Tex Mex Fiesta!

Being married to an American I have been able to pinch a few recipes from my husband. It would be fair the claim them as my own, but I do always help when we are having a Tex Mex night for our friends…and I’m always in charge of the Honeymoon Cocktails!!!!


Serves 4 people
Preparation Time 1 ½ Hours
Cooking Time 40 mins

Buy two bags of tortilla chips, any flavor it's up to you!

Summer Salsa

Ok so this is a lot of chopping but I could eat a whole bowl of this myself..and it’s healthy to. You could serve this on the side with some grilled chicken or pork…it would work equally well.

5 tomatoes – peeled, seeded
1 mango – peeled, stoned
¼ galia or cantaloupe melon
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
½ large red onion
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves grated
30g pickled jalepenos
2 roasted green chillies – peeled, seeded
Handful of chopped coriander

Cut all the ingredients into a small dice and combine into a large bowl.
Add the zest and juice of the lime
Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
Test and season with salt and pepper if necessary
Refrigerate until ready to eat

Gorgeous Guacamole


Really fresh, this tastes nothing like the over produced store bought guacamole…

3 large ripe avocados
½ large red onion – finely diced
2 plum tomatoes – skinned, seeded and chopped
1 green chilli, roasted, skinned, deseeded and chopped
10g of pickled jalepenos chopped
Handful of coriander leaves finely chopped
2 clove of garlic minced / grated
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of 2 limes
Salt and ground pepper to taste

1. Stone and mash the avocado in a mixing bowl
2. Fold in gently the other ingredients
3. Season and transfer to serving dish
4. Refrigerate until ready to eat

Beans, Beans and More Beans Dip

Really simple these beans will have you dipping over and over again…but remember to leave room for your enchiladas!!!!

225g Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
2 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 handful of finely chopped coriander
120g cheddar cheese grated
Salt & Pepper

1. Soften the onions in 1/2 the butter in a large non stick frying pan.
2. Add beans and mash with a potato masher in with the onions.
3. Add cumin, salt and pepper and cook beans down until they take on a ‘mushy’ appearance
4. Add cheese and melt into beans.
5. Lastly add coriander and serve hot.

Jody’s Enchiladas

These have been hit every time we’ve served them..in fact our friends ask us if they are having the tex-mex night when we throw dinner parties because they love it so much!!!

8 boneless chicken thighs – used breast if you can’t get thighs

For the marinade
6 limes zest and juice
1 lemon zest and juice
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
3 garlic cloves grated
Ground black pepper
Handful of chopped coriander
Salt

For the filling

1 red bell pepper sliced

1 yellow bell pepper sliced

1 green bell pepper sliced
1 large yellow onion sliced
2 garlic cloves grated
2 x 295g condensed cream of chicken soup
12 Flour Tortillas
225ml Fresh Soured Cream
230g mixed cheese (Monterey Jack and Cheddar is a good mix)
50g Green pickled Jalapeno Peppers chopped

1 roasted green chilli, skinned, deseeded and chopped

1 roasted red chilli, skinned, deseeded and chopped
Olive Oil

1. Marinade the chicken thighs in all the marinade ingredients for at least 2 hours.

2. Heat a grill pan and char grill the chicken, reserving the marinade – you don’t need to cook it fully it will be finished in the sauce later.
3. Heat the oven to 350 deg F.
4. Take the chicken and shred into small pieces. Reserve to one side.
5. In a frying pan heat a little olive oil. Fry the peppers, garlic, and onion until they begin to soften.
6. Add the chicken back to the pan with the marinade and roasted chilli and continue to cook until marinade is very hot – remember this has had raw chicken in it.
7. Take off heat and put to one side
8. In a large mixing bowl combine the soured cream, soup, pickled jalepenos,
9. In a large oblong casserole dish put a little of the sauce and spread over base.
10. Lay a tortilla out and smear a layer of sauce, put a line of the chicken mixture and a little cheese and then roll up and place in casserole dish. Repeat until casserole full. Cover the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce and cover with cheese.
11. Place in the oven for approx 30 mins until top is golden and melted.

Honeymoon Cocktail

We were lucky to be able to take our honeymoon at Villa Casa Bella in St Thomas in the USVI. I made this cocktail in ‘large’ quantities to drink by the pool…we rarely left the villa!!!!

200ml tequila
140ml triple sec or contreau
1 litre of tropical juice
Lots of ice


Combine all the ingredients in a large jug, stir, pour and drink….make sure you have another litre of juice for a second round!!!

Sun Choked Chicken Penