Wednesday 26 June 2013

Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos

Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food


Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos

The secret of a good chilli is in the method, one important part of the method is SLOW COOKING.

So the ingredients for the filling that goes into these burritos can be altered to your own personal taste, but if you want to maintain that gorgeous rich spicy taste don’t change the method.

Ingredients;

For 2 large burritos you will need

2 – Tortillas
Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food1 – Large Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves – Garlic (crushed & chopped)
1 – Red Chilli (deseeded & chopped)
1 – Thumb sized piece of Ginger (crushed & chopped)
2 – Beef Sock Cubes
100 Gm – Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon – Paprika
½ teaspoon – Cumin
1 teaspoon – Chilli Powder
½ teaspoon Dried Coriander
2 teaspoon – Tomato Ketchup
1 small square – Chocolate (grated)
800 Gm – Good Quality Minced Beef
250 Ml – Red Wine
A little olive oil
Salt to taste

Method;

Put the minced beef in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil to get rid of any excess fat.
Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food

After it has boiled drain it off and smash the mince up with a wooden spoon to get rid of any lumps.
Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food

Add the red wine to the minced beef, stir and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.

Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food

After 30 minutes heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the onion, red chilli, garlic and ginger.
Cook on a medium heat until sweated down and the onion becomes transparent. 
Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food

Then add the paprika, cumin, chilli powder and coriander then cook for a further 2 or3 minutes while stirring.
Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food

Then add the minced beef, tomato ketchup, tomato paste and chocolate, crumble in the stock cubes, stir well and leave on a low heat for 45 minutes stirring and tasting occasionally add salt to taste.
Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food

Make a cone with a tortilla and fill it with the gorgeous mixture.
Mexican Chilli Beef Burritos ~ Simple Food


This could also be the base for a quality chilli con carne, just add a can of tomatoes and a can of red kidney beans at the end and simmer for a further 15 minutes.


Why not leave me a comment and tell me what you think



Friday 21 June 2013

Homemade Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce


Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce


Homemade Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce

A beautifully sweet but lightly spiced barbecue sauce, coat your barbeque meat with it before it goes on the barbecue or just serve on the side as a dip.

This is so easy to make.

You will need;
Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce 
1 – Onion (chopped)
1 – Medium Sized Eating Apple (chopped)
2 Cloves – Garlic (crushed)
400 Gm Can – Chopped Tomatoes
25 ml – Jack Daniels
1 Tablespoon – Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons – White Wine Vinegar
25 ml – Honey
1 Tablespoon – Mustard
½ Teaspoon – Mild Chilli Powder
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
A little Olive Oil

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the onion, apple and garlic for about 5 minutes on a medium heat.

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce

Add the rest of the ingredients except for the salt and pepper, bring to the boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce

Taste and season to your liking, allow to cool a little then liquidise.

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce


Now force it through a sieve and stir well and your there.
Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce to die for. If you are serving as a dip, allow to cool in the fridge for a while.

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce




Tuesday 18 June 2013

Pasta with Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce

Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce


Pasta with Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce

This is a very tasty pasta dish; the parsley sauce is full of the flavours of the smoked river cobbler.
I’ve used pasta shells for this dish, but it goes well with any sort of pasta.
This is based on 2 people but you know the drill, just halve the ingredients and times the answer by the amount of people you are cooking for.                                                                                                                                                       
For 2 people you will need;

150 gm – Pasta

For the Sauce;
Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce


2 Fillets – Smoked River Cobbler
1 – Onion
¾ pint – Milk
1 – Bouquet Garnet (bay leaf, thyme and parsley stalks)
20gm – Butter
2 dessert spoons – Plain Flour
2 tablespoons – Chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Put the fish, chopped onion, milk and bouquet garnet in a pan and bring to the boil,
cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce

After 10 minutes simmering, discard the bouquet garnet, strain off the milk and reserve it for the sauce.

Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce

Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce







Put the butter, milk and flour in a pan and bring to the boil, whisk it until it is smooth and put back the fish and onion.
Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and stir into the sauce with the chopped parsley.

Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve.


Delicious
Smoked River Cobbler and Parsley Sauce


Wednesday 12 June 2013

Sausage and Tomato Casserole with Fresh Basil


Sausage and Tomato Casserole ~ Simple Food

Sausage and Tomato Casserole with Fresh Basil

As I hadn't had sausages for a long time, so while I was in my local supermarket I decided to get some for the next morning’s breakfast.
I bought a fairly large pack and had two for breakfast the next morning, what to do with the rest?
Make something simple, tasty and comforting, Sausage Casserole!!.
Yes I know its summer but here in the UK at the moment it’s not much like it.

