Mini Enchiladas

These little morsels are a game changer: fast, delicious, versatile and a total hit with adults and kids alike! Even better - they're easy enough to get the kids into the kitchen. 

If you've been thinking about encouraging your children's life skills and growing their confidence in the kitchen then this dish is a great place to start. Equally, if you have a hoard of kids over after training or for a kids party, you can whip these up no trouble. 

It's all food you can keep in stock in the pantry too, even the chicken - either use leftovers or pick up one of these Tegel Shredded Roast Chicken packets which lasts in the fridge for a few weeks.


Ingredients: (serves 4-6 people - or 12 as a snack)

• 12 small to medium sized tortillas (20-25cm diameter is a good size) 
• 2 cups (approx 300g) cooked shredded chicken
• Or 1 can kidney beans for vegetarian
• 1 can corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• ½ onion, finely diced
• 1 400g can Wattie's Mexican Tomatoes 
• 1 x 35g packet Farrah's Taco Spice Mix
• 2 cups grated cheese

To Serve: 

• 125 ml tub sour cream
• Sweet chilli sauce 
• Green Salad

Method:

Heat the oven to 180°C. Spray a regular-sized muffin tray (not texas muffins) with cooking oil.

Heat tortillas as directed on package (usually 30 seconds in the microwave does the trick). Press 1 tortilla into each muffin cup. Bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together chicken (or beans), onion, corn and half of the cheese. Stir in tomato and taco seasoning. Divide the mixture into the cooked tortilla shells. Top with the remaining grated cheese.

Bake 14 - 17 minutes or until enchiladas are toasted and mixture is heated through. Top each with a spoonful of sour cream, dollop of sweet chilli sauce, and serve warm with salad on the side. 

Baby's Mexican Chicken with Mango and Black Beans

Adult’s bowl ~ Adapted from Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa

As promised this is part of my series of recipes for babies. The main idea of this series of recipes are foods which are baby friendly, which can be prepared alongside the family meal. This makes preparing it easy, and it’s a two birds with one stone kind of approach. This recipe was inspired by an old recipe of mine Chicken Burrito bowls with Mango Salsa.

If you’re making this as I did with the adults meal alongside baby’s then the first ingredient list is the total ingredients you need. The second list is the parts which go into baby’s pot. So if you only want to make this for baby, just look at the second list. However, if you’re going to be making some for baby, you may as well make yourself some dinner while you’re at it! I always do four adult servings. This means that there is leftovers for lunch the next day too!

Total ingredients (serves 4 adults and 6-10 serves for baby):

• 600 grams chicken
• 1 tin of black beans
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• juice of lemon
• salad greens, avocado sour cream and cooked brown rice to serve

In a small 1L capacity pot place the following ingredients (from the list above, not in addition to) cover and simmer for 40 minutes till very soft. Keep an eye on it during cooking and add more water if necessary.

Baby's Portion

• 100 grams of diced chicken
• 1/2 a cup of black beans
• 1/2 a cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 a cup of diced mango
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• enough water to cover
• optional: 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice added to baby's pot at the end of cooking

Meanwhile prepare the adult meal. Chop the chicken into 2 cm cubes and marinate in a bowl with sliced onion, oil, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper for 20 minutes.

While this is marinating put the rice on the stove (I find 1 1/2 cups of uncooked brown rice, with 3 cups of water is sufficient for four adults, but cook as much as your appetite needs).

Prepare the mango salsa with the remaining mango, finely dice and stir through chilli flakes and lemon juice. Set aside till serving.

Finally heat a frying pan and cook the marinated chicken and onion for 5 - 10 mins on a medium-high heat, turning frequently. Add the remaining tomato and black beans, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for another 5 minutes till the chicken is cooked through.

Divide cooked brown rice into bowls and top with chicken, mango salsa, sliced avocado, sour cream and salad greens.

