Gobble gobble. This bird must spend the second half of the year dreading his fate. Poultry is often dry, and turkey suffers the worst of this. But there’s lots that can be done with turkey, before or after the big day.
Mexican turkey soup
Shredded turkey with salsa, black beans and soft tortillas, topped with a bit of cheese, avocado and fresh coriander.
Turkey curry
Every time I hear of this dish I think of Bridget Jones' mum Una and her "turkey curry buffet". Sounds positively awful. But it doesn't have to be - this turkey and parsnip curry sounds quite nice (but make your own curry paste). Or this turkey, lemon and coconut curry.
Cold turkey with potatoes and anchovies
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe for leftover roast turkey sounds lovely - I definitely want to make it on the 26th or 27th of December this year.
Turkey sandwiches
In an ideal world, we'd eat our sandwiches with loads of brie, stuffing and cranberry sauce alongside the turkey. But there are plenty of other, healthier ideas, such as turkey, beetroot and avocado or turkey, feta and green olive tapenade.
Showing posts with label mexican recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mexican recipes. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Monday, 5 May 2008
happy cinco de mayo
Cinco de Mayo - the excellent Mexican holiday that evolved in the US into drinking margaritas and eating tacos. But without the guilt, of course.
I actually didn't end up making any Mexican-inspired foods today - it's Bank Holiday in the UK, so we have the day off, and Monday felt more like a Sunday, and therefore required a lovely roast chicken.
But should you want to celebrate this wonderful cuisine, try here for a few recipes and a little bit of spice. Fancy a healthier Cinco de Mayo? Drop the margaritas and keep the tacos - I love fish tacos but any will do. Fancy going even healthier? Try my guilt-free favourite any time of year - Mexican salad. As good in October as it is in May. Ole!
I actually didn't end up making any Mexican-inspired foods today - it's Bank Holiday in the UK, so we have the day off, and Monday felt more like a Sunday, and therefore required a lovely roast chicken.
But should you want to celebrate this wonderful cuisine, try here for a few recipes and a little bit of spice. Fancy a healthier Cinco de Mayo? Drop the margaritas and keep the tacos - I love fish tacos but any will do. Fancy going even healthier? Try my guilt-free favourite any time of year - Mexican salad. As good in October as it is in May. Ole!
Monday, 18 February 2008
a belated Valentine's Day: nothing says love like seven-layer dip
I've been sick. The kinda sick that actually puts you off your food. It's frustrating. My poor husband cooked a lovely Valentine's Day meal for me - parma ham and melon to start, spaghetti carbonara for a main course, and dark chocolate for dessert. And I couldn't even get it down! It was very sad, although his heroic efforts were much appreciated.
Have you ever looked at something so delicious but just not been able to eat it? (And after you've stuffed yourself doesn't count!)
Well, we made up for it this weekend by cooking one of my favourite party dishes - seven layer dip. Once my university friend Rob's mom introduced me to this dish eight years ago, I appropriated it. It's a Mexican-inspired dip, starting with the bottom layer of guacamole, then refried beans, taco-flavoured cream cheese, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes and grated cheese. Suffice it to say, it's not exactly healthful.
Despite that, everyone loves it. I used to get requests for it all the time. At times, I wondered if people wanted my seven-layer dip at the party more than me...
As the years have passed, I've stopped making it as often - it's now a special treat. And what better occasion than three days after Valentine's Day, once I can stomach a meal?
A few years older and wiser, I've made a couple of healthier substitutions (but not too many, as that would spoil the fun). And guess what? It still tastes amazing.
Seven-layer dip, 2008
layer 1:
2 avocadoes, peeled, pitted and mashed
2 cloves garlic, mashed
a couple springs of coriander, finely chopped
juice of one lime
layer 2:
1 tin of reduced-fat refried beans
layer 3:
1 300g tub of reduced fat cream cheese
3 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
layer 4:
1 small bottle of salsa
or
(ideally) freshly made salsa
layer 5:
1 head of romaine, rinsed, chopped and drained
layer 6:
4-5 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
layer 7:
200g reduced-fat cheddar, grated.
Prepare the individual layers first, and then layer into a square casserole dish, about 2-3 inches deep. Combine the ingredients for layer 1 (guacamole) and smooth along the bottom. Smooth the refried beans over the guacamole by evenly distributing dollops of beans across the dish, and using the back of a spoon (or clean fingers) to spread. Use the same technique for layer three, after combining the cream cheese, sour cream and seasoning together. Next, pour the salsa and evenly spread across. Then sprinkle the lettuce, followed by the tomatoes, and then the grated cheese. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight (this is crucial, especially with low-fat ingredients).
