Bookie's Mexican Recipe Challenge

[Verry Raspberry]

Anyone interested can join in too :grin:

Can you get hold on dried chillies? If so, this recipe is dead simple! You can make it with pork or beef, ready, set, go! :gun:

Adobo
1 chile ancho
a small piece of cinammon
a pinch of ground cumin
a pinch of ground clover
1 or 2 garlic cloves
1/2 half of a medium sized onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 tea spoon of vinager
200g of meat, cut in small pieces

First you have to slightly toast the chilli, you can do this by putting it directly on your stove dishes (if your stove is electrical) on the burners (if you have gas), just be aware that you might get some spicy smoke coming out, so open your windows! Also, avoid burning it, as it will make the dish bitter.

Then, boil the chilli, cinammon, onion and garlic in enough water to cover them. Boil them until the chilli is soft, then turn the fire off, take the chilli out and remove the seeds (open it if you need to).

Now, to the fun part, in a blender or food procesor, whizz up all the ingredients except for the meat (you can add some of the water in which you cooked everything).

Put some oil on a pot and slightly fry the meat in it for a couple of minutes, then add the sauce, and let it cook. If you need, add some more water, and check the salt.

You can serve it with refried beans, rice and/or a green salad.

If you have any questions, just ask! :grin:

Let me know how you like it!

[book_lover]

Oooooooooooh - I am in the process of cooking refried beans AS WE SPEAK! (but with black beans rather than kidney - is that a bit norty?). We are having chimichangas tonight (on DH's request), but I'm making twice as much refried beans for another meal - looks like this is it! It looks lovely (and spicy - yum!)

Btw, how long do you cook the meat in the sauce for?

xxx

[Verry Raspberry]

Well, in Mexico we use all kinds of beans, although, black ones are preferred in the southeast, whereas pinto or other kinds are preferred in the center/north. Personally, I avoid black ones as much as I can, but that's only my personal taste :tongue: :wink:

I normally let the meat cook 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the meat.

Hope you enjoy it! :smile:

[book_lover]

Really looking forward to it Raspberry! xxx

[book_lover]

Raspberry - I am having a thought - seems silly to have Mexican twice in one week, can we have this dish with refried beans, salsa, guacamole and tortillas? (just saying this because we had rice last night...). I guess that would turn it into a fajita - is this blasphemous or would it actually be quite nice (even if unauthentic)? I'm really hankering after having this tonight, you see!

xxx

[Verry Raspberry]

Of course you can have it whith wathever you like! Actually I think your suggestion sounds quite nice too, and it's not blasphemous at all! (although I don't see how changing the side dishes it would turn it into a fajita?)

[Miss P]

We are having chimichangas tonight (on DH's request),

Yumm, I always have these when we eat out Mexican. Don't suppose you have a recipe (or very simple instructions for someone who doesn't really cook :oops:)

[book_lover]

Raspberry, I was planning to stuff it into the tortilla - does that still make it a side dish (the tortilla that is!). Will report back after tonight!

Miss P, I was going to do a healthy version - roll them up then spray them with spray oil and bake in a very hot oven - they would go QUITE crispy, but wouldn't be as nice as if they'd been deep fried I bet!

I don't have a recipe as such but I was going to stuff them with refried beans and peppers, onions, courgettes etc. fried in olive oil, garlic, chilli and cumin/corriander. Probably not authentic but tasty!

xxx

ETA then sprinkle the top with slices of red onion, crumbly white tangy cheese (such as lancashire), avocado and half fat creme fraiche! Oooh and pickled chillies!

[Verry Raspberry]

Hi Miss P! :hi:

As odd as it might sound, I have no idea what a chimichanga is :ohno:, because is TexMex, so more of an American sort of thing. I have often seen it listed in Mexican restaurants in different parts of Europe, and wondered what it was :puzzled:

So I looked it up in t'internet and found out it's a deep-fried burrito (never thought of deep frying a burrito before! :tongue: ), but here's a recipe I found:

Chimichanga Recipe

6 (12- to 14-inch) flour tortillas
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup red chile sauce or enchilada sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 cups chopped green onions
Chopped tomatoes (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
Sliced black olives (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Warp stacked tortillas in aluminum foil, and heat in oven 15 minutes or until hot. To microwave, wrap a stack of tortillas lightly in paper towels and warm on high for 6 or 7 seconds per tortilla.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown beef; drain, leaving beef in the pan. Add onion, chile or enchilada sauce, salt, and pepper; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until onions are transparent.

In the center of each warm tortilla, spoon 1/6 of meat filling. Fold tortilla, tucking in the ends to make a secure fat tube, and fasten with wooden toothpicks. NOTE: Assemble only 2 or 3 at a time, as the tortilla will absorb liquid from the sauce.

In a large pot or deep fryer over medium heat, add at least 4 inches of vegetable oil. Heat oil to 375 to 400 degrees F. Fry the chimichangas, 1 or 2 at a time, 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil, drain and place on serving plates. Top with Cheddar cheese, lettuce, green onions, and any optional ingredients that you prefer.

Makes 6 chimichangas.

[Verry Raspberry]

Raspberry, I was planning to stuff it into the tortilla - does that still make it a side dish (the tortilla that is!). Will report back after tonight!

No, even in a tortilla it still retains it's "adobo" essence! :tongue: And actually no self-respected Mexican would eat any Mexican dish without tortillas anyway! :wink:

[Miss P]

BL and VR, thank you both so much - sound really scrummy and even possibly something I could do!

Didn't realise they were deep-fried though :oops:, probably why I like them so much!

[book_lover]

Well we had this last night and it is berluddy FABULOUS! It's like a Mexican version of a curry, the way you make a spice paste with spices and cooked onion..... gorgeous! Only thing is though, am glad we had refried beans too, as this went between two and if it had been the only part of the main meal I would have wanted about twice as much :oops: this probably just says I am a greedy piglet though :oops:

xxx

[book_lover]

Oooh and I forgot to say, Laura and I had mexican eggs and refried beans for lunch yesterday as we had just made the tortillas, and we've just had refried beans, cheese, salsa and tortillas for brekkie. Devine! (but I'll be getting so fat :oops:)

Btw Raspberry, do you recommend those tortilla presses, or do you think it's better just using a rolling pin? Are those presses JUST for corn tortillas or for any kind?

xxx

[Verry Raspberry]

Sorry! I've been burried with work lately!

Glad you liked it! :ellie: I have plenty of recipes from where that one came form, so if you feel like it, I can keep on challenging you :wink:

Regarding the tortilla press, they are not vital, and yes, there's no problem in making them with a rolling pin, I just think the press is faster! :tongue: Of course it takes a little bit of time to get used to it, also you can make other stuff with it, like quesadillas, sopes and tlacoyos, so for a Mexican, it's a great investment! :wink:

[book_lover]

or for someone who can't get enough of Mexican food!

go on then, keep the challenges coming! (although we're planning no more meals until we get back from hols, about 16th of July. Of course we will be cooking, but may have to let DH have some say, for once :lol:)

xxx