To complete baby's meal, cool and pulse in a food processor or blender until you reach the desired consistency. If it is too runny, you can add in the 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice, I keep enough in the fridge for the next two days, then freeze the rest into ice trays (or you can get these Closer to Nature Freezer Pots), which when frozen I store in a dated and labelled zip lock bag. I find 4-6 cubes is enough to satisfy Master 7 months, but each baby is different.  

  

Breakfast Burritos

Burrito's are awesome. So much goodness crammed into a light tortilla casing and best of all, you can eat it with your hands. Bacon and eggs are also awesome, though a little harder to eat with your hands. You could try, but let's face it, it would be messy. Well the breakfast burrito is the perfect solution to this problem. It's your favourite fry up foods, with Mexican flair and some salad and salsa for good measure. Plus it makes it healthy right? Yes! This has just become a health food. Just... maybe don't eat it every day. 


Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 flour tortillas
• 1/4 red onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1/2 small green capsicum
• 4 cm of cucumber 
• juice of half a lime 
• 4 rashers of middle eye bacon - the not too fatty kind, it makes it easier to bite through inside the wrap, oh and healthier.  
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk 
• salt and pepper 
• 1 cup of leftover cooked white rice 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce (optional) 

• 1 can of baked beans (or chilli beans) 
• 4 slices of cheddar cheese (or 1/2 cup grated cheese)  
• 2 cups of salad greens 
• optional: jalapenos, sriracha sauce, and sour cream to serve

Salsa

Finely dice the onion, tomato, capsicum and cucumber and mix together in a bowl. Add lime juice and season with a little salt. Stir and set aside. 

Bacon 

Heat a tbsp of oil in a heavy based fry pan and on a low heat, cook bacon until lightly browned on each side, then set aside in a warm oven (about 60 degrees) to keep warm while you prepare the rest. 

Red Rice

In the same pan that you cooked the bacon, add the cooked rice, 1/4 cup of water, tomato sauce and sriracha, stir over a low heat till all the tasty bacon flavours are lifted off the pan, the rice is a lovely red colour, and the water has evaporated, it may still be a little wet at this time, but remove into a small bowl and pop in the warm oven while you scramble the eggs.  

Eggs

Use a fork to lightly beat the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper. In a clean pan, heat 1 tbsp oil on a low heat and pour in the beaten eggs. Use a spatula to occasionally scrape the bottom of the pan so that the eggs scramble. Once set remove from the heat. 

To Assemble

Heat the baked beans in a small pot or microwave. 

Heat the tortillas for a couple of minutes in the warm oven, or 10 seconds in the microwave. 

Divide the fillings between the four tortillas centring in the middle a little: bacon, beans, cheese, rice, eggs, then salsa and a handful of greens. Adding jalapenos, sriracha, and sour cream if desired, though it's equally as tasty without. 

Fold the ends of each tortilla in slightly, then roll the tortilla around the filling so the seam is on the bottom, the slice diagonally. 

Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa

Burrito bowls seem to be all the craze now, they are low G.I. and provide a gluten free option, plus the brown rice adds extra nutrition. I also find that bowl food is sometimes easier to eat than a wrap, which can get a bit messy!

Even though this is spicy, there is a subtle sweetness added by the mango. Feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to taste, this amount provides a medium spice level. Serving the creamy avocado alongside with the shredded lettuce and tomato makes this a perfectly balanced meal, which also makes fantastic leftovers hot or cold. Also, if you can, use lime juice rather than lemon, it adds a much more authentic zing. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 cups of brown rice
• 500g chicken thigh, trimmed and diced
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• oil for cooking
• 1 mango
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional) 
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

to serve

• tomato, diced
• iceberg lettuce, shredded

Cook rice according to packet directions. 

Meanwhile, toss the diced chicken in the paprika, cumin, cayenne and 2 tbsp of oil. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the salsa and avocado. 

Peel and slice half of the red onion into rings. Slice the capsicum into strips. Set both aside. 

