Moreish Mexican Magic Medicine

I eat healthily these days, I suppose it’s a state of mind, but I do enjoy re-visiting my student comfort meals and giving them a healthy re-invention. In the days before I started cooking, perhaps my first few years of university, I was partial to the odd burrito. Before then, I’d tried my fair share of veggie chili, but never anything more adventurous than that, perhaps because then soya mince seemed like a bit of a cardboard cop-out. Rather lazily my first port of call was a certain O.E.P, burrito kit. Easy… cook the mince, add the spice and sauce, cheese, pre packed salad and you’re good to go. Still I was left wondering why I felt like I had a food-hangover the next day.

Needless to say, now a little more worldly, my health is not something I’m taking for granted and I’m keen to make meals that are full of colour and taste, but to source this from more natural and balanced ingredients. So here we have my accidentally healthy Mexican Magic Medicine. OK so there’s no real magic here but it is full of natural medicines – vitamins, ginger, garlic, spices… which do seem to magically make me feel good.

The first step was the burrito filling – I used pork mince (lean) here. A personal preference – I find beef a little heavier and pork more flavoursome. I cooked the meat in a frying pan until browned and crisp (more meaty flavours in the sauce this way). Then I added my spices – ground cinnamon, cumin, pepper, salt, and borrowing from other traditions a bit of smoked paprika. I cooked the crisp mince a little longer with these, then adding some fiery grated garlic and ginger (adding the garlic later on so as not to burn it as it turns bitter). Next I threw in a roughly chopped red onion and half a finely chopped sweet pepper. This was followed by a good squeeze of tomato purée, a cup of mixed tinned salsa beans (any tinned beans will do, even baked if you’re desperate) and a dash of Worcestershire Sauce and the remaining Tawny Port I had left (Worcestershire Sauce brings out the meatiness due to the anchovy content).

After cooking a little longer, in sploshed a tin of chopped tomatoes, a bouquet of coriander roughly torn, a crumbled chicken stock cube, a desert spoon of hot chocolate (yes I used instant hot chocolate powder) and a spoonful of instant coffee (decaf – the decaf is irrelevant – I just don’t consume caffeine). This was left to simmer as I blackened a sweet pepper and a few corn on the cobs, before grating a fine covering of cheese and finishing in the oven.

Shortly after this I steamed the rice that I’d forgotten about. I decided on an everyday rice – a nice fluffy long grain, as opposed to a Basmati. It has a softer more fragrant taste. I steamed 1 cup rice, to cups water, a pinch of salt and some honey for about 9 mins (covered) in the microwave. When finished I added some torn coriander. Keeping things simple here as there were quite a few flavour combinations going on elsewhere.

Whilst the rice steamed away happily, I made a quick salad of torn lettuce, sweet pepper, red spring onion and yellow and red baby plum tomatoes – dressed with olive oil and cider vinegar. Also accompanying the dishes was a freshly whizzed up guacamole (two ripe avocados (do remove the massive stone), half the juice of a lemon and a pinch of paprika and salt (served in the avocado shell).

The burritos were served with warmed wholemeal wraps, grated vintage cheddar, low fat crème fraîche (healthier than soured cream) and red jalapeños. How and in what manner a burrito is wrapped is not something I can advise on – fold it roll it, deconstruct it – if it tastes good its worked!

Note: This can be made entirely vegetarian, by substituting the mince for soya mince (pre soaked in stock and veggie Worcester Sauce), or Quorn mince or similar and the Chicken stock for Vegetable stock or Mushroon stock for a meatier taste.

A slice of things to come.

Today I was lucky enough to have the company of my lovely Polish friend Ms B. Conversation flowed as did some deep and fruity reserve Port. Today I was at the helm of the already hot oven, trying my hands at a little bit of Italy.

First to meet the mixing bowl was a simple but well-tested pizza dough – water, rapeseed oil, salt, yeast (fast action), flour (plain). After a good mix and a gentle knead (no need to rest), the dough was divided and rolled into two roughly shaped circles, then placed on lightly oiled trays.  I’m very much enjoying rapeseed oil at the moment as it cooks well and crisps crusts satisfyingly.

Whilst the bases took a moment’s pause, the tomato sauce simmered over the blue flame. To chopped (tinned) tomatoes (nothing too fancy – just the standard shop own brand), I squeezed a generous amount of tomato ketchup, a splash of red wine (left over from Mr Chesterfield’s visit), a smidgen of tomato puree, salt, pepper and roughly torn basil. Once the sauce was a tempting rich red, it was spread in smooth circular motions over the entire base of each longing pizza.

Mozzarella was torn over the sauce, gently hitting the surface, Garlic Roulé was softly broken and strong Welsh Cheddar, grated until the fluffy ribbons finished the dressing of cheese. Juicy Picholine Olives were generously distributed as was final drizzle of olive oil and sliced, plump, vine tomatoes. The Pizzas were welcomed into the searing oven to crisp and the cheese allowed to bubble and smile to a glowing gold.

A salad of fresh rocket and baby spinach was spun with honey, balsamic vinegar and lemon. Another was casually arranged of torn Mozzarella, basil, vine tomatoes, olives, olive oil and black pepper.

Accompanying this I blended, briskly, a fresh, bright pesto of basil, ground cashews, olive oil and a pinch of salt and a light lemon mayonnaise.

I love playing with different pizza combinations, anchovies are a favourite of mine, spinach makes for a nice bit of green and blue cheese mixed with natural yoghurt adds a tantalising tang.