So to make this great tasty meal for 4 you will need;

8 - Pork sausages
3 – Large carrots
8 – Medium sized potatoes
1 – Medium sized onion
150 ml – Red wine
Sausage and Tomato Casserole ~ Simple Food
1 can – Chopped tomatoes
1 – Beef stock cube
200 ml – Water
Mixed herbs
1 dsp – Corn flour (made into a paste with a little water)
Fresh basil
A little Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to season

Method;

Gently fry the sausages in a little olive oil until browned all over,

Sausage and Tomato Casserole ~ Simple Food
Roughly chop the carrots and onions, and quarter the potatoes
and then put sausages,carrots, potatoes and onion in a casserole dish.

Sausage and Tomato Casserole ~ Simple Food

Pour over the red wine, tomatoes and water and then sprinkle over the mixed herbs, stock cube, salt and pepper; lastly tear some fresh basil leaves over.

Sausage and Tomato Casserole ~ Simple Food


Place in a pre-heated oven at 180 C.

After 40 minutes take it out of the oven and stir in the corn flour paste. At this point it’s a good idea to taste the liquid to see if you need to add more seasoning.

Sausage and Tomato Casserole ~ Simple Food



Now place back in the oven for a further 40 minutes and you’re done.


Sausage and Tomato Casserole ~ Simple Food


If you like comfort food why not try







Sunday 9 June 2013

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food


Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa

This is a wonderfully rich tomato flavoured salsa with a kick, great to put on your taco’s or use as a dip at your barbeque.

Some salsas just involve chopping the ingredients and mixing them together with no cooking involved, but to achieve the richness and flavour of Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa it has to be cooked in.

This recipe is for about a cereal size bowl full, but if you have a few people coming over to your BBQ just up the quantities.

Although it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and cook, it takes about an hour to cool so allow yourself time.

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food

You will need;

100gm – Tomato Paste
2 – Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1 – Red Chilli (deseeded)
½ - Onion
½ tea spoon – Chilli Powder
1 tea spoon – Dried Coriander
1 tea spoon – Tomato Ketchup
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
A little Olive Oil
75 ml Red Wine
I Lime
200 gm – Cherry Tomatoes

Method;

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food
Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple FoodFinley chop the onion, deseed and finely chop the chilli and crush the garlic in a garlic press.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan on a medium heat and put the onion, chilli and garlic in, fry for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes transparent.





Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food



Now add the chilli powder, coriander and black pepper and mix well 

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food



then add the tomato paste, ketchup and red wine stir well and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes to let the red wine cook out then leave to cool for about an hour.

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food

When the mixture is cool finely chop the tomatoes and add them to it along with the juice of the lime.

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food


Serve immediately or store in the fridge.

Mexican Rich & Spicy Salsa ~ Simple Food


You may also like to try Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce





Wednesday 5 June 2013

Smoked River Cobbler Salad with Crunchy Beansprouts and Watermelon

Smoked River Cobbler Salad with Crunchy Beansprouts and Watermelon

Smoked River Cobbler Salad ~ Simple Food


Anyone who reads my blogs on a regular basis will know that I am very passionate about River Cobbler; I love it, especially smoked.

This is the first time that I have ever created a meal with COLD smoked river cobbler, and it was great; what a lovely summer lunch.

I found that the watermelon really complimented the smoked river cobbler along with the crunchy beansprouts and Chinese leaf, and of course Cherry tomatoes are a bit of a must for any salad.

As you have probably guessed there is not much cooking or method for this meal, here’s what I used.

For 2 people

2 fillets – Smoked River Cobbler
150Gm - Beansprouts
6 - Chinese Leaves
8 - Cherry Tomatoes
2 slices – Watermelon

Pan fry the river cobbler in a little olive oil, about 6 or 7 minutes each side depending on the size.
Leave to cool for about an hour.

Smoked River Cobbler ~ Simple Food


Arrange the salad on a plate, break up the river cobbler and place on top.

Smoked River Cobbler ~ Simple Food


There you have it; a wonderful light summer lunch

Smoked River Cobbler Salad ~ Simple Food


You can add any dressing you like, but I recommend balsamic.