Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts

Tuesday, 22 July 2014

Wheat Tortillas with Mango Salsa

Sometimes I think I need more of a certain kind of food in my life. Ha, you say, when you look at my blog, there is a lot of variation. Fine! At times, though I wish I could have certain things more often. Maybe something like that ...



That was the dish for Mexico I totally forgot to blog for the World Cup. No worries. Yes, at times I wish I could have a bit more Mexican food in my life.
Well then, what do you have to do for these little wheat tortillas with Mango salsa?
Obviously you need to make your own  wheat tortillas.
For that I usually take normal wheat flour, add a pinch of salt and then as much cream as is necessary to make the dough come together. However, it will never be more than 200 ml of cream. Then I never used more than 500 g of flour.
Let the dough rest a bit, then separate the dough into individual portions, roll out little tortillas and dry-fry them.
Make your Mango Salsa with half a cucumber, a hand full of cherry tomatoes, a bunch of fresh coriander, one ripe mango, the juice of one lime, one red chilli, a small red onion and a bit of salt.
It's best to cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise first. Then remove the softer more watery inside with a small spoon. Cut the remaining part into small cubes.
Remove the seeds of the tomatoes and cut into small bits. Finely chop the onion, chilli and coriander. Cut the mango into small pieces as well.
Mix all the ingredients together. Maybe a drop of olive oil will do no harm.
Put a spoonful of the salsa on each ready fried wheat tortilla and enjoy ...

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Mexico: Have a Drink


No, this is no ad. I already told you, I won't have much time today. So, just have a nice cool and refreshing drink for Mexico with a bit of Tequila in it ... maybe have a good friend along, too ...

By the way, don't get any ideas!

Friday, 13 June 2014

Mexican Guacamole and Beef Wraps

You can not avoid it, whether you like it or not. At the moment it's football, on television, radio, in conversations and ... yes ... and food blogs, too. No worries, though, I will focus on the food here. 
Today we are concentrating on Mexico, although it would have been interesting to have some Dutch, Spanish or Cameroonian food. As you know, or maybe not, Mexican is one of my favourite cuisines and it ignited (not just because of the chillies) my interest for cooking in the first place.
Therefore, it's the only right thing to give you some Mexican food today and ... Guacamole and Beef Wraps it will be.



I show them unwrapped to you, so you get a better picture ... or was it just the fact I couldn't stand it any longer to wait to eat the food.

Ingredients:
One ripe avocado
Juice of two limes
3-5 red chillies, finely chopped
3-5 cocktail tomatoes, quartered
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
One small onion, finely chopped
Salt, pepper
Beef steaks
Olive oil
Wheat tortillas
Cheddar cheese
Fresh coriander, chopped up

Method:
First of all marinate the beef for at  least half an hour. Oh, yes, of course, with the following, the juice of one lime, a splash of olive oil, 1-2 garlic cloves, 2-3 red chillies, salt and pepper.
Then go for the guacamole. Spoon out the flesh from your avocado and mix it together with the remaining lime juice, chillies and garlic and while we are at it, the tomatoes and onion. Season according to your taste with salt and pepper.
Now, after the beef has marinated enough, cook the meat with some more olive oil in a pan. Leave to rest afterwards and cut into pieces.
If you haven't made fresh wheat tortillas for yourself, you need to heat them up a bit now. Spread some of the guacamole on each tortilla and add a few pieces of beef. Grate over some cheddar cheese and be generous with some fresh coriander.



Ready to eat. Fold it once and eat quickly or bother to wrap things up properly and eat. Don't forget to enjoy it. If it's too hot, you are too weak or you simply need to use less chillies.

Here we go again with Bloggers Around the World: World Cup 2014 Brazil.



Additionally I will send this post over to Karen's (Lavender and Lovage) Cooking with Herbs, which is hosted this month on Lancashire food.


Cooking with Herbs Lavender and Lovage

Friday, 28 March 2014

Burn, Burn, Burn ... Chilli Sauce, Beef Enchiladas, Chilli con Carne and ... Burn

Knock, knock, knock! Anybody home?

Silence!

