MEXICAN SPICED BEEF NACHOS

I have been a bit slack on the cooking front recently and havent tried anything new - much to Arabellas delight….she always asks me to repeat old favourite recipes like Pascals Pasta Carbonara and Squash and Bacon Squeak with Poached Eggs and for once I did. However it is a new month and so now new recipes….

This is a great one from Lorraines morning TV show - a twist on nachos - it took about 35 minutes to cook.

Ingredients for 4 people:

500g minced beef
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
200g tin of sweetcorn
240g tin of chopped tomatoes (I bought a 410g tin by mistake - it didnt really matter)
410g tin of pinto beans (I couldnt find these so used kidney beans)
1 tsp of chilli powder (I left this out as I dont like spice)
250ml of beef stock
1 tsp cumin
A pinch of dried chilli flakes (I left this out as I dont like spice)
Half a tsp of paprika
Salt and pepper
4 handfuls of nachos (we used a combination of cheese and lightly salted)
200g of grated cheddar cheese (I probably used slightly more as I am a cheese fanatic)

To serve:
Guacamole
Sour cream
Fresh chopped coriander

Heat a large pan to a medium heat and add the oil, minced beef and chopped onion. Seal all over so the minced is browned - this took about 5 minutes.

Next add the garlic, oregano, mixed spices and salt and pepper (season generously). Stir and mix well for a couple of minutes so it is all combined.

Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, beans and sweetcorn and mix together.

Add a lid and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Pour the mince into a gratin dish.

Cover with nachos and grated cheese.

Pop under a medium grill until the cheese is melted and the nachos are browned (this took me 4 minutes).

Serve with a bog dollop of guacamole and sour cream and a sprinkling of coriander - then tuck in!

We love Mexican food in our house especially tacos and we absolutely adored this too - a great combination of flavours and the cheesy nachos were a real treat. Even though we left the chilli out, I think next time we will add it to give the dish a bit of a kick. If you didnt have all the spices, you could always just use a packet of taco seasoning instead. It is super easy and both an adult and kid pleaser - I cant wait to cook this again soon.

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Mexican Polenta

Wow!  I cant believe how the weeks have gone by!  Work has been crazy busy with prepping everything for the new year since I have the weeks of Christmas and New Years off.  In the evenings after work, Kevin and I have been working to finish homemade gifts for our families and going to the gym more recently.

Since we have been so busy, I have been relying HEAVILY on my Instant Pot pressure cooker to make my meals of soups, stews, grains, and beans.  My parents came to visit us from across the state to have our Christmas together since Kevin and I are going to his parents this year.  I had crossed my fingers to get two cookbooks I had really wanted.  One was The Thug Kitchen Cookbook (vegan, Nutritarian adaptable, and 100% hilarious), and the other was Jill Nussinows cookbook, The New Fast Food (a nutritarian pressure cooking essential).

I have read through most of The New Fast Food, and all of the recipes sound wonderful, but I dont have some things on hand to make the ones I wanted to try (trying to limit grocery shopping since we are going out of town next week), so I adapted one of her recipes for polenta to create my own.  From her recipe I used her general measurements of corn grits to liquid, and used similar amounts of onion and fresh herbs, although drastically different kinds.  I added the spices that happen to be my favorite found in Mexican cuisine.

Mexican Polenta
Recipe adapted from The New Fast Food by Jill Nussinow, Herbed Polenta recipe
Time: 5 minutes prep, 5 minutes at high pressure, 10 minutes natural pressure release
Servings: 3 main servings, 6 appetizer servings

Ingredients:
        1 bunch sliced green onion (approx. one cup, greens and whites)
        2 tsp minced garlic
        2 cups vegetable broth
        2 cups boiling water
        1 cup corn meal/grits
        1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1 tsp cumin
        1 tsp oregano
        1/2 tsp smoked paprika
        1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
     
        fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions:
1.)  In your pressure cooker, saute the green onion and minced garlic until fragrant (approximately 2-4 minutes), only adding a small amount of water as needed.
2.)  Add in the vegetable broth, boiling water, corn meal, cilantro, and spices.  Stir to mix.
3.)  Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure (manual, high pressure) for 5 minutes.
4.)  After 5 minutes is up, press cancel to stop the warming feature (or remove from heat if you are using a stovetop pressure cooker), and allow for a natural pressure release for 10 minutes.  Quick release any remaining pressure after 10 minutes.
5.)  Stir and serve as is, or place into a glass dish (or dishes) to set.

Amys Notes:
My version of this recipe might not be the prettiest color, but my goodness, the flavors are phenomenal.  After portioning out the polenta into glass dishes, you better believe I licked that bowl clean!

What I love about this recipe is that it doesnt have salt... and you would have never known.  Not that the recipe tastes extra salty, but the green onion, garlic, cilantro, and spices give it such dimension that salt would never be needed.

