In the mean time I just couldn’t wait any longer to show you this recipe. My sister’s Mexicano BF makes this all the time and she made it up for us recently. It is the best salsa in the world (in my humble opinion!), and it’s made in a completely different way to what I expected!

Ingredients

3 tomatoes

2 red and 1 green chili (the long, mild thai ones)

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

Coriander

Butter (I know! I was surprised too!)

Method

Heat the oven to a moderate heat, wrap peel the onion and wrap it in alfoil. Chuck it in the oven until it is ‘not raw’

Meanwhile, grab a heavy-based frypan, put on medium-high heat and place the tomatoes and chili in the pan to blacken the skin. Move the tomatoes around and hold them in place (with fingers or tongs) until they stay there and get nice and black all over. You’ll need to take the chilis out first because they will blacken first. (Before and After shots!)

Take the tomatoes out, and put the whole cloves of garlic in to brown then add a bit of butter. Grab the onion from the oven, chop it roughly and put it in the pan to to caramelise for a short while.

Pull the green-plant part off the chilis and throw that away. Put all ingredients in a tall bowl (blackened skins and all!) and buzz with a stick blender.

Serve with all sorts of things. Mexican food, potato chips, poured over roasted vegetables. It’s got a pleasant kick to it, but dies down quickly after you’ve swallowed. The perfect heat!

COMPETITION REMINDER!! We have a mixed case of 24 bottles of Apple and Pear Cider to give away from Punt Road Wines. To enter, all you have to do is write a comment on ANY post on iatebrisbane. Open to Brisbane (and surrounds) entrants only (could you imagine the international shipping fees on a case of cider?!). Check out the details and the tricky little fine print here.

So why do we use cutlery anyway?  It started off with the knife of course, slicing off chunks of food, stabbing them with the pointy end and shoving it in your gob. Then came the spoon – for all those not quite pick-up-able, not quite slurpable foods (Porridgefor instance). Then along came the fork. Once this happened, tableware became all rather fancy and then ‘the rules’ kicked in. I was speaking with a group of bloggers recently and Ms Strayed From The Table mentioned her partner does not enjoy going to upmarket restaurants because he simply doesn’t know what to do. I can understand this as some restaurants can be quite daunting. Yes, it is gratifying to experience lavish food and the traditions and rituals that surround it, but sometimes its just as pleasurable to enjoy simple food, eaten simply.

Ingredients

Ridiculous amounts of veges – cut up fairly small. Try: Eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, potato, sweet potato, beetroot, turnip, parsnip, carrot, mushrooms, swede, red onion, etc

Cloves of Garlic – as much as you want

Dukkah  - I use the Splendid Blends one from the Jan Power’s Markets in Brisbane. (3352 6855), or make your own with Sesame seeds, coriander seeds, hazelnuts, chick peas, cumin seeds, mint and salt and roast it all up.

Lamb backstrap or any red meat, Free-range preferably - Or leave this out completely

Cherry Tomatoes

Chopped Nuts (I used Chestnuts, but use whatever you have handy)

Fresh Rosemary sprig (Catherine was lovely and gave some to me from her garden. I’ve kept 4 sprigs of it in a glass of water on my window sill. They’ve started to grow roots – I’ll plant them in the garden in a month or so.)

Fresh Turkish bread or Lavash/Pita Bread. I bought mine from The Hills Bakery, 170 Patricks Road in Ferny Hills (0733515277) - They’ve got new owners, and truly this is a hidden gem of the bakery world. Worth a trip out to ‘The Hills’ to try their Fresh Rosemary Turkish Bread – just delicious. And if you want to have a good chat with a true foodie, definitely spark up a conversation with the owner.

 Method

1. Turn the oven onto 200 degrees Celcius. Put all the veges into a large oven dish with the whole cloves of garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle the dukkah on everything. Cover the tray with a lid or aluminium foil.  Chuck it in the oven. Wait until all veges are tender and a little brown (usually over an hour)

2. Brush the meat with a little oil on one side and press dukkah into the flesh. Sear the meat on all sides then shove it in with the veges, along with the cherry tomatoes and nuts. Cook Uncovered for about 10minutes.