I doubt it very much that anyone is home. In fact, I can't possibly be home ... at least I don't feel like it.

Pondering! Pondering! Pondering ... Error!!!

Yep, that doesn't get us anywhere. Am I crazy? I'd say, we had that subject already. So?
Fine, as things seem right now, I'm not getting anywhere soon myself, am rather tied down.
Anything we can do about it? I think I've got an idea, I am going to let things burn, burn, burn ... burn ...

For this I am going to need some chillies. Right, that could be a problem again, because it is not so easy to get nice chillies around here in the shops and if you can't even dare to think about it. Now you start to see what's wrong here.
Anyway, at least I have some dried chillies and a few home-grown windowsill chillies.

Let's burn it then and have some ...

1st burning: Chilli sauce

Ingredients:
6 tomatoes (tinned tomatoes, if you like)
2 red fresh chillies
2 dried chillies
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
A splash of olive oil
500 ml chicken or beef stock
Salt
Vinegar
Sugar

Method:
Chop up the tomatoes, chillies, onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a pan and let the 'chopped ups' have a taste of it. When that flavour has reached your nose add the stock to the pan, bring it to the boil and then let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Finally adjust the seasoning with the salt, vinegar and sugar. If you don't like a coarse chilli sauce, arrange a meeting with the blender.
Here you go.

What now? Let it burn some more ...

2nd burning: Beef Enchiladas


Ingredients:
Chilli sauce
Wheat tortillas (make your own with 500 g wheat flour, 1 tsp. salt, 100 ml cream and a bit of water)
A splash of oil
500 g minced beef
1 onion, chopped up 
100 g sweetcorn
1 red bell pepper, chopped up
Grated cheese
Sour cream

Method:
So, what have you decided? Are you going to do your own wheat tortillas? Just mix the above mentioned ingredients (flour, salt, cream, water) in a bowl. Use just enough water that you get a nice, non-sticking dough. Portion it into 12-16 balls of dough, cover them and  let them rest for about 30 minutes. Then briefly bake them in a dry pan on both sides. We don't want the tortillas to be brown, but still soft and flexible.
In another pan you fry the beef, onions, sweet corn and bell pepper. Yes, exactly in that order ... eh ... that is, once the beef is browned add the other ingredients.
Let's assemble! Paint the tortillas on both sides with the chilli sauce. Place some of the filling on each tortilla, roll them up and place them tightly in an oven-proof dish. Get some more chilli sauce on top of those tortillas. We want to have it properly burning. Finally grate some cheese over it ... in fact, grate a lot of cheese over it and place it in the pre-heated oven to melt the cheese ... yes ... properly.
Serve the beef enchiladas with a good dollop of sour cream and if you have to with a salad on the side.


No, it isn't over yet ...

... a bit later, we let it burn yet once again ...

3rd burning: Chilli con Carne

Ingredients:
Chilli sauce
Beef enchilada filling
1 tin of kidney beans
Rice, tortillas or ... whatever you like

Method:
Ha ha ha ha ... oh ... sorry ... mix the chilli sauce with the beef enchilada filling and the kidney beans and heat it up to eating temperature and ... don't ask me, why I didn't have any beans in the enchilada filling in the first place.
Serve it with rice, tortillas or something completely different. Your call!

Is that all? I would say so, but there is still one thing left to do. There is no way around it, there is still the need to let it burn one more time ...

4th burning: Whatever you want to call it ... burning pancakes maybe

Ingredients:
Chilli con Carne
Pancakes (flour, milk, egg, salt)
1 egg, beaten up (go for it!)
Some grated parmesan
A lot of breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Some mayonnaise
A splash of caramel sauce


Method:
Get your lovely pancakes. At least, I hope they are. Now place some of the chilli con carne on each pancake and ... eh ... fold them, roll them tightly together in a way that minimizes the chances that any of the filling drips out. I'd say, fold a bit in on two sides and then roll up tightly ... that is, if you get what I am trying to convey.
Anyway, on one plate you have the egg ready and on another one the breadcrumbs mixed with the Parmesan. Roll the pancakes in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Try to get as much of the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on it as possible.
Meanwhile your oil in your frying pan has turned ... eh ... burning hot, so that you can fry your pancakes.
Before you can make a mess by eating the finished product, we have to make a little dip for the pancakes. Swirl a bit of caramel sauce into your mayonnaise and ... there you go.