When I ate more of the polenta the next day, I had it warmed up with fajita black beans, onions, and bell peppers.  Sorry, no picture, but trust me... it was WOW!

For next time, I think I will try making the same recipe, but instead of portioning it out into bowls, I will use my old cookie dough scooper and my silicon non-stick baking mat to make little polenta balls, each to top with a sprinkle of paprika and a sprig of cilantro.  How pretty would that look for an appetizer at a party!?

For tips on how to make this recipe without a pressure cooker, review how to cook stovetop polenta here (dont add the salt, butter, or cheese... obviously ;)).  You may need to add more water while cooking to adjust for evaporation that doesnt occur in pressure cooking.  Also remember that the actual cooking time will be longer than it is for the PC.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

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Mexican Pinto Bean Soup with Carrot Top and Cilantro Chimichurri

I was so excited to pick up my very first Full Circle basket earlier this week!  I decided to start adding a lot more organic foods into my repertoire, and the most affordable and time efficient way of making that happen (before the summer farmers markets come) was to join Full Circle.  They are 100% organic and strive to provide as much local produce as possible.

Full Circle has its roots in CSAs, but in a way that is accessible and affordable for more people.  As of now they are available in California, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Western and Eastern Washington.  They have 4 different sizes/prices of boxes depending on your family size or vegetable/fruit intake.  What I like best about it is that I can see what will be delivered a week in advance and change any of the items to another item from a list of 20 or more.  You can also add some grocery items to your cart from their big list of items, from fruits and veggies, to nuts, grains, and even flowers!

I will let you guys know my opinion of them as time goes on.  This was my box this week:

This week I got apples, carrots, snap peas, tangerines, braising cut greens mix, and cilantro.  I added on extras of kale raab, red chard, and yellow onions.

Overall, Im pretty happy with the quantity and quality of the produce.  The only thing that left something to be desired was the kale raab (very center with yellow tab).  I havent tried it yet, but the bunch was significantly smaller than I was expecting, but braising cut greens mix and red chard made up for it.  Im also super excited to try out the sugar snap peas sometime this week!

Obviously, with all of this fresh organic produce, I just HAD to make something new!  I used some of the carrots, an onion, and the cilantro and carrot top greens in the recipe below.  Hope you enjoy!

Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
Time: 15 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking
Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:
        4 cups filtered water
        4 cups vegetable broth
        3 cups pinto beans (homemade or 2-16 oz cans rinsed and drained)
        2-16 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained (I used petit diced tomatoes)
        1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
        4 medium carrots, peeled if not organic, and chopped
        3 medium celery stalks, chopped
        1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
        1/4 cup chopped green chiles, fresh or canned (optional)
        2 Tbsp tomato paste
        1 Tbsp your favorite no-salt seasoning
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1 tsp cumin
        1 tsp ground coriander
        1 tsp paprika
        1/2 tsp onion powder
        1/2 tsp garlic powder
        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

(Optional creamier soup variation, as pictured)
        1/2 cup cashews
        1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Note that I used tomato paste, pinto beans, and green chiles that I had frozen.  Thats why they look a little funny in my ingredients picture above. ;)

Instructions:

1. Prep all ingredients and add them to a large stovetop pot (except creamier soup ingredients).
2. On medium-high heat, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer.
3. Allow to simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork and the other vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. (Optional Creamier Soup Step) Once the soup is done cooking, scoop a cup or two of the soup into a high powered blender along with the cashews and nutritional yeast.  Blend on high until smooth and creamy.  Add back to the soup and stir to combine.
5. Serve hot and topped off with Carrot Top and Cilantro Chimichurri.

Amys Notes:

When I heated this up to serve the next day.  I added a little bit of leftover quinoa to the mixture and it went over very well with my tried and true taste testers (a.k.a Mom and Dad :)), not to mention, quinoa added a bit more protein to the soup.

If you dont have the ingredients to make the chimichurri below to add to the soup, fresh chopped cilantro will give you a similar taste.

Carrot Top and Cilantro Chimichurri
Time: 10 minutes
Servings: use as a condiment

Ingredients: 

• large bunch carrot tops, stems removed
• bunch cilantro, roughly chopped with the stems removed
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp lime juice (lemon or rice vinegar would work too)

Instructions: 

Combine all ingredients into a food processor.  Process until well combined, but chunky like a pesto.  Serve as a dip, as a spread, in a burrito, or any way that you might use a condiment.  I decided to top my soup off with it.  Mixed in, it complemented the soup perfectly!

Amys Notes:

Who knew that carrot top greens could be so flavorful?!  I think pre-ETL, I probably just would have tossed them thinking that they were inedible.  So happy I found a good use for them for when I get carrots again in my Full Circle box. :)

Here is a picture of the chimichurry mixed into the soup.... Not nearly as pretty, but boy does it taste delicious! 

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