Spiders and Stir-Fry

Don't worry I'm not going to suggest adding spiders to a stir-fry, although if that's you're thing, don't let me stop you. As far as I'm concerned a dead spider is a good spider!

What I did want to share is that I have been shortlisted in the Best Blogging category for the prestigious Golden Spider Awards, the so called Irish "Oscars of the internet!" There's quite a lot of controversy and skepticism surrounding them, but I'll let the techie folks worry about that and just be honoured that I am among such wonderful company as Irish "blogfather" Damien Mulley, Ireland's favourite senior citizen Grandad and the lovely Kirstie and Aphrodite of one of my favourite blogs Beaut.ie.

Now the question is should I go? I certainly don't have the €260 required to secure just one seat and even if I were to come up with it, would I want to go alone, and would I even have a chance? It would be double that for the husband to come and then he'd have to break out the cufflinks and rent a tux and then there's the fact that the awards take place on Thanksgiving and I have family and friends coming from the US for dinner. The husband pointed out that we could postpone Thanksgiving until Friday or Saturday since we aren't actually in America, but that brings me back to finances. I guess we'll have to see.

Now onto stir-fry. I realise my last few posts have been recipe free so I plan on remedying that now. This is a lovely simple stir-fry that takes minutes to whip up since you use noodles instead of rice. No excuses people!!!

For the marinade/sauce:

1/4 cup Indonesian Soy Sauce (Ketcap Manis)*

1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce **

2 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp corn starch

1/2 cup cold stock

Mix all ingredients together and reserve a third of it.

For the stir-fry:

2 cups cooked Noodles (chinese egg / soba, spaghetti, you choose)

1 large onion, sliced vertically

1 bunch asparagus, sliced into 1" pieces diagonally

1 red pepper, sliced vertically

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 pound raw meat (chicken, pork, beef, prawns*** you choose)

Add the meat and marinade and allow to rest for a few minutes, or alternatively prepare the day before and allow to marinate in fridge for optimum flavour.

Stir fry meat for a few minutes in a hot wok with some peanut oil until browned. Remove to plate.

Heat a bit more oil and add the vegetables. Stir fry a few minutes until cooked, but still crisp.

Add garlic and ginger and the cooked meat. Stir in noodles and remaining sauce. Stir fry until cooked through.

Serve immediately, garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander if desired.

Variations:

Change the vegetables, add baby bok choi, zuccini, whatever strikes your fancy.

Add some fresh chilli for some heat

Leave out the noodles and serve with rice, or add rice for a deluxe fried rice!

* If you can't find Indonesian soy sauce, use a dark soy sauce or tamari and add a tsp of sugar or honey

** Substitute plum, sweet chilli or sweet and sour sauce if you can't get hoi sin

*** If using prawns or seafood, adjust cooking time accordingly. They will only take a few minutes to cook through.

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Fun Monday!

Sorry I'm a bit late, we just drove cross country after a crazy weekend! This week Karina was hosting Fun Monday and challenged us with the following:

I want to see your security blankets. No, not the kind Linus carries around with him in the Charlie Brown cartoons, although, if you have one of those, by all means share it. What I want to see are the items you just cannot leave home without. What is it that if you leave your house without, you feel naked, incomplete, not quite right? This can be one thing or many things. And since most of us don't live in a clothing optional society, lets just assume we all leave the house fully dressed...I want to hear about those other things...the extras. The things that make women's purses so heavy and men's pockets so messy (I'm going to get grief for this one, aren't I?) What can't you leave home without? Show us pictures, tell us stories...have fun!

Well there you have it - things I very rarely leave the house, or often, the bedroom after waking up, without!

My wallet (a beautiful Ralph Lauren one, thank you Mom) which contains a lot of stuff, such as mine and the girls library cards, my store loyalty cards, my debit card, drivers license, organ donor card and not nearly enough cash!

My phone is another must. I am by no means an addict, but like it from a safety aspect or to have in case of an emergency, especially when the girls are not with me, I want to be reachable.

Diet Coke is a big vice of mine and I can usually be found with a bottle somewhere! I tend to refill a small bottle from a 2L in the fridge for travels sake!