Stuffed!

Now I had quite some yummy food that made me feel like home for a while ...

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Bloggers Around the World: Mexican Round-up ... we travel on and on and ...

It's time already ... time that we pull down our tents, travel on and pitch them up somewhere else.
Hey, not so fast, gringo!
We are not going anywhere before we had a look at what we accomplished last month at our stop in Mexico. Was it hot enough? At least I was in need of some heat and still could use some more. Gladly my brain didn't freeze through while being outside.
Let us check it all out then ...


... where shall we start? Maybe with the microwave nachos recipe we never received?
Ah, that wouldn't make sense. Right, the same is true to me at times.
Alright, let us search for some spice then ...

Who could do this better than Corina from Searching for Spice! She brought along a beautiful Mexican Chicken Stew. There is something special hidden in it as well: chocolate. If you like to know, how it turned out, well, you know what to do.

Mexican Chicken Stew (500x397)

Elizabeth from the Law Student's Cookbook was enjoying our trip so much, she kept on travelling. Yessss, that's the spirit! However, it took her quite some time to cook up something lovely for us. No, that wasn't meant negative in any way. I didn't say she tried so long until she finally managed to cook something nice.
The name of her dish, Slow Cooker Machaca, explains everything. It took 8 hours to cook, slowly, but surely. Elizabeth shows you there is no excuse to have some freshly home-cooked meal after a full day at work.

IMG_8558

Now, after having some nice and spicy stew and everything, we switch over to Galina at Chez Maximka and have some cake, some Mexican inspire cake to be precise - after all we want to be precise. Do you want to have a piece of her delicious Orange Polenta Cake?


I'm afraid it's all gone by now. No problem, do your own.

Did I miss anything? If so, let me know ... wait, I'm just getting something in ...

Ah, wonderful, it's some more pudding from Choclette and her Chocolate Log Blog.


Some call it "sex on a plate", but Choclette prefers to call it Mexican Chocolate Pudding with Chilli and Lime Mango Slices. To see what it is all about and to find out about the "sensuousness" of this love-ly pudding you have to check it out.

You know, how things in life are, just when you think it's over, it isn't. No worries! Need a drink. Why not have a margarita!? That is also what Caroline from Caroline Makes ... thought. After she was 'slightly' disappointed on how the recipe for Mexican chocolate mole turned out, she needed a drink, kind of. You can't go wrong with that one ...


Thank you everyone for putting in such a great effort to join our cooking trip around the world!!! It's really fun travelling with all of you!

However, we seem to have problems at the border. Are we somehow jinxed? Well, I don't know anything about that. Let's head over to 8&Ruth and see, what feast Ruth has prepared for us ...


This ceviche is only part of it ... there is more ...
 
What was I doing the last month to support our cause? Let's see ...

First of all, Pimiento Mexicano con Huevos

 

You can have it for breakfast or for whenever you like or ...


... you can use the leftovers to have pizza ...


... or soup, tortilla soup that is.

Now that you have seen it all, we can move on. But where? To the North, East, South or West? Hm .... I would say ... hm ... we might go ... North to the US of America and have some American food. What do you think? Is that a deal?
It has to be, because that is where we are going. But what will we be cooking? That is up to you. Maybe you are thinking of bagels, doughnuts or pancakes.
Or maybe there is a Mexican dish you missed to turn in this time and want to sell it as being from Texas, no worries ... hm, as I think about it. This month seems to be some kind of a joker, since there are so many people living in America that are originally from all over the world, we could end up with simply anything.
Whatever, feel also free to post something that you feel is absolutely American. I have some books to check. 
Is anyone doing a New York Cheesecake? We will see.