Prepare the salsa, dice the flesh of the mango cheeks (skin removed). 

Dice the remaining half onion, and stir with mango and chilli flakes. Add lime/lemon juice and set aside in the fridge. 

Prepare the avocado by mashing the flesh and stirring in lime/lemon juice with the salt and pepper. Set aside to chill while you cook the chicken.  

Heat a little more oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken, stirring, for 5 minutes, if necessary add a little more oil to the pan before adding the sliced onion and capsicum, cook, stirring for another 5 minutes till onion is softened and chicken is cooked through. 

Dish warm rice up into four bowls. Serve topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, chicken, mango salsa, and a generous dollop of avocado. Provecho!!

Spicy Mexican pulled pork with pickled onions, beans and rice

This recipe is a little different from my previous BBQ pulled pork recipe, being less sweet, and more spicy. Either way it's delicious, and a real crowd pleaser. 

Unlike your usual pulled pork,  I add onion, tomato and capsicum into the meat mixture. It's a great way to add moisture, vitamins and sneak in some veggies. This recipe can be cooked as instructed, in the oven, or put in a slow cooker and left to simmer away throughout the day. Just make sure you have a little time before serving to reduce the cooking liquid. 

I use whole cumin and coriander seeds, then lightly toast them in a dry pan before crushing in a mortar and pestle, but pre-ground spices will also work. This recipe is quite spicy, if you prefer a medium heat simply half the amount of cumin, coriander and chilli flakes. 

Served with beans and rice, and pickled red onions this is an authentic Mexican meal. The meat and onions can be prepared ahead to give you more time to spend with friends... in fact I'm trialling this recipe for our family christmas get together, of course, Mexican themed. 

First, prepare the spice marinade, leave the meat for three hours, or overnight. 

Firstly, the Pulled Pork. 

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 3 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed peppercorns
• 4 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes 
• 2 tsp smoked paprika 
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp ground allspice 
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cloves 
• 2 kg leg of pork
• 1 400g can of tomatoes 
• 1 diced capsicum 
• 2 diced onions

Method:

Prepare spice paste. Mix garlic, peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, allspice, salt, cloves and lemon juice, in a large non-metalic bowl. 

Trim visible fat off the pork, remove meat from the bone and dice to roughly 4cm cubes. Stir meat through spice paste, cover, and chill for 3 hours or overnight if you have time. 

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Put the meat in a large casserole dish, and stir through tomato, onion and capsicum. Cover with foil, and place the lid on the casserole dish. Bake for 3 hours, stirring every hour, (alternatively, you could put all ingredients into a slow cooker on high for 6 - 8 hours). 

Drain liquid from the meat, and put in a heavy bottom saucepan, heat so that the sauce simmers and reduces. This will take about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the meat. Stir everything back together and set aside. 

Warm in a moderate oven before serving. 

Pickled Onions 

• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 limes, juiced - about 1/4 cup
• 1 tbsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and set aside to marinate for a couple of hours. The onions will go bright pink, and taste tangy and delicious, without fear of that dreadful onion breathe. 

Beans and Rice

• 2 cups brown rice 
• 1 bunch of coriander, roots and stems finely chopped, leaves reserved
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil

Soak rice for an hour, in a about 6 cups of water, with finely chopped coriander root and stems. 

Boil rice for 20-25 minutes till al dente, then drain and set aside for 10 minutes. 

Drain and rinse beans. Add to warm rice with oil and stir through, allowing the beans to mash a little, salt to taste. 

Serve beans and rice on the side of onions, and pulled pork. To make it a complete meal add slaw, sour cream, grated cheese and salsa. 

Chilli and Cornbread

I adore cornbread. It has a slightly cakey crumbly texture, and tastes great with a rich spicy pot of chilli. Leftovers, if you're lucky enough to have any, also taste great warmed with butter and honey or jam. 