I have to have lipstick and mascara. I am a mascara whore. I buy every new brand that comes out in attempt to find the ultimate. Currently my favourite is this Maybelline one. I also love this covergirl lipstick that lasts all day. It really annoys me though, because it says "made in Ireland" on the bottom, but you can only buy it in the states. Go figure! It really does last all day and sometimes you still have some on in the morning!

Finally - my piece de resistance - the Realness of Concealness kit by Benefit Cosmetics. This little kit is a must for every woman and I can't believe I existed without it for so long. It consists of small sizes of High Beam (a cheek high-lighter that makes you look like a movie star instantly,) there's an under eye cream called "Ooh La Lift", an incredible concealer, an eyelid cream called "Lemon Aid" that serves as a base before putting on eye shadow, or even as a replacement for eyeshadow if you don't feel like wearing it and finally a lipstick base. If I was asked to select two must have cosmetics, this kit and mascara would have to be it. Love it love it love it! Of course I love most everything Benefit does and the fact that you can get free international shipping if you spend enough and the fact that even with customs, if you get caught, it's cheaper than buying over the counter in Europe. Really cannott leave the house without this one! ;-)

Thanks for hosting Karina and next week I will be hosting. Come join in - it's fun and all you have to do is write a post next Monday! Now I'm off to untangle some cables! It's nothing but fun here I tell you!

Fun Monday Next Week - November 5

Well I have agreed to host next weeks Fun Monday, an event that allows us a little insight into each others lives.  I've so enjoyed reading about different aspects of other blogger's lives from their favourite recipe, to how they met their significant other to what's in their fridge!

With the holidays coming up I thought it would be fun to get an insight into holiday traditions in peoples homes.  I want you to share a tradition, event, recipe or quirk that you or your family does or aspires to do during the holidays, whether those holidays be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate!  Given that this is a food blog I am especially interested in recipes, but anything will do!  Pictures are a plus!  Bonus points for Thanksgiving, as I need all the help I can get with that one - as this year my American mother-in-law, brother's girlfriend and her mother are coming!!! 

Hope that's easy enough, leave any questions in the comments and let me know if you are going to participate.  Will also need a host for next week, volunteers below!

Goulash in a Flash!

I've really been trying to tighten our food budget of late and that means using a lot of ground beef. I've really been getting sick of the standard ground beef dishes and wanted to try something new.

Hungarian Goulash is traditionally made by braising various cuts of meat, but in order to have something on the table quickly, I stuck with the ground beef. This was a really tasty change and was easily complimented by buttered egg noodles. Completely unauthentic, but tasty nonetheless.

It took less than thirty minutes from start to finish and best of all, the kids adored it - always a plus!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 large sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp sweet paprika (unsmoked)

1 tbsp sugar

3-4 sprigs fresh marjoram or thyme, leaves chopped

small grating nutmeg

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 cup sour cream

Chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Brown beef in large skillet. Drain some of the fat. Add onion and saute until almost translucent. Add garlic, herbs, sugar and spices. Mix in tomatoes and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Add sour cream just before serving and allow to heat through.

Serve with buttered egg noodles and garnish with parsley.

On a personal note - Ella just got her first pet. No we didn't have to wrestle with a puppy, kitten or hamster or search for god knows what in dog supplies, we elected for two simple gold fish! And she loves them!

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Brazilian Flavours and Memories

When we first moved to America the expats tended to socialize together. This trend continued throughout my childhood especially with an international school forming the basis of our social background in Belgium. Dad played football (soccer) on a team mostly made up of expats and they were ruthless! They always won as they had a great mix of people from all over South and central America with some tough Europeans to boot. The Americans had never seen anything like it and they won season after season. One of his friends on the team was Brazilian and I quickly became friends with his daughter who was my age.

As our friendship grew I found myself being invited over for meals. I had never experienced food like this. Her Mom was a phenomenal cook. At first I was a bit nervous, the only beans I had ever had before came from a can and were red. I tended to stick with the rice. A sweet, peppery pilaf that made my mouth water. I always wondered why our rice never tasted like that and indeed annoyed my mother by constantly asking her!

Eventually my trust grew and I learned to love the black beans. A few years ago I figured out the rice. I knew there was onion and garlic involved, but something was missing. It was only on my return to Ireland that I rediscovered ground white pepper, which is often what you find on restaurant tables here. That was it! The rice is perfect now.

