Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

We love Mexican & Tex-Mex food and in fact it features quite frequently  on our menu. (More like an obsession haha. We make our own tortillas too using our tortillera (tortilla press). Burritos, Enchiladas and  Tacos are certainly one of our favourites. I love very hot food and Amanda likes it medium, so I always add more chilli sauce to my tacos. Enchiladas are so delicious as they are baked so you have the delicious golden melted cheddar, that bit of crispy tortilla...oh dear...drooling right now...we love serving them with sour cream and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves as they add a fresh contrast to the chilli. So give them a go...you will love them...you will need...

• 400g Lean beef mince
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 8 corn or wheat tortillas
• 100g mature cheddar, grated
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mild (eg. Ancho) or hot (eg. Habanero) chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (regular oregano will do)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Sea salt & ground black pepper.
• 200ml water

For the sauce

• 300ml passata
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

To serve

• Sour cream
• Chopped coriander leaves

How to..

1. Start by preparing the sauce. On low heat, heat the oil and add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika and stir well until fragrant. About 45 seconds. Add the passata, vinegar and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. In a shallow pan on high heat, heat some vegetable oil and add the lean beef mince and brown well until dry. Add the bell pepper, the chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder, sweet paprika, oregano and the water and cook until mixture dries out. Turn off the heat.
3. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 45 seconds. Fill the tortilla with the mince mixture, roll them up like pancakes and line them up in a rectangular oven dish. Pour the sauce on top and grate the cheese. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
4. Serve with some sour cream and chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Amanda's Potato Salad

I remember when back in Malta we used to do a lot of BBQ's at our place or our friends' place and we (well Amanda) always used to prepare this delicious potato salad for everyone. It was our specialty and everyone loved it. My brother was one of its massive fans. Needless to say that it will be a great accompaniment to every BBQ dish whether it's a delicious steak or some crispy grilled veggies. It also can be made up to to 2 days in advance and stored covered tightly in the fridge. Give it a go and you will definitely try it again! You will need...

• 500g potatoes
• 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
• 180ml (1/2 cup) mayonnaise
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and chop them up into equal pieces (so they cook evenly). Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the chopped potatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer goes through. Drain, set aside and let it cool down to room temperature (we spread them on a tray and put them by an opened window to speed up the cooling process).
2. In a blender or food processor, add the mayonnaise, egg and vinegar and blend until you get a smooth mixture. Transfer it into a large bowl. Add the potatoes and chopped onion to the large bowl and mix slowly until the all the potatoes are covered in the mayonnaise mixture.
3. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley just before serving.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Iraqi Lamb & Aubergine Stew - Merqat Kharuf Baytinjan - خروف العراقي والحساء الباذنجان

Yet another Arabic recipe. This sweet and tangy stew is delicious. It comes from Iraq and the two ingredients that definitely make the difference are the pomegranate molasses also known as pomegranate sauce and the Baharat spice blend. The pomegranate molasses is basically reduced pomegranate juice and you can buy it from Middle Eastern markets/shops or the world food aisle at the supermarket (in England). The Baharat spice blend is a complex spice blend that varies from family to family, shop to shop and/or country to country that can be bought online but we do our own. We also used fresh local lamb bought from our butcher as it is tastier and more tender but frozen lamb would do just fine. So do give it a go. You will need...

• Coarse salt
• 1 large Aubergine (about 600g), sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 1/4 cup (60ml) plus 2½ tbsp vegetable oil
• Half leg of fresh lamb, cut in large pieces
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup (about 120ml) pomegranate molasses/sauce
• 1/2 cup (about 80g) dried yellow split peas, soaked in cold water for 12 hours
• 4 dried red chillies
• 2 tsp baharat spice blend (see recipe below)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 8 small pita breads, warmed, to serve

Baharat spice blend 

• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves        

Mix the spices in an airtight jar and store in a dry and dark place.

Method

1.  Put the aubergine cubes in a colander & sprinkle with the rock salt & leave for about 30 minutes until the bitter juices run out.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, turning once, until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 10 minutes. Add 3 litres of water, the pomegranate molasses, split peas, dried chillies, baharat and coriander and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, skimming and stirring a few times.

3.  Rinse the aubergine and pat dry. In a large non-stick pan, heat 11/2 tbsp of the oil. Fry the aubergine in 3 batches, adding more oil if necessary. Add the aubergine to the lamb and simmer over low heat, stirring, until the lamb is tender, about 45 minutes.

4.  Transfer the lamb onto a plate and remove the meat from any bones and cut into 1-inch pieces. Boil the stew over high heat, skimming, until the liquid has reduced to about 750ml, this will take about 40 minutes or less.

5.  Return the lamb to the stew, season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir. Serve with the pita bread or boiled rice.

Enjoy!!

R&A

BBQ T-Bone Steak with Potatoes & Cherry Tomatoes

BBQ season is upon us! In my honest opinion nothing beats a good cut of beef on the BBQ. T-Bone steak is  my favourite cut because being on the bone, leaves it so succulent and it basically it's a combination of beef fillet and sirloin steak. When I cook it, I usually do not serve a lot with it a lot of stuff but this time I decided to marinate it and accompany it with a quick potato & cherry tomato 'stir-fry'. We used a good quality BBQ sauce to marinade the steak in, which gave it its smoky caramelised taste. SO if you feel like something different on your BBQ, give this a go! :) For 2 people you will need...

• 2 T-Bone steaks, about 500g each
• Good quality BBQ sauce or marinade

For the stir-fry

• 1 large potato, diced and parboiled
• A handful of cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Salt & pepper
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Marinate the steak the day before and leave it in the fridge. The longer the marination time the better the taste.
2. Prepare the stir-fry. In a wok or a deep frying pan, heat the oil and add the potato, cherry tomatoes, thyme and salt & pepper to taste. Stir fry for a couple of minutes and lower the heat. Add the BBQ sauce and toss to coat the veg. Mix well and cook for another couple of minutes.
3. You can serve this stir-fry hot or cold.
4. Before cooking the steak, get the steak out of the fridge and leave to rest, it is important that before cooking the steak gets to get to room temperature so it cooks evenly! Fire up the BBQ or grill pan if you like and oh high heat, cook the steak to your liking. If you have a meat thermometer, rare meat is cooked at about 48°C, medium rare is cooked at about 51°C and medium at about 54°C. I strongly suggest you do not cook the cut of meat well done as it will dry it out. When done cooking let the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes.
5. Serve with the hot or cold stir fry!!

Enjoy!!

R&A