3.Take the meat out and rest it for about 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

4.While waiting for the meat to rest make a yoghurt dressing with natural greek yoghurt, lemon juice (and zest if you’re using fresh lemons… I’m slack and use the bottled stuff if I don’t have fresh lemons) a bit of mint from the garden, a pinch of dukkah, salt and pepper.

5.Toast the bread for a short while and then put the dish of veges, bread and yoghurt on the table. Squeeze the soft gooey garlic from it’s papery skin and use it like butter.  Assemble messy, open sandwiches with the ingredients with your bare hands, get TRIBAL and shove it in your gob.

Uh-mazing!

COMPETITION REMINDER!! We have a mixed case of 24 bottles of Apple and Pear Cider to give away from Punt Road Wines. To enter, all you have to do is write a comment on ANY post on iatebrisbane. Open to Brisbane (and surrounds) entrants only (could you imagine the international shipping fees on a case of cider?!). Check out the details and the tricky little fine print here.

Ingredients

Serves 2 (and a toddler)

4 chicken legs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
50g tomato paste
1/2 capsicum, chopped
100g mixed olives
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 heaped tsp Dorrigo Pepper
DO NOT ADD SALT – there is enough from the olives.

1/2 cup Risoni (Rice-shaped Pasta)- cooked to packet instructions, to serve

Method

1. Put a little oil in a pan and when it’s at a high heat add the chicken legs and cook to get a little colour on them
2. Add the onion and garlic and fry off a little
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, capsicum, olives, and dorrigo pepper and stir
4. Cook on the stove top until you are ready for dinner.
If you want it straight away – keep the lid off, keep the heat at medium/high and cook for about 20 minutes, just until the chicken is cooked through
If you’ve got a little more time pop the lid on, let it simmer at low and cook for up to 2 hours.

Mexican Food Boffin list - The 5 rules to makin’ Mexican.

1. It’s either gotta be fresh…straight from the ground right into your mouth. OR it must be stewed, fried and simmered for a minimum of 48 hours.

2. If you want something to look like Mexican food, follow the ’Mexican Flag Rule’ - red, green and white.

3. Loads of limes, bucketloads of chilis and lots of heart and soul

4. Cook with love and attentiveness

5. If in doubt, chuck some chocolate in it.

This jewel of a poached egg was gifted to me by my husband who kissed me on the cheek, banished me from the kitchen and 20 minutes later presented me with this yummy lunch. It sounds silly, but food surprises are my favourite kind of surprises, especially when Darren does it. When we’d first moved in together, Darren presented me with a piece of pavlova (he’s pretty darn good at them!) and my first ever taste of fresh raspberries. I savoured each one. 

Poached Eggs on Toast

Chop up tomatoes, avocado, red onion and mix together. Dress with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Heat  a couple of inches of water in a frying pan with a tablespoon of vinegar. Heat until there are bubbles clinging to the base of the pan. Swirl the water with a spoon to create a slow whirl-pool. Crack an egg and very gently slip it into the water. While this is happening toast some bread under the salamander. Once the bread is done, the egg should be done.

Cut a piece of garlic in half and rub it all over the bread. Put a couple of leaves of kale and spinach on top and finish with the salsa and poached egg. Crack some pepper over the top and some Cholula.

“Is it like a paella?”

“Uh, nah… it’s just how I do rice”

Brilliant.

And here it was step-by-step in a recipe book. I’ve now made this a few times, trying all sorts of ingredients and spices, including an indian-style one with tumeric. So this is my recipe, but play around with it and try different styles. It’s a great side dish for meat as it has the carbs and vegetables combined.

Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain rice

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic (I like garlic!)