The beans I'm not so sure about. I read up on Feijoada, which is the national dish of Brazil and consists of black beans and various cuts of meat, but this wasn't what Sonja cooked. I think maybe she did a lighter weekday version and what I have come up with is almost as good, but not quite! But hey, at least I nailed the rice!

Be forewarned you may need separate bedrooms and a colon cleanse after eating these! ;-)

Brazilian Inspired Black Beans and Rice (serves 6-8)

For the Beans:

1 lb black beans, soaked overnight*

1lb bacon**, chopped

1/2 lb Kielbasa, chopped***

1 large onion, finely chopped

4-5 ribs celery, finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

Beef Stock

Bunch fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped, plus more to garnish

Dry fry the bacon and kielbasa in large pot. When fat begins to render add onion and celery. Cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Add spices and beans and just barely cover with stock.

Simmer for 1-2 hours until beans are tender and meat has taken on some of the black colour.

Stir in cilantro/coriander before serving and garnish finished plate with more leaves.

* - If you don't want to soak the beans overnight, rinse them in cold water and place in pot. Add about 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Allow to sit for an hour and the same effect will be achieved.

** - I mean bacon in the American sense of the word. Streaky rashers, chopped. You could also use pancetta here.

*** - Whilst common in Europe and the states, Kielbasa is a polish sausage that is just making it's way to Irish shelves, albeit in the Polish sections. It's a wonderful sausage and one I hope Irish people will learn to embrace as well! You could substitute any type of sausage although I would avoid chorizo as I think the smokiness would over power the subtle flavour of the beans

For the rice

1 white onion, very finely diced

2 cloves garlic, very finely diced

1 tbsp vegetable oil*

1 1/2 cups rice

3 cups boiling water

1/2 tsp white pepper

salt, to season

Saute the onion in the oil until just translucent. Add the garlic until fragrant then add the rice. Stir constantly and make sure each grain gets a small coating of oil.

Add the water and cover. Turn the heat all the way down and leave to stand for 15-20 minutes until rice is cooked and all water is absorbed.

Season with a good pinch of salt and white pepper and fluff with a fork. Perfection!

* - Normally for any pilaf I would use butter for the flavour, but this dish doesn't need it. As I was researching recipes it seems there is a consensus that Brazilians like their rice very white and another type of oil would interfere with this.

This bean dish would probably work well in a slow cooker/crock pot too for those of you who don't have time to baby-sit a pot. I have become increasingly fascinated with the crock pot world of cooking. I do not own one as I was of the opinion it would overcook food. Barbara hosted a crock pot festival a few weeks ago and some of the recipes looked incredible and showed me how wrong I was.

Then I stumbled across some more recipes at Moms Who Think. Recipes from dips to roasts to side dishes desserts and even boiled peanuts! I guess I had no idea how diverse this gadget could prove. There is something really comforting about being able to prepare dinner while the kids are eating breakfast and then not have to think about it all day, never mind clean up! I think I am just going to have to suck it up and get one. I saw them at Aldi yesterday, but restrained, but after looking at all these recipes I might just have to go for it. But I digress...

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Updated Irish Food Blogs

I have just updated my blogroll with some new Irish food blogs. We are now up to 36, 37, 38, 39 40, 41, 42!!! Damien, if that doesn't constitute a category in the blog awards what does? ;-)

In case you don't go checking out the blogroll often, here is the updated list. I left out descriptions this time! Enjoy!

Irish Foodie Blogs
A Random Walk Down Grub Street
Bandon Farmers' Market
Bibliocook
Bubble Brothers
Chew on That
Conor's Bandon Blog
Cork Food
Eat Drink Live
Eating Out Ireland
Eat Me Drink Me
Fairy Cake Heaven
Food and Drink Ireland
Food For Life - Kevin Th0rnton
Food Lorists
Glenisk Organic Dairy
I Can Has Wayterz
Ice Cream Ireland
iFoods Video Recipes
Italian Foodies
Letters on Lunches
Little Bird Eats
Martin Dwyer
Munster Pubs
Myfood.ie Blog
Ollie's Place
One Voice in Cyberspace
Organico
Organic Yum-Yum
Peppermint Tea
Quirky Kitchen
Rocking Grass
Stuff Yer Bake
Superyacht Chef
The Fruity Cook
The Good Mood Food Blog
The Humble Housewife
The Natural Foods Bakery
Ummera Smoked Products
Val's Kitchen
Vinca's in the Kitchen
Well Done Fillet
What the Waiter Knows
Where's the Salt?