Mexican is one of my favourite things to cook, and is actually very healthy, especially if you avoid the takeaway version which is often drowned in excessive cheese and sour cream. This chilli is packed with veggies, beans and meat, meaning it's full of protein, vitamins, fibre and it tastes amazing. This recipe also uses cocoa powder, something which is surprisingly common in savoury Mexican dishes. You could swap the cocoa powder for 3 squares of dark chocolate. 

Chilli ingredients (serves 4 - 6): 

• 2 tbsp oil 
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed 
• roots of 1 bunch of coriander, finely sliced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 carrot, diced 
• 1 courgette, diced
• 1/2 red or green capsicum, diced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp oregano 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes (adjust to suit taste) 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 500 - 600 grams beef mince 
• 1 tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup beef or veggie stock 
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• fresh coriander leaves, to serve
• sour cream, to serve

In a large saucepan, heat oil on a low heat. Saute onion, garlic, coriander root, celery, carrot, courgette and capsicum for a few minutes till softened. Add spices, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, chilli, salt and pepper. Stir. 

Increase heat, and add beef mince and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat a little. When the meat is nearly completely browned, add the kidney beans, tomato and stock. Add cocoa, and worcestershire sauce. Stir, reduce heat to low and cover to simmer for at least 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally. This is one of those dishes that tastes better the longer it's left, so makes great leftovers too. While the meat is simmering. Get your cornbread on. 

Cornbread ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1 cup polenta
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 25 grams butter, melted
• 200ml milk plus 2 tbsp plain yogurt (or 250ml milk) 

Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius. Grease or line a 25cm square cake tin.

Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another. Mix the two together and mix until you get a smooth batter (though still slightly grainy because of the polenta). Pour batter into prepared cake tin and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. 

Leave to cool in the tin for 5 - 10 minutes before cutting. Meanwhile remove the lid from the chilli and allow it to thicken a little. 

Serve chilli in bowls with a sprinkling of grated cheese or dollop of sour cream, sprinkle in fresh coriander leaves, and a hunk of cornbread on the side. 

My pickled red onions would also taste great with this dish. 

Mexican Chilli Chocolate Cake with Candied Pepitas

I originally got this recipe from a Dish magazine, but have made it so many times now that it's become a household favourite, of those who love chilli and those who don't so much. This makes a decadent dessert or morning tea treat. Best served small, but more than likely to have you going back for more. 

I only add half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the dish, but it's enough to give a subtle chilli kick. Married with the intensity of  72% Whittaker's Dark Ghana it makes a smooth welcoming flavour, not to be missed. 

Pepita is Mexican for 'little seed of squash' or as we would call them, Pumpkin Seeds. Having the candied pumpkin seeds is optional but given that the cake has a soft fudgey texture, the crunch of the pumpkin seeds adds a really nice contrast. 

This can keep in the fridge up to a week, but probably won't get past a day or two by the time people get a taste for it. With only 2 tbsp of flour, this recipe is really easy to make gluten free. Feel free to use any type of flour, plain, gluten free, almond or coconut flour etc. 

Mexican Chilli Chocolate Cake 

with Candied Pepitas

Ingredients 

• 200g Whittaker's Dark Ghana 72% Chocolate 
• 200g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon 

To Dust: 1 tbsp each of icing sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. 

Candied Pepitas 

• 1 egg white
• 1/4 sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon 
• 70g pumpkin seeds

Don't forget lightly whipped cream to serve with it. 

Method

Grease and line the base of a 20cm round or square cake tin. 

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees celsius. 

In a double boiler* melt the butter and chocolate, stirring gently. 

Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and sugar. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. 

Meanwhile prepare your candied pepitas**. Lightly whisk egg with a fork - you do not need to get the egg to stiff peaks, just whisk 30 seconds or so to aerate it. Stir in sugar, cinnamon and pepitas. 

Lay non-stick baking paper on a baking tray and spread pepita and egg white mixture in a thin layer.