Just one more thing to take along ... rules:

  1. Leave a comment with a link to your post here in this very post, below. 
  2. Link to my blog and this challenge in your post.  
  3. Use the "Bloggers Around the World" badge (the one you find at the beginning and end of this post).  
  4. You can use a new or an old post, but it has to be adjusted accordingly (you know, all the linking). 
  5. Have fun and enjoy it!
Oh, what am I going to do, I better find some time to do a few things ... time always flys when you are enjoying yourself.
OK, since it is so easy for you this time, why don't you challenge me on how many entries I can put together in one round-up ...


Friday, 1 February 2013

Mexican Leftover Management: Tortilla Soup and Pizza

We managed already one month of 2013. What do you think? So far it was pretty much the same as in 2012. Well, there have been a few negative changes over the past few days, but ... it's always better to focus on the positive aspects of life ... hm ... like food, for example Mexican food.
You have still have nearly half a month to participate in the current Bloggers Around The World with the theme Mexico. As I was preparing my own entry the other day, Pimiento Mexicano con Huevos, I promised you to tell you what I did with the leftovers I had.



That pizza was one thing. In fact it was quite easy. Just prepare you usual pizza dough and then top it with the leftover Pimiento Mexicano con Huevos. Well, it was not exactly what I did. There were a few more ... eh ... special things I did.
First of all I substituted the semolina flour I usually add to my pizza dough with corn flour. Fine, this was the main thing. I also added a bit more cheese and sprinkled a bit of black pepper and olive oil on top. Now, that's all!
This pizza was quite nice and enjoyable. What a shame I can't have pizza right now. Maybe next week again ...
Now it happened also to be the case that there were leftover tortillas. In fact that was already kind of cunningly schemed beforehand. I wanted to have a tortilla soup.


Here is how you could do it as well ...

Ingredients:
50 g bacon, chopped into small bits
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red chili, finely chopped
4 wheat tortillas, cut into stripes
500 ml beef stock
Salt
50 g grated cheese

Method:
To start with we slightly brown the bacon, onion and chili together in our pot.
Then we add the stripes of the wheat tortillas and pour over the beef stock. Season the soup according to your taste and bring to the boil.
Ready! You can fill the soup into individual bowls. Toss in some grated cheese and put it either briefly under the grill or if you don't have one, just go for it ...


Have you noticed something else in connection with this blog? Well, maybe you can check it later, but on Monday it will be one year after my first post. Just saying!

Sunday, 20 January 2013

Pimiento Mexicano con Huevos

It's time to turn up the heat and have some Mexican food. After all we are already having entries for this month's Bloggers Around the World. Either everyone is turning to have more time or it is an easier theme this month or even both.
Anyhow, I already prepared a few things to share with you this month. After all this theme is kind of special to me, but we have to wait until after the cooking before I disclose some further facts about me ... this time in connection with Mexico and Mexican food.
The main stars of the following recipe are bell pepper and eggs.


Let's go for it then ...

We need:
Splash of olive oil
1 red onion, finely copped
1 yellow, red , and greed bell pepper respectively, cut into stripes
2 red chilies, finely chopped
2 tbs tomato puree
100 ml cream
100 grated cheese 
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

We do:
Gently fry the onion a little bit and then add the bell peppers together with the chilies and then sauté them for about 15 minutes.
At this point add the tomato puree and cream and let go for another 10 minutes.
Now you add the cheese, spoon it through and let the cheese melt. That shouldn't take too long.
Finally add the eggs and let things on heat until the eggs are also warmed a bit. Once more, that shouldn't take too long.
Serve together with some wheat tortillas, which can be easily prepared by yourself as well. You just need flour, salt, cream and water to make the dough.
Dig in!


So far about my entry for Bloggers Around the World: Mexico. However, I can tell you, that I had leftovers. What I did with them I'll tell you later.


Now again some facts:
  1. The first  cookbook I ever bought was about Mexican food.
  2. That was what started my interest in cooking. 
  3. Sometimes I turn on Mexican music, when I'm cooking Mexican food.
  4. It would not sound too nice, if I would sing along.
  5. I have been to Mexico once. 
  6. I stayed for about 5 minutes and took me longer to get out then in.
  7. I would like to go to Mexico, properly at another time to see some ancient ruins.
  8. There is also a book I have about the Maya ruins and at one point I even thought of becoming an archaeologist.
  9. My Spanish could use some polishing up.
  10. Enchiladas belong to my favourite foods.
So, here we are already at the end of this post. Have you made up your mind yet and decided what you are going to cook for the Mexican themed Bloggers Around the World? Or what do you think can be done with the lefovers of Pimiento Mexicano con Huevos?