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin 4 bean mix, drained and rinsed

Vegetables – chopped. I just added capsicum to this one

1/2 tsp Paprika

Salt

Pepper

Method

1. Fry off the garlic and onion in a little olive oil until brown

2. Add the rice and fry for a few minutes

3. Add the can of tomatoes and a couple of cups of water, and all the other ingredients.

4. Pop a lid on it and stir INFREQUENTLY (easier than risotto!)

5. Add more water if the rice needs to cook for a little longer

6. Serve.

OH MAN and you KNOW I’m gonna say this is going to taste spectacular with Cholula! Because it does!

I don’t usually keep ready-made salad dressing in the house, I wish I did sometimes when I’m being lazy, but it forces me to be a bit creative instead of just reaching for the good ol’ french dressing.  Often it’ll just be Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, but other times I’ll go nuts and use all sorts of condiments.

The best way to make a good dressing is use approximately equal parts of oil and an acid, perhaps lemon juice or a vinegar. Then just chuck in whatever you have in the cupboard. Maybe some grainy mustard, or some herbs or spices. As we’re all on a Mexican Kick this month, and I am going crazy for Cholula, I’ve gone down that road.

Ingredients

1 cup canned chickpeas
1/2 cooked chook (chicken), shredded roughly
10cm cucumber, sliced
handful of Baby roma tomatoes, quartered
1/2 red capsicum
Coriander
Parsley
1/3 red onion, sliced finely
Mixed salad leaves
Handful of snowpeas, cut into strips diagonally
1/2 avocado, diced

 
Dressing
1cm cube of fresh ginger, cut into very thin slithers
Juice of 1/2 a very juicy lime (or 1 lime)
1 tbsp Cholula Hot Sauce
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika

Chuck it all together in a big bowl and serve.

These can sometimes be a little dry by themselves so I usually serve them with a fruit or tomato chutney. But, as per usual I didn’t have any so I made a quick mix of sliced roma tomato (seed and membranes removed) and capsicum that I roasted and skinned. This is something else that doesn’t taste healthy but really is. I hear a lot of people saying ‘don’t bother roasting your own capsicum, just buy it bottled’ but it’s completely drenched in oil and… well… bleh – it’s so fricking easy to make yourself.
1. Cut the top stalk and bottom of a capsicum
2. Cut down the length of the capsicum and open it up so it lies flat. Remove all the membraney bits (by sliding the knife along the flesh)
3. Pop it under the grill, skin side up on high and forget about it until you can smell smoke (really!) and it goes completely black
4. Grab it with a set of tongs and put it into a ziplock bag, or any other plastic bag, or glad wrap
5. Wait 10 minutes or so, then grab a corner of the skin and start pulling it away from the capsicum flesh.
6. TA DA! finished. It’s so easy and the flavour is awesome.

Ingredients for the fritters
440g can creamed corn
1/2 (or full) zucchini
2/3 cup wholemeal flour
1tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup milk
salt
pepper

(Oh! put a handful of cheese in it if you like, Or some crispy fried bacon, just for something different)

Method

1.  Dice the onion finely, crush the garlic, and with a little olive oil fry over medium-high heat until browned. Cool a little and add this to a bowl
2.  Grate the zucchini into the bowl and then add the creamed corn, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper
3.  Add the milk, Separate the egg and add the yolk to the bowl. whisk the egg white until fluffy. (you don’t need to go to this extreme. This technique just makes them a little lighter. Simply crack the egg into the bowl if you like)
4.  Add the egg white to the bowl and stir to combine

5.  Heat a non-stick frypan and add a little butter and olive oil (Butter tastes better and the olive oil stops the butter from burning)
6.  Drop large tablespoonfuls of batter into the pan. 3 should fit into a normal sized pan
7.  Once browned on the bottom and starting to set, flip over and cook the other side
8.  Take the fritters off the pan and keep in a warm place while you cook the rest of them.
9.  Serve with tomato chutney or something similar or the capsicum tomato salady thing.

I used to rely on a particularly well-known brand (”what if it had a flat bottom?“) for creating my Mexican authenticity, until I stumbled across a recipe to make taco seasoning myself, only to discover it was dead easy!

My new favourite taco mix? Soft corn tortillas + home-seasoned beef + salsa cruda + gaucamole / sour cream / whatever tasty sauce you’re after!