Serve with hint of lime tortilla chips.
I'm sure you can imagine the 2000 version: full fat everything - store bought guacamole (the horrid type that has cream in it); cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, the works. My body typically had to go into hibernation after a seven-layer session.
I have to say, I quite enjoyed being able to function after noshing on this. It's just beautiful. Upon the last scoop of those lovely layers, my husband just looked at me and said forlornly, "I'm so sad it's over."
I have to say, I was too.
Have you ever looked at something so delicious but just not been able to eat it? (And after you've stuffed yourself doesn't count!)
Well, we made up for it this weekend by cooking one of my favourite party dishes - seven layer dip. Once my university friend Rob's mom introduced me to this dish eight years ago, I appropriated it. It's a Mexican-inspired dip, starting with the bottom layer of guacamole, then refried beans, taco-flavoured cream cheese, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes and grated cheese. Suffice it to say, it's not exactly healthful.
Despite that, everyone loves it. I used to get requests for it all the time. At times, I wondered if people wanted my seven-layer dip at the party more than me...
As the years have passed, I've stopped making it as often - it's now a special treat. And what better occasion than three days after Valentine's Day, once I can stomach a meal?
A few years older and wiser, I've made a couple of healthier substitutions (but not too many, as that would spoil the fun). And guess what? It still tastes amazing.
Seven-layer dip, 2008
layer 1:
2 avocadoes, peeled, pitted and mashed
2 cloves garlic, mashed
a couple springs of coriander, finely chopped
juice of one lime
layer 2:
1 tin of reduced-fat refried beans
layer 3:
1 300g tub of reduced fat cream cheese
3 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
layer 4:
1 small bottle of salsa
or
(ideally) freshly made salsa
layer 5:
1 head of romaine, rinsed, chopped and drained
layer 6:
4-5 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
layer 7:
200g reduced-fat cheddar, grated.
Prepare the individual layers first, and then layer into a square casserole dish, about 2-3 inches deep. Combine the ingredients for layer 1 (guacamole) and smooth along the bottom. Smooth the refried beans over the guacamole by evenly distributing dollops of beans across the dish, and using the back of a spoon (or clean fingers) to spread. Use the same technique for layer three, after combining the cream cheese, sour cream and seasoning together. Next, pour the salsa and evenly spread across. Then sprinkle the lettuce, followed by the tomatoes, and then the grated cheese. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight (this is crucial, especially with low-fat ingredients).
Serve with hint of lime tortilla chips.
I'm sure you can imagine the 2000 version: full fat everything - store bought guacamole (the horrid type that has cream in it); cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, the works. My body typically had to go into hibernation after a seven-layer session.
I have to say, I quite enjoyed being able to function after noshing on this. It's just beautiful. Upon the last scoop of those lovely layers, my husband just looked at me and said forlornly, "I'm so sad it's over."
I have to say, I was too.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
yummy prawn burritos
The Sainsburys branch in Whitechapel has been extensively refurbished, and being the grocery store nerd that I am, I was very excited. I’ve been trawling the aisles for fun new ingredients. I am a little disappointed on one front: no more tinned cherry tomatoes, the staple that gets me through the winter!
But I did stumble onto a new item: the store is now stocking whole wheat soft tortillas. I snatched them up about two weeks ago, knowing I would want to make something with them.
Last night was the night – I had prawns, salsa, low-fat crème fraiche, reduced-fat farmhouse cheese and lots of crunchy romaine lettuce. I would have been content with just those ingredients in a salad, but it might not be enough to tempt my husband on such a cold, rainy night. But pile those ingredients into a wrap and he’s happy. So I warmed up four tortillas – three for him, one for me. I was happy just to try out the new wraps. (They’re great, by the way, just as soft as white flour tortillas. I haven’t compared the calorie count, but I’ll find out.)
One wrap may not seem like much, but I helped myself to healthy portions of lettuce, salsa and prawns, still making sure to only have about a tablespoon of crème fraiche and about 50 g of cheese.
Very quick, very easy, this dish. I love the style of cooking that involved assembling ingredients for people to help themselves to. It’s such an interactive way of having dinner, and those who have favourite ingredients can help themselves, while those who are trying to watch what they eat can do so without feeling like they are putting any pressure on anyone else.