As always, if I am missing any, or have wrong links, please let me know!

You Can't Catch Me I'm the Gingerbread Man...

Well it seems like a lifetime since my last post on Monday. Why? Well, I feel sad even admitting it. I've given up Facebook. Yes, I admit it - I am addicted. I spend hours wandering it's realms chatting with friends, reading blogs, joining silly groups, playing scrabble, being a mobster... the list is endless and very very sad. When I heard 2FM DJ and fellow Blogger Rick O'Shea was challenging people to give up social networking for a week I volunteered. I was on the show on Monday admitting my very sad addiction to the world. I thought it would be easy, but then on Monday morning I get an email saying I have a message from one of my best friends, my maid of honor, who recently moved to NYC and we had been out of touch for awhile, so I am dying to know what it said. Yesterday I find out that a friend of mine from high school's Dad died. I only communicate with him through Facebook, so now I have no way to send my condolences.

Yesterday I had to tear myself away from the computer and went into Dublin for a day out filled with shopping and sushi nibbling (review to follow.) I arranged to come home right as The Tudors was starting, so I could get my JRM fix and then headed straight to bed. I toyed with the idea of checking my email, but knew I'd just be tempted to log in. But wait... it gets worse...

I DREAMT about it! Yes, I actually dreamt I was all over the place on Facebook and then debated whether or not I should lie to Rick on the radio the next day. How sad am I? But I've been good and there's only two days left.

I am trying to avoid the temptation, so I had to immerse myself in a world of life insurance quotes and then to get away from that I had to whip up some Gingerbread men to keep me busy!

Easy Gingerbread People

Ingredients:

115g / 4oz butter, plus extra for greasing

450g / 1lb plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp baking soda

100g / 3 1/2 oz Golden Syrup

115g / 4 oz Light brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 160C/325F. Grease two large baking sheets.

Sift flower, baking soda and spices into large bowl.

Place butter, syrup and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir until melted.

Pour onto dry ingredients, add egg and mix until combined.

The dough is sticky to begin with, but firms up as it cools.

Roll the dough out to 3mm / 1/8 inch thick and using an appropriately shaped cookie cutter cut out your gingerbread people. You can re-knead and re-roll as necessary.

If you like, you can add raisins or glace cherries at this point for eyes or lips.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.

Decorate as you like. I used icing tubes.

Recipe from Home Baking by Parragon.

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Fun Monday and Fun Curry

Well it's been awhile since I participated in Fun Monday, but I figured I better get back on board!  Janet is hosting it and it's a cute topic! The topic is as follows:

Describe your meeting with your spouse/significant other. I especially want to hear "meet cute" stories. And it doesn't have to be your actual current sig/other. Perhaps the "meet cute" story is a former boy/girlfriend... or even a best friend. Illustrate with photos, of course.

Wow!  Well, I met Paul at music school.  I was there for opera and he for piano performance.  We were both transfer students and older than most of our classmates.  I had never seen him around before but when I went into lunch one day he was sitting with some of the tuba boys, who for some reason, I had ended up being friends with.  It was about two weeks into the school year.

My friends Chris, a euphonium major and Ben, a jazz major and I had tickets to a Phish concert that night in nearby Buffalo.  Phish are a band much like the Grateful Dead.  Each concert is a different experience and allowed to be recorded.  I followed them around one summer.  Fantastic.  The only problem with this particular concert was how to get there.

We were discussing this at the lunch table when this quiet dark, well dressed man makes a comment - "Phish huh? I hear those concerts can change your life!"  I looked over and took him in.  I pegged him for a composition major, as he was dressed all in black and seemed almost sombre.  We began chatting about Phish.  Turns out he was a piano major and if I'd noticed his hands before I would have figured this out.  Beautiful... still are!

Before I knew it all our problems had been solved, because this quiet stranger has offered to give us a ride to said concert. He had a car!  We agreed to meet after his afternoon class to drive to the show.