Sunday, 13 January 2013

Bloggers Around the World: Caribbean Round-up and New Challenge

Did I mention to shut down this blog? I would say that was a total misunderstanding. What shall I say? At times I don't even understand myself.
I know, however, that it's time again for another Bloggers Around the World round-up.
Therefore, without any further ado I bring you the December/January round-up of Bloggers Around the World: The Caribbean ...


Depending on the area were you live on our wonderful planet, you may feel like Elizabeth from the The Law Student's Cookbook. She would rather trade ice scraping of her windscreen with putting on sunscreen. I can only agree with that, although I hardly use sunscreen even when there is sun.
Anyway, have a closer look at this sunny and warming Jamaican Curry from the Law Student's Cookbook.

IMG_8428

Thank you, Elizabeth, for taking part. Well, I don't know about you, I can already feel the sun coming.
If that's not sufficient to bring you in the mood, I like to remind you have a few things I did here on my blog a few days ago.



There was this dessert that was created from a cocktail ... the Paradise Cocktail Dessert. If that doesn't help towards the sun ... at least if you would have five in a row ... well, it would make a difference ... or rather change things ... in your head it is.
In that post I disclose a few things from my past life ... and I might go on with that in the next post of this series.
Not dwelling too long on the aforementioned thought I like to draw you attention to a warming soup: Sopa de elote.



As far as I know, soups help in cold weather. Therefore I also have a few more soups ready at my disposal.
For now we are through with the Caribbean round-up for Bloggers Around the World ...
... that is at least what I thought, but ...
... there is one more ... eh ... soup, that reached us and I don't want it to go unnoticed. Ruth from 8&Ruth kept fighting and finally brought as a quite greenish ... eh, green vegetable soup, that has written Jamaica on it. Have a look and see, whether you notice ...



Where shall we turn next?
I know at least were some would like to go, but ... somehow my mind is already fixed concerning the next stop. I hope, all the fuss about the Maya calendar last year didn't make you feel bad about the Maya and you don't mind to go to Mexico.

Yes, that's our next stop: Mexico. I guess you know what that means and you don't need any further rules as to that. I only hope, we will turn up the heat considerable ... chilies, you know!

I don't want to forget to remind you of a few things (rules):

  1. Leave a comment with a link to your post here in this very post, below. 
  2. Link to my blog and this challenge in your post.  
  3. Use the "Bloggers Around the World" badge (the one you find at the beginning and end of this post).  
  4. You can use a new or an old post, but it has to be adjusted accordingly (you know, all the linking). 
  5. Have fun and enjoy it!
Get your chilies, chocolate and whatever you need ready and start cooking or baking something lovely Mexican ...


Monday, 23 July 2012

Quick Mexican snack - Quesadillas with Guacamole

At times I have a longing for Mexican food. However, there is no Mexican restaurant nearby. No worries! No big deal! Just do it yourself - as so often. Besides that making quesadillas is dead simple and doesn't take much time.  
If you have wheat tortillas, guacamole, and some nice cheese (cheddar maybe) it is really assembled in no time.
Heat some oil in a pan and place one of the tortillas in it. Spread your guacamole over it.

Bravely go on and grate some lovely cheese over it. Be generous - that is if you like cheese as much as I do.
Aftewards we go on and place a second tortilla on it. It's really that simple. 
Once the bottom tortilla has turned brown (if it starts to smell strangely in your kitchen, you waited too long), carefully turn the tortillas around to finish the other side. 
­
That would be it. However, somehow I have the feeling that there should be more. 
Of course, you can prepare the wheat tortillas yourself. Just make sure, they get big enough.
As to the guacamole, it would be really lovely, if you do it yourself. It's also quite easy and trouble free to make.
Just take a ripe avocado and half it. Remove the stone (by the way I just found an interesting article, I want to try next time I have an avocado here: planting an avocado treehttp://www.wikihow.com/Plant-an-Avocado-Tree - always like experimenting and I simply love watching how things grow). When you have removed the stone, you can spoon out the fruit and mash it up in a small bowl. You mix it then with a finely chopped onion, chilli, salt, pepper, two tomatoes, one clove of garlic and a bit of vinegar and oil. That's all!

