over each tortilla along with a few shakes of the Kankun habanero sauce and garnish with the pea shoots.  This is a really tasty dinner and quick and easy to make.

Mexican Open Omelette

Mexican Open Omelette

• 2 tsps olive oil
• Handful of chopped jalapeño peppers
• 1/2 diced red onion
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 eggs, whisked
• Handful of chopped coriander 
• Handful of crumbled feta & cheddar cheese

Method:-
Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan.  Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes then add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté for a further 3 minutes.  Once done transfer to a plate and leave to one side.  

Preheat your grill to high.  Return the pan to the stove, add the whisked eggs and cook for around 5 minutes.  Cover the omelette with the cheddar cheese and place the pan under the grill until the cheese has melted and the omelette has puffed up slightly (remember to make sure the handle of the frying pan is outside the oven).  Transfer the omelette to a plate, scatter over the tomato and onion mixture along with the jalapeños, feta and coriander.

This was a late breakfast which was quick and easy to make and oh so tasty.  I drizzled some Kankun habanero and jalapeño sauce over the top for an extra zing.  An ideal recipe for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Avocado would be great with this as well, unfortunately the "perfectly ripe avocados " I had ordered were far from ripe!  Oh well, there is always next time.

Kankun Beef Tostadas

Kankun Beef Tostadas

• 6 Fried tortillas
• 1 Cup of warm re-fried beans
• 2 Cups of cooked and shredded skirt steak, chicken or your favourite meat, veggie or seafood
• 3 Cups shredded romaine lettuce
• ½ Small onion, diced
• 1 Cup of crumbled fresco/fresh Mexican cheese (Feta & Parmesan are good substitutes)
• ½ Cup sour cream
• Kankun Sauce

Method:-

Spread a 2 tbsp of re-fried beans on one side of each the tostada (tortilla).  Add the shredded meat, top with lettuce, sour cream and the crumbled cheese.  Serve immediately with your Kankun Sauce of choice.

Kankun Chipotle Chicken

Kankun Chipotle Chicken

• 2 Chicken breasts
• ¼ Cup of lime juice
• 1 Garlic clove minced
• 2 Tbsp of honey
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp of Kankun Chipotle Sauce

Method:-

Place the garlic, lime, honey and Kankun Chipotle sauce into a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add the chicken breasts, making sure they are well covered, season with salt and pepper and leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes or overnight. 

Preheat your grill to a moderate heat, place the chicken breast onto an oven tray and grill until cooked (15 minutes or so).  Serve with Mexican rice, or as I have done, in a tortilla bowl with homemade guacamole and salad.

Polenta crusted tomatoes with kankun jalapeño & habanero sauce

Polenta crusted tomatoes with kankun jalapeño & habanero sauce

Method :-

• Beef tomatoes cut into thick slices
• Flour
• 1 beaten egg
• Small bowl of polenta
• Kankun jalapeño & habanero sauce

Season the polenta with your spice of choice, I used umami rush, dip the slices of tomato into the flour, then the egg and finally the polenta until the tomatoes have a good coating, once done place into the fridge for 10 minutes or so until the coating firms.  Heat a large frying pan with vegetable oil and fry the tomatoes for several minutes each side until they are nice and crunchy.  

For this dish I served the tomatoes with a grilled halloumi and chorizo salad, you can use the toppings of your choice to go with the salad.  I drizzled Kankun Jalapeño sauce on top of the tomatoes with a dash of their Kankun Habanero sauce which really lifted the flavour.  This makes for a very simple yet tasty light dinner.

Mexican Lasagne

Mexican Lasagna

For the Sauce

• 1 Tbsp garlic infused olive oil
• 1 Onion (peeled and chopped)
• 1 Red pepper (deseeded and chopped)
• 2 Green bird’s eye chillies (chopped with seeds)
• 1 Tsp sea salt flakes
• 2 Tbsp fresh coriander stalks (finely chopped)
• 800g Chopped tomatoes (2 cans)
• 400ml Water (swilled in empty cans)
• 1 Tbsp tomato ketchup
• Dash of Kankun Habanero sauce

For the Filling

• 800g Black beans (2 cans) drained and rinsed
• 500g Canned sweetcorn kernels (2 cans) drained
• 250g Grated mature cheddar
• 8 Soft flour tortillas

You will need a round ovenproof dish, approx. 26cm in diameter X 6cm deep.