Now I was a bit of a hippy back then and most people who go to these shows are, and I guess Paul had heard this, so he showed up in a ti-dye t-shirt and Birkenstocks.  I just about died!  It was so funny and I still give him a hard time about that!  He had a slick black Nissan Altima that had been "souped up".  I still don't know all the technicalities, but the boys were impressed.  His driving however, was another thing altogether.  When we hit traffic towards the show, he just drove on the shoulder!  I was hanging on for dear life, while the guys thought this was great!

After stopping to give some hippies a jump start in the pouring rain we finally ended up at the show, just as the second set was starting.  Ben didn't have a ticket and didn't want to fork over the cash when the show was almost over, so I gave Paul my ticket and agreed to stay with Ben. Paul and Chris went into the show while Ben and I went around Shakedown Street.  We got some Jerry rolls, gooballs and uh... other... uh stuff... and had fun.

We met up with Chris and Paul after the show and Ben proceeded to throw up on Paul's car.  Classy.  It was another terrifying ride home, but we made it.  His driving record has always been a topic of um... interest, despite having the best radar detector.

So began our friendship.  A few weeks later a group of us went to Niagara Falls and that evening the friendship progressed.  Niagara Falls has always been a special place as a few months later we ended up there for a day that would change my life. 

Paul and I decided to go out to Hamlin Beach, a nice State Park on Lake Ontario.  I knew something was up with him, but wasn't sure what.  We got out there and it was FREEZING.  I refused to get out of the car!  As we left he took the wrong turn, heading to Niagara Falls instead of Rochester.  Next thing I knew I was lying my way into Canada.  I needed my passport as I wasn't American, but I pretended I was and got in.  Same on the way back.

We parked illegally right by the falls.  It was December and the whole place turns into a crystal palace from the spray that covers everything and turns to ice.  As we stood in the freezing spray overlooking the falls, Paul proposed.

Just under two years later we were married and we celebrated our fifth anniversary this past June.  He is my world!

So there you have it! Now for a recipe! One of the first things I cooked for Paul was a curry, as like many Americans, he thought he didn't like it, I proved him wrong!  If this is your first time making curry, this is a lovely mild fruity version and perfect for a beginner!  It will take you about twenty minutes to whip up this meal.  Start the rice, then make the curry.  Serve with sliced fresh or dried banana, mango chutney, raita or yoghurt if desired.

Malibu Curry with Pilau Rice

For the Rice:

Ghee / Clarified Butter

1 onion, diced

1 cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods, crushed

2 star anise 

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 cups basmati rice, rinsed

3 cups chicken stock 

1/2 cup sultanas/golden raisins

1/4 cup toasted flaked almonds

 

Saute the onion and spices in the ghee.  When translucent, add rice and cook for a few minutes.  Add the stock and sultanas. Lower heat all the way down and cover.  Leave for twenty minutes and check.  Cook further if needed, then fluff with fork. Garnish with almonds.

 

For the curry:

Olive oil

1 lb Meat of your choice, lamb, beef, chicken, prawns

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 apple, roughly chopped

1 small can coconut milk

3 tbsp medium curry powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbs ground almonds

1 shot Malibu (coconut/pineapple flavoured rum)

Fresh Cilantro/Coriander to garnish

Saute the meat in the olive oil until browned all over.  Add onion and apple.  When onion is translucent add the rest of the ingredients.  Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the meat is cooked through.  Taste and season accordingly.  You might wish to add some sweetness in a tablespoon of honey, or a heaping spoon of mango chutney. 

Serve with the rice and garnish with cilantro. 

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An Apple A Day...

Everyone loves apples right? You would think, but my one year old will not touch them! I try and get them into her by cooking them, which usually works. Although not as good as the raw fruit, at least she's getting something! These cute little popovers were one such attempt to get some apple into her and amazingly it worked! These are basically Yorkshire puddings with a sweeter note! They puff up nicely in the oven and are a slightly different breakfast, brunch or even dessert treat.

Apple Popovers

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted and divided

1 large Granny Smith apple, diced

Preheat oven to 240C/450F

Divide first half of butter into a muffin pan. 1 tsp per cup should suffice. Add some chopped apple to each cup and bake for about five minutes.