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Mexican pork'n'something stew

Well, well, well, I don't know. I bought this pork meat the other day, cut into cubes. I wanted to try some special Vietnamese dish. Good! It would take some two hours or more prep time before I can start with the actual cooking. OK! 
But I didn't have that time actually. Bad!
Now what to do with the meat before it goes of? Maybe something Greek? Do I have a recipe or an idea somewhere? No!
What does the Caribbean cookbook say? That would be nice, won't it? Nothing! Oh well, not exactly right. It said something like: "Leave the meat to marinate for about four days ..." Great!
Mexican? Oh, that comes close. But, there is one tiny little thing, I don't exactly have all the ingredients mentioned there. Forget it! Just go roughly by it.
What then could be used in this Mexican pork stew?

Ingredients (if you have, or simply use what you like - he he he):
one large onion finely chopped
two cloves of garlic finely chopped
80 ml oil
500 g pork in cubes
80 g rice
400 g t  tinned tomatoes
500 ml of chicken stock
500 g peeled potatoes cut into, eh, cubes
two oranges
a good splash of Tequila
salt, cayenne pepper
one yellow chili
two tablespoons of peanut butter
100 ml cream
2 tablespoons of runny honey


What then to do with this strange(?) round up?


Preparation:
Heat up the oil and fry the onions and the garlic until it becomes translucent or something like that. Then add the meat and the rice and brown it slightly.
If you have achieved this pour in the tomatoes and the chicken stock. Season it and add the splash of Tequila (if you can manage with your conscience, have one Tequila added to yourself as well - or leave it).
All this you simmer now for approx. 30 minutes. When you feel like it or about after that aforementioned 30 minutes throw in the potatoes and the oranges (not as a whole - use your imagination). 
Let everything cook for a further 25 minutes. Finally, right at the end, before everything is ready, once you decided it should be over now ... put in the cream, peanut butter and honey. Mix well, briefly bring it to the boil ... and then serve it.


It might look like this ... or not!




As you might have noticed you can garnish it with some parsley ... or take coriander if you have some (feels more Mexican).

Thursday, 10 May 2012

... and it is still burning!

I really don't know what is going on. What is this going to be? Garnachas! Have you heard about it before. This is a Mexican dish, usually eaten as an appetiser. I used to make them back then (whatever that is supposed to mean). Anyway, when you have read my past posts, I mentioned something about an old notebook and trying certain recipes when I was younger. Here goes another one. I did these garnachas once with a younger friend of mine. He was still going to school at that time and, of course, was living with his parents. They called these garnachas "Hu hus" or something like that, resembling the sound you would make with your mouth trying to cool down the heat.
Whatsoever, that was not the point I wanted to get to. Somehow it seems for the last few weeks, my "culinary life" is just passing by before me again. Whatever that is supposed to mean (oh oh).
Now it's time for chillies.

Garnachas with tomato-apple salsa


That is how we want it to look like, or similar. At least, this is the rough direction.
But how do we get there?

For the tortilla dough you need:
500 g flour
a pinch of salt
100 ml single cream
lukewarm water until the dough is dough

Mix all the ingredients together for the dough, but only enough water for it to be as it should be: smooth, elastic dough. So, time for workout again. We really should do this more often. Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes. That leaves you with all the time in the world to get your salsa ready. Well, you have only 30 minutes, but this should be enough, that is if you are not totally ... it should be sufficient time.