Pepitas Before

Pepitas After

Bake at 170 degrees for 5 -7 minutes, turning once. Once cooked, remove from oven and leave to cool. 

They will become crunchy once cold. Remove from tray, breaking up any large chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

The chocolate should now be cool enough to add the beaten eggs. Stir them in then stir in sifted flour, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. 

Pour into the baking tin and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean. Leave it in the tin to cool, it will deflate and set. 

Before serving with whipped cream and candied pepitas dust with icing sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. 

Candied Pepitas

*A double boiler can be achieved by placing an inch of water in the base of a saucepan on a medium to low heat. Rest a bowl on top of the saucepan (make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water). Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl and the steam from the water will gently heat it. 

**Pepitas is the Mexican term for little seed of squash, or more commonly known as pumpkin seeds. 

Spark'n Barbeque'n Pulled Pork

Thanks to friends who have a love of hunting, my freezer is full of legs of wild pork. Initially I cooked this as per my friends instruction in an oven bag with a tin of pineapple. It was pretty good, but as always I was keen to try something new this time. It seems the craze in some of the new restaurants around town is BBQ Pulled Pork... so I figured I would give it a go for myself. 

It turns out that the sauce is made and stirred through separately, so the meat itself if much like any other slow cooked meat. I was planning to use a slow cooker, but the leg wouldn't fit, so I did it in an oven bag in a really low oven all day instead.

I wanted to make sure it had the added sweetness that the pineapple gave as pork, particularly wild pork, can be quite rich, so I cooked it with Old Mout Cider, I choose their Scrumpy because it's got a slightly higher alcohol content and  has a strong apple flavour. 

The BBQ sauce recipes I found however mostly consisted of the base ingredient ketchup... why would I use a sauce to make another sauce? Doesn't seem to make sense to me, so I made my own one up, using more of the delicious Scrumpy, See Here for yourself.

Apple Cider Pulled Pork served with Buns, Coriander and Lime Rice, Coleslaw and BBQ sauce. (See below for Rice and Coleslaw recipes)

Ingredients

• 1 leg free range or wild pork 
• Large oven bag or slow cooker - my leg of pork wouldn't fit in the slow cooker
• 1 1/2 c Apple Cider - I used Old Mout's Scrumpy 
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika 
• 2 tbsp ground cumin - I toast the seeds in a dry pan, then grind in a mortar pestle for the freshest flavour
• 2 tbsp oregano 
• 2 tbsp salt 
• 1 cup of BBQ Sauce

Method

Trim the meat of any large chunks of fat. Mix onion, spices and cider, put in bottom of oven bag. Add pork, spooning some of the mix on top so it's at least been coated. 

Seal oven bag and place in 120 degree oven for 6-7 hours. Meat should fall off the bone. Don't worry you can't really overcook it, so if in doubt, leave it longer. 

If using a slow cooker, just put all ingredients in on low for 7 hours. 

Once cooked, allow to cool slightly then put meat, bones, and cooking liquid into a large tupperware and chill overnight. 

The next day skim any fat from the surface (the liquid should be jelly-like now that it has cooled, this is what you want, just skim the solid orange/white fat from the surface if there is any) remove the meat and bones from the liquid. Put  jelly/liquid into a heavy pot and simmer on a low heat for 30-40 mins until nearly completely reduced, stir occasionally so it doesn't stick. 

Meanwhile, shred the pork meat using two forks. Discard any bones. 

Once the cooing liquid has reduced, allow it to cool, then stir it through the shredded meat. Stir through 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Then set aside. 

To serve, gently reheat meat on the stovetop, on a low heat. 

Serve with more BBQ sauce, Coleslaw, Buns, and the Coriander Lime Rice. 

Coriander and Lime Rice

This rice makes a great side dish full of aromatic mexican flavours. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4c Brown Rice
• 1/4c of Black Rice 
• Zest and Juice of 1 lime 
• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves

Method

Rinse rice and soak in a pot with 3 cups of water, lime zest and coriander seeds. Leave covered 2-3 hours.