Mix all ingredients together and whisk well to form a smooth batter.

Remove muffin tin from the oven and pour batter into each cup. They should be about half full.

Return to oven and bake for fifteen minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 180C/350F and bake for an additional fifteen minutes or until puffed and golden. Try not to open the oven as they might deflate.

Apple "Donuts"

In yet another attempt to fake Ciara out and get some apples into her, I tried this cute trick from the MotherClick cookbook (which I am published in!!) It's not really a recipe, but it is a fun idea and yummy too!

Slice an apple horizontally into three equal sized sections. Remove core and peel each section.

Spread each section with peanut butter and add some sprinkles! Voila! And apple donut!

Did it work? Not at all, but Ella and her Dad enjoyed them thoroughly! Dad even requested one the other night when the kids were in bed! Hmmm.... If anyone has any tips on getting kids to eat fresh fruit, please send them my way! I've tried everything, even getting her stuffed animals to eat them doesn't help. She won't eat berries or anything. *SIGH*

On another note - I took Ella to see her first movie yesterday. We saw the foodie delight, Ratatouille! It was superb and she did really well! Highly recommended for all you food lovers! I'll be posting a review of the movie and the cafe that followed soon!

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Tex-Mex Fiesta

Well I had hoped to be doing more posting, but my poor husband has been working crazy hours and I just haven't had as much time as I would like! I had this post all prepared earlier this week but my computer crashed before I could save it. Hence the delay!

When I first moved to the states in the late eighties my sombre Irish palate had never experienced the confetti of Tex-Mex flavours. In fact I'd never even had broccoli! During our first stint in Michigan, we learned to enjoy Tex-Mex just as we left for Belgium, but during my university days, I made up for that entirely!

Tex-Mex cooking is not Spanish or Mexican, it's really American. It's origin dates back to the building of great railroads where workers attempted to imitate the flavours they found in Mexico. Most American families would enjoy homemade Tex-Mex style food at least once a month. We regularly have enchiladas or chilli, both popular with the kids.

Here in Ireland Tex-Mex cooking has just recently flourished, albeit in the form of pre-packaged sauces and mixes. Some of the concepts marketed here are pretty strange as well, such as the insanely awful jarred (room temp) sour cream. Ugh! My husband gets annoyed that rice is generally served with chilli, but I kind of like that. I know - I'm a heathen!

Although I've always made my own enchiladas, fajitas and chilli, I will admit to having used the Old El Paso taco mix, but no more! Barbara inspired me by sharing her homemade taco recipe and I've come up with my own fiesta table!

I've always made my own salsa (pico de gallo) and guacamole, a very authentic recipe, given to me by a Mexican co-worker. Although we disagreed on texture - he liked his salsa very fine, I like mine chunky - everyone agrees the taste is superior! You'll never want store bought salsa again. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, but can get watery. The guacamole won't keep as well, as the avocados will colour as they age. Other sides essential for good tacos are diced tomatoes, diced red onion, sour cream, grated cheese, diced chilies and sliced romaine or cos lettuce.

As far as tortillas go the options are endless. Tradtionally corn tortillas would be more authentic, but many people, myself included prefer flour tortillas. I like corn tortillas in baked dishes like burritos or enchiladas, but for wrap your own tacos, it's flour all the way! Corn tortillas are pretty much required for hard shell tacos though. To make your own hard shell tacos, brush the corn tortillas with oil and drape over the racks in your oven. Bake at a high heat for about 15 minutes then remove, trying to keep the shape. They will crisp up as they dry out.

Cornbread is another Tex-Mex staple and something I adore! I add corn kernels to mine as I love the way the texture of the gritty corn meal compliments the silkiness of the corn. I have tried many many recipes and this egg-free version is my favourite. It's dense, but moist and can be as sweet or savoury as you like, depending on your additions. Leave out the sugar and throw in some cheese or chopped jalapeno peppers for a delicious savoury version.

Spanish rice, like Tex-Mex food is neither Spanish nor Mexican, but it's a side I love with Tex-Mex food. I like to use a risotto rice like arborio or carnaroli, but if you want to be at least a little authentic the Spanish Bomba rice is perfect! The nuttiness in this recipe comes from actually browning the rice before you add the cooking liquid.