For the salsa you need:
1-2 red apples (as you like it)
250 g of tomatoes
one red chili (fresh or dried)
a small handful of mixed nuts
a bunch of chives
a bunch of coriander
juice of one lime
a good glug of olive oil
salt 


A salsa that is quite similar to this I found in the book "Jamie's America" (If you like you can have a look. Maybe you prefer his salsa. No worries!).
Remove the core from the apples and cut it into small cube like bits. The tomatoes want to be cut into small pieces as well. When talking about the chili the small pieces part applies as well ... and for the nuts and for the chives and for the coriander. Before throwing all these small pieces together, roast the nuts for a few minutes in a dry pan. You get a nice nutty - no not what you think - smell.
As I said mix the small bits and pieces together, add the juice of the lime and the olive oil and season with a bit of salt. Taste it! How is it? Maybe you can adjust it still with a bit more lime juice or salt.
Are the 30 minutes over yet? Then you can go on. We are getting closer.


Now you need:
200 g of feta cheese
one red onion, finely chopped
chili sauce
one extra lime


As for the chili sauce, you can buy it ready or you can try a recipe from the book "Jamie's America". That is what I did some time ago, so I knew I still had some nice chili sauce left for this recipe. Or still you may have another preferred recipe for it.
Divide your dough into, let's say, 16 small balls. Flatten them to about 0,5 cm and make them as round as you can/want. Then fry them from both sides, maybe four at the same time, in a large dry hot pan. They don't need to get totally brown and crispy - just a touch of it.
While that is happening you can pre-heat your oven to 180°C.
When you have finished with the frying, dip the blank garnachas in the chili sauce. If you don't like it THAT hot, just sprinkle a bit of the sauce on them.
Place the drenched garnachas on a baking tray layered with baking paper. Put some of the red onion and a bit of feta cheese on each one. Bake in the oven until the cheese has started to melt. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes. If you like to use other cheese, just feel free to do so. That may even go faster.
Once the melting is ready, remove the tray from the oven and serve the garnachas with some of the salsa on top and with a wedge of lime to it.

Dig in!

Honestly (I always do my best to be), the whole thing was quite hot (dried chillies bring more heat)!However, what do they say: "A chili a day keeps the doctor away!" (Or was it something else?!?)

... and it is still burning!

Monday, 16 April 2012

Ouzo Cookies

I must be out of my mind. One minute I thought, now would be the time to retire for the night and get enough sleep, next minute I'm in the kitchen and prepare cookies with aniseed schnapps. Maybe this would be a good recipe for a cookbook: "The drunken baker". It should be next to the Scottish whisky cake. This reminds me of a sketch comedy I once was forced to perform at a wedding. It was about baking the Scottish whisky cake. In between testing the whisky was necessary, which resulted - of course - in deteriorating speech quality.
Anyway, here I am in the kitchen preparing this cookies using up all my leftover Ouzo from the bar. Actually, the following is a Mexican recipe. Nevertheless I have refrained from using chillies in any form (but maybe I shouldn't have).

Ingredients:
250 g butter
250 g icing sugar
500 g flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
90 ml of aniseed schnapps (Ouzo, I didn't want to use the Ricard)
Juice of one lime (you may try as well lemon or orange, using also the zest)
Vanilla sugar for icing

Method:
Whisk together the butter and the sugar until it gets creamy, sort of. Then add the bit by bit the flour, the schnapps, the juice, and the cinnamon. Don't put all ingredients in at once. Always mix together in between. Then form a nice ball of dough, which you can roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1 cm. If you have time you can also let the dough rest for half an hour, wrapped in cling film, in the fridge. I didn't bother though.
Then I used a small cup to cut out the cookies. If you have a more professional way, just do it. You could use even different shapes. I kept it simple, though. Arrange the cookies nicely on a baking tray. The oven should be heated up to 220°C by now. Transfer the tray to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. This is if you trust your oven. What you want to achieve are nice and golden cookies. Therefore the time might be longer or shorter.
Once the cookies have the appearance you want them to have, remove them from the oven and let them cool down. A good opportunity to go for a short walk with the dog.
When you are back (that is, if you have a dog). You can sprinkle the cookies with vanilla sugar.
And remember: Don't eat this cookies and drive! That is if you eat all the cookies on your own in one go. Whatsoever, I don't know anyone who would do this, do I?

Finally, if you try them, let me know whether you like them or if they should be any different!