 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, slipping in a baking tray at the same time.

Method:-

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan on the stove and fry the onion, pepper and chilli, add the salt and cook gently for 15 minutes and once soft, add the chopped coriander stalks.  Add the canned tomatoes, then swill the cans out with the water and add this too.  Spoon in the ketchup and Kankun Habanero sauce and let things come to a simmer, leaving the sauce to cook while you get on with preparing the filling (about 10 minutes).

To make the filling, mix the drained beans and sweetcorn in a bowl.  Add most of the grated cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on the top at the end, mix together.

Start to assemble the lasagna by spooning about a third of the sauce into the bottom of your ovenproof dish and smearing it about, then layer 2 tortillas so that they cover the sauce, overlapping slightly.  Add a third of the beans and cheese mixture, covering the tortillas and then about a quarter of the remaining sauce and another tortillas.  Repeat with another third of beans and cheese, and some more sauce before layering on another 2 tortillas.  Finally add the last layer of beans and cheese, nearly all the remaining sauce and cover with the last 2 tortillas.  Spread the last bit of sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and let it rest for a good 10-15 minutes before slicing like a pizza.

This lasagna is great with a fresh crisp salad.  As an alternative you can make a chilli and add that to the lasagne as shown in the photograph above.

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson  

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

Kankun Spicy Guacamole & Kankun Chipotle Pico de Gallo

Kankun Spicy Guacamole & Kankun Chipotle Pico de Gallo

Kankun Spicy Guacamole

• 2 Ripe avocados
• 2 Tbsp of fresh lime or lemon juice
• ½ Chopped red onion
• Kankun Habanero sauce
• 2 Tbsp chopped coriander
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 Ripe tomato

Method:- 

Cut the avocados in half and remove the seed.  Scoop the avocado from the peek and put into a mixing bowl.  Using a fork, roughly mash the avocado (don’t overdo it, the guacamole should be chunky.  Sprinkle with salt and the lime/lemon juice.  The acid in the juice will help stop the avocados from turning brown.  Add the chopped onion, coriander, black pepper and as much/little of the Kankun Habanero sauce as you like.  Cut the tomato into quarters, remove the seeds, cut each quarter into strips and then again until you have small bits of tomato, add to the guacamole, mix well and serve with tortillas or as a garnish with your favourite dish.

Kankun Chipotle Pico de Gallo

• 2 Tbsp of Kankun Chipotle Sauce
• 2 Chopped tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp chopped coriander
• ½ Red onion finely sliced
• 2 Tbsp of fresh lime juice
• Pinch of salt

Method:- 

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the seeds, cut each quarter into strips and then again until you have small bits, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Serve on bread, quesadillas or as a dip for tortillas.    

Kankun Pulled Pork

Kankun Pulled Pork

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 500g Boneless pork roast
• ¾ Cup of tomato ketchup
• ¼ Cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp of honey
• 1 Cup of Kankun Chipotle sauce
• 1 Tsp Soy sauce
• Salt & Pepper

Method: 

Heat the oil in a roasting tin.  Combine all the above ingredients for the marinade, season the pork with salt and pepper and then coat the pork all over with the marinade.  If your roasting tin has a lid place this on or alternatively cover with tin foil.  Place in the oven (160 degrees) and cook for 6-8 hours.  

Once cooked, shred the pork using two forks and toss in with any of the marinade left in the pan.  You can serve on bread buns with red beans and your favourite salad, or as an alternative as shown in the photo, you can use the pork to make pulled pork flatbreads.  