So get your aprons on and let's go!

Pico De Gallo (Salsa)

• 6 vine ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 green jalapeño pepper, finely diced*
• 1 lime
• 1 large bunch coriander/cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together apart from the lime. Add a little lime zest to the mixture. Squeeze lime over salsa and mix. Season to taste.

* Depending on how much heat you like, you can either leave the seeds in for a hotter salsa, or remove them and the ribs for a milder version

Guacamole

• 1 clove garlic
• 2 avocados, peeled, stoned and diced
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo
• 1 lime
• salt and pepper

Crush the garlic and grind with salt. It should form a nice paste. Zest some lime over the avocados and squeeze the juice, making sure to get it evenly coated to avoid discolouring. Add the pico de gallo and season to taste.

I often add some more cilantro at this point too!

Crunchy Cornbread

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup cornmeal / polenta
• 1 cup plain flour
• 3-4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 can sweet corn

Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F.

Mix all ingredients together and pour into baking dish. It will be very runny, but will quickly solidify in the oven. Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Traditionally this would be made in a cast iron skillet. If you have one available I highly recommend using it. Put the oil in the skillet instead of in the batter and let it heat up in the oven whilst you prep the ingredients. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and savour the sizzle! Bake as above.

Spanish Rice

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 2 cups risotto rice
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken/vegetable stock
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt

Saute onions in butter over medium heat until opaque. Add garlic and rice. Turn up the heat and actually brown the rice.

Add tomato paste and cumin.

Add stock and turn heat to lowest setting. Cover pot tightly and leave for 20-25 minutes. Do not remove lid until at least 20 minutes are up.

Fluff rice with fork and season accordingly.

Chicken Tacos

• Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken, chopped*
• 2 cups tomato sauce/passata
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt and Pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add chicken and saute until just cooked through. Add rest of ingredients and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Season accordingly.

Serve in a large bowl with any of the following accompaniments: shredded lettuce (or cabbage, per Barbara's recommendation,) shredded cheese, diced red onion, diced jalapenos, sour cream, salsa, guacamole and of course tortillas and the rice and cornbread!

* Use a mix of dark and white meat for more flavour. I also like to sprinkle with adobo seasoning before sauteing to add a bit more flavour.

Well I hope you enjoyed my fiesta guide! I know we did! Kids wouldn't eat the vegetables of course, but the whole roll your own concept is always a hit!

I'm Ba-ack!

Well, after an entirely miserable three weeks of no internet with the two weeks before that having very unreliable access, I am back online. I have well over 5000 posts to read in my reader, and too many emails to count. Please bare with me as I catch up with everything! We still have no land line - hopefully next week! The cell phone signal is awful out here and I can't seem to find a cell phone booster that will work!

So without further ado, I'll jump straight in with a new recipe! This is a really simple supper dish that works well for dinner parties or dates! The kids enjoy it too. It's got minimal preparation and you just let the oven do most of the work. Goes well with any kind of mashed or dauphinois potatoes and steamed and buttered green vegetables like mage tout, broccoli or asparagus.

Bacon and Thyme Creamed Chicken (serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 trimmed chicken breasts

1 pkg chestnut/cremini mushrooms

2-3 shallots, finely diced

200g bacon lardons

8 fl. oz / 1 cup heavy cream

6-7 sprigs fresh thyme (extra to garnish)

handful grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

In a heavy saucepan, heat some olive oil. Season and brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Remove to a plate.

Wash, then slice the mushrooms to your desired thickness.

In the same pan you browned the chicken in add the bacon. Saute until the fat begins to render. Add the shallots and saute until just soft.

Add in the mushrooms and cook until just underdone.

Remove the leaves from half of the thyme and chop finely. Add to mushroom mixture.

Place chicken in oven proof dish. Spoon mushroom mixture on top of the chicken breasts, dividing evenly. Don't worry if some falls off.

Pour the cream around the chicken breasts and add the remaining thyme sprigs into the cream.

Sprinkle the parmesan on top of the chicken. Cover with foil.

Bake for twenty minutes, then remove foil. Bake a further 5-10 minutes until parmesan has browned, sauce is slightly reduced and chicken is fully cooked.

Garnish with more thyme sprigs.

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