Monday, 8 October 2007
mexican night, without the guilt
Growing up in the US , I grew to love what could arguably be called the country’s national cuisine: Mexican food. I absolutely love it, from fast food drive-thrus to taco night at home, from upscale Mexican eateries to California-style fresh mex.
And then I moved to the UK , and everything changed. The UK ’s understanding of Mexican food is completely different and somewhat centred around the idea of “Tex-Mex,” which entails barbecue fajitas.
I thus learned to cultivate my favourite Mexican dishes at home, and set about perfecting (in my mind) those flavours.
This Mexican salad brings the excellent flavours together but keeps it healthy by not using taco shells or wraps. Trust me, in this case, they are not missed, though I sometimes like to make tacos in their shells as a special treat.
This dish is preparation-intensive but light on cooking time.
To make the salad
Extra lean ground beef (an absolutely yummy vegetarian option is soya mince), sautéed with the mexican seasonings (cumin, oregano, thyme, cayenne are an absolute must).
Crunchy lettuce such as romaine, roughly chopped
Red cheese such as red Leicester , grated
Salsa (see below)
Guacamole (see below)
Black olives, sliced
Crème fraiche, dollop of
The best salsa
Salsa is very personal, and to be honest, I cannot recommend exact quantities, because I know how I like it. And there’s a bit of the ‘whatever’s available’ mentality to whipping one up. But in my opinion these are the crucial elements, though that’s not to say they could not be changed to personalize the sauce.
Ripe red tomatoes, chopped
Red onions, chopped
Red peppers, finely diced
Garlic, minced
Lime juice
Mexican seasonings: cumin, oregano and thymeChilli pepper, deseeded and chopped
Splash of vinegar
Small handful of chopped fresh coriander
Spoonful of tomato puree (optional)
Chop and mix together. For a less chunky salsa, use a hand blender to pulse the mixture for a second or two. Allow to sit overnight if possible to bring out the flavour.
My favourite guacamole
I hate store-bought versions of guacamole, as cream is absolutely not necessary in the mixture. Neither are tomatoes. The best guacamole to my mind is simply mashed avocado (as ripe as you can get it) with a few extra ingredients.
Avocado, peeled, pitted, stoned
1 clove garlic, minced very small
Fresh coriander, minced very small
Lime juice
Mash the avocado with a fork and combine with the other ingredients.
And then I moved to the UK , and everything changed. The UK ’s understanding of Mexican food is completely different and somewhat centred around the idea of “Tex-Mex,” which entails barbecue fajitas.
I thus learned to cultivate my favourite Mexican dishes at home, and set about perfecting (in my mind) those flavours.
This Mexican salad brings the excellent flavours together but keeps it healthy by not using taco shells or wraps. Trust me, in this case, they are not missed, though I sometimes like to make tacos in their shells as a special treat.
This dish is preparation-intensive but light on cooking time.
To make the salad
Extra lean ground beef (an absolutely yummy vegetarian option is soya mince), sautéed with the mexican seasonings (cumin, oregano, thyme, cayenne are an absolute must).
Crunchy lettuce such as romaine, roughly chopped
Red cheese such as red Leicester , grated
Salsa (see below)
Guacamole (see below)
Black olives, sliced
Crème fraiche, dollop of
The best salsa
Salsa is very personal, and to be honest, I cannot recommend exact quantities, because I know how I like it. And there’s a bit of the ‘whatever’s available’ mentality to whipping one up. But in my opinion these are the crucial elements, though that’s not to say they could not be changed to personalize the sauce.
Ripe red tomatoes, chopped
Red onions, chopped
Red peppers, finely diced
Garlic, minced
Lime juice
Mexican seasonings: cumin, oregano and thymeChilli pepper, deseeded and chopped
Splash of vinegar
Small handful of chopped fresh coriander
Spoonful of tomato puree (optional)
Chop and mix together. For a less chunky salsa, use a hand blender to pulse the mixture for a second or two. Allow to sit overnight if possible to bring out the flavour.
My favourite guacamole
I hate store-bought versions of guacamole, as cream is absolutely not necessary in the mixture. Neither are tomatoes. The best guacamole to my mind is simply mashed avocado (as ripe as you can get it) with a few extra ingredients.
Avocado, peeled, pitted, stoned
1 clove garlic, minced very small
Fresh coriander, minced very small
Lime juice
Mash the avocado with a fork and combine with the other ingredients.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