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

A fresh hearty filling soup packed full of flavour and the added punch from the Kankun Habanero sauce gives it that extra zing. This soup is a combination of two recipe's that I thought worked well together both bringing additional flavours and textures to the dish.

• 2lbs skinless chicken breast chopped into chunks
• 2 Large dried pasilla ancho chiles
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Diced red, yellow & green pepper
• 2 Medium red onions diced
• 2 Cups roughly chopped kale leaves (stems removed)
• 2 Garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1 Tsp oregano
• 15oz can black beans, drained
• 2 x 15oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
• 8 Cups chicken stock
• 6 Corn tortillas cut into strips
• 1 Avocado  
• Small packet of coriander
• Pack of feta cheese
• Vegetable oil for frying the tortilla strips
• Lime wedges
• Kankun Habanero sauce

Method:

Place the dried chillies into a bowl of boiling water for around 10 minutes.  Once rehydrated, remove the stalk and seeds and chop into small pieces.  Place the chilli into a blender along with the tomatoes.  Heat some oil in a large soup pan over a medium-low heat.  Add half of the chopped onions along with the garlic, peppers and spices to the pan, stirring frequently, cook until soft, roughly 5-6 minutes then remove from the heat.  Using a slotted spoon transfer the cooked mixture into the blender and puree all the ingredients together until very smooth.

Return the soup pot to a high heat.  Once hot, add the pureed tomato chili mixture, it should sizzle immediately.  Continue cooking over a high heat for approximately 5-6 minutes until the mixture thickens.  Add the chicken stock to the pot and mix thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper (remember the stock will have salt in it) add the black beans and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Whilst the soup is simmering, heat a large frying pan with 2-3 inches of oil in the base, once hot, add the tortilla strips and cook until browned (leave some strip to cook longer so they crisp up), once done, remove and drain the strip on some paper towel.  Returning to the soup, add the kale, chicken and tortilla strips (reserving the crisp ones) to the pan, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked, this should take 2-3 minutes.    

Ladle your soup into deep bowls and garnish with the crumbled feta cheese, the remaining diced red onion, coriander and lime wedges and a dash of the Kankun Habanero sauce, placing the crispy tortilla strips on top.

Recipe is a mix of two recipes from Kankun Sauce and Blogging over Thyme 

Kankun Chicken Fajitas

Kankun Chicken Fajitas

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo during the month of May, I will be showcasing a number of Mexican recipes courtesy of Kankun Sauce.  They have a range of sauces which are incorporated in the recipes.  For those of you who haven't tried them I would certainly recommend you give them a go.  The Habanero is not for the faint hearted, a few splashes is all you need to lift a dish!  I have used the whole range and they are now my sauce of choice, packed full of flavour, I seriously can't get enough of them.  

Follow the links to their website which has details of stockists and further recipes, there is even a chance to win a holiday to Mexico! Visit the Kankun Website and try your luck to Win a holiday to Mexico

• 450 g Skinless chicken breast
• 8 Corn tortillas or flour tortillas
• 1 Medium bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1 Medium sliced red onion
• 1/3 Cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1/2 Tbsp ground garlic
• 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
• Juice of 1 lime
• Olive oil, salt, pepper
• KANKUN® CHIPOTLE SAUCE

Method:

Mix coriander, garlic, cumin, lime juice.

Add 2 tbsp of KANKUN® CHIPOTLE SAUCE and 2 tbsp of oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken. Set the chicken aside for at least 10 minutes.

Heat a grill pan, once hot, add the chicken pieces, leave to cook until brown for about 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken and let it rest .

Place pepper and onions in a bowl, drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper.

Return the grill pan to medium heat and add the vegetables in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender for about 10 minutes.

Place the chicken and vegetables in a serving dish.

Warm the tortillas in a frying pan for 1 min and wrap them in a clean dishtowel to keep warm.

To serve, place the warm tortillas on a plate and spread with KANKUN® CHIPOTLE SAUCE . Fill each tortilla with chicken and vegetables and top with guacamole, refried beans, and sour cream (optional).