Remove lid, place on high heat till simmering, stir gently, cover, reduce heat and leave for 20-25 mins, till water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and leave 10 mins. 

Remove lid, fluff with a fork, add lime juice, olive oil, salt and fresh coriander. 

Serve warm or cold. 

Coleslaw

I make coleslaw with a light vinaigrette, you can use mayonnaise if you prefer, or just serve with mayo on the table like I do. For ease, I also make coleslaw in the food processor, a good old knife will do fine if you don't have a processor. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 red cabbage
• 1/4 white cabbage
• 3 carrots peeled 
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 3 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil of your choice) 
• Juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1 tsp salt

Method

Peel Carrots. Chop vegetables so they will fit into the hole in the top of the food processor. 

Using the large slicing blade process the cabbages. 

Next use the grater attachment and grate the carrots. 

Place all ingredients into a large serving bowl, toss together with chives, oil, salt and lemon juice. 

Mexican Fiesta: Feeding hungry bellies since waaaay back.

Last night I had my older brother staying, so decided to cook one of his favourites. Mexican, a favourite of mine too. 

Starting the slow cooked beef at about 1 o'clock so that by the time I took the steak out at 6, it was falling apart and easy to shred with a fork. 

MEXICAN SHREDDED BEEF

Ingredients

• 1.2kg rump steak, trimmed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 red capsicum diced
• 1/2 green capsicum diced
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 6 squares of 82% Whittakers Dark Ghana Chocolate (darker is best - do NOT use Milk chocolate. Ever.) 
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 2 tins of water (till all ingredients covered) 
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2-4 bunches of coriander (roots and stalks included) 

Lightly toast coriander and cumin seeds. Then crush in the mortar and pestle. 

Place in slow cooker with all other ingredients, except the coriander and garlic. 

Finely chop the garlic and coriander stalks & roots (reserving the leaves. Then place in mortar and smash till softened and all the juices are released. Place half this mix in the slow cooker reserving the rest for guacamole and salsa. Turn slow cooker on high and leave for approx 5 hrs. or Low for 7-8 hours. After this time remove the meat, and shred with two forks. Remove all other pulp and a little of the juice, lightly pan fry to reheat when ready to eat. (You may wish to add more seasoning and or chilli at this stage) 

Just before serving, stir in a handful of the fresh coriander leaves. 

Reserve all the cooking juices for stock - makes a great lentil soup! 

PICKLED ONIONS 

Ingredients

• 2 red onions 
• juice of 2 limes
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt (2tbsp) 

Finely slice onions into rings, mix all ingredients together and set aside for at least 3 hours. Will keep for up to a week. 

SALSA

Ingredients 

• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/4 of the coriander and garlic pulp mix (see above) 
• 1/4 cup chilli infused avocado oil (or olive oil and a small amount of finely chopped chilli)
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow to macerate for at least an hour - up to 12 hours. 

You can place half the mixture into the food processor, but don't blend it all, it is best a little chunky. 

GUACAMOLE

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 of the coriander and garlic pulp mix (see above) 
• salt to taste

Roughly mash the avocado and stir in other ingredients. Set aside (chilled) for at least 1/2 an hour, up to 3 hours. 

TO SERVE 

• Corn chips or Tortillas

• Grated Cheese
• Sour Cream 
• Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
• Sliced Cucumber 
• Fresh Coriander leaves
• Sweet or Hot Chilli sauce

Serve alongside shredded beef, salsa, guacamole and pickled onions. 

Build your own and ENJOY. 

And of course, for those of you feeling extra creative, I recommend trying out some Margarita's on the side. Basil and Watermelon sounds deliciously refreshing. Find the recipe or pick any of the other 12 recommendations loaded here: Martha Stewart Margarita Gallery