But I hear you say, “Julia, that packet mix! It just makes everything so simple!” And I will parry you with, “NAY! AVAST! DON’T DO IT!” Here are three great reasons to ditch the Old El Paso ilk and DIY taco seasoning from scratch:

1. It’s healthier! Think of all the thickeners and other yuk that you’re avoiding!
2. Gosh darn, it’s quick! It takes no longer to DIY than it does to rip open that packet!
3. And heck! It just tastes sooooooooo good!

“And what of this salsa cruda stuff,” I hear you say? Only the awesomest taco salad you’ve ever made, and again– dead easy!  When the i8b girls came over recently for our Mexican cookoff, I decided to show ‘em how its done.

DIY Beef Tacos with Salsa Cruda

For the Taco Filling:

• 500g of thinly sliced beef fillet, or beef mince (I prefer fillet, but I was cooking 1.5kg of meat on this occasion so the mince is easier to handle!)
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chilli powder (or mexican chilli spice mix if you can get it)
• 1 cup water

1. Brown the beef in a small amount of olive oil
2. Add the cumin, chilli powder, water and tomato paste (or you could use fresh tomatoes with some flour or corn starch to thicken). Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook until the liquid is reduced.  Serve!

For the Salsa Cruda:

• 1/2 spanish onion
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• About half a bunch of coriander (at least a cup’s worth, I would imagine?)

1. Chop all ingredients finely and mix (if you have a Tupperware Quick Chef chopper, chuck it all in together and go crazy!).
   NB: If your tomatoes are extra-juicy, you may wish to strain off the liquid from this mix, to avoid your tortillas getting wet and mushy!

To assemble tacos:

• Grab a corn tortilla (I prefer Diego’s Corn Tortillas, just make sure you heat them before serving lest they crack on you!)
• Spoon in some of the beef
• Top with salsa cruda, and your choice of Sarah’s Guacamole, sour cream and tabasco.

See? How easy was that! And it’s such a quick, delicious and super-authentic flavour!  Now, the next step… trying my hand at tortilla-making!

This guac was made at iatebrisbane’s recent mexican food cookup. It’ll be the first of a number of recipes from that day. We served this guac with Julia’s Salsa Cruda and Burrito Mince. It went perfectly with my Lime Water and Catherine’s Caramel Flan for dessert. What a beautiful day. 

Ingredients

1 softish avocado
handful of grape tomatoes
1/4 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
juice of 1/4 lime
3 heaped tablespoons of no fat natural yoghourt
Salt
Pepper

Firstly, to make sure the avocado is soft, you can use an “Avocado ripening machine” Best invention ever! Avocados and bananas have compounds in each that ripen each other. You would usually pop them in a paper bag overnight, but since I didn’t have any paper bags I thought a banana-avocado sandwich would also do the trick.

Then, to soften the harsh flavour of raw garlic, pop unpeeled garlic cloves into either the oven or even a medium-heat frypan. drizzle a little oil over them so they don’t dry out, and heat for about 5-10 minutes. Just enough to take the raw edge off it.

Remove seeds from the tomatoes and very finely dice them and the red onion and cooked garlic. My absolute favourite thing to do in the kitchen is chop things. It’s really meditative for me and I like the fact that chopping fruits and vegetables in different ways can completely change the flavour and texture of a dish.  Chopping things finely like this is heaps of fun for me.  Julia took this photo of me chopping - I think mainly because she really didn’t understand why I didn’t just chuck it in a blender!

Mash the avocado, then chuck all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

Ingredients 

2 Roma Tomatoes, seeds removed, diced

1/2 red capsicum, diced

15cm cucumber, seeds removed, diced

1/4 red onion, finely diced

handful green beans, chopped, blanched and cooled

bunch asparagus, chopped, blanched and cooled

1 tsp black mustard seeds -

pinch crushed cummin seeds,

pinch coriander powder

Squirt Lemon juice

Orange flavoured olive oil

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method

Mix all together and serve with lebanese bread, felafel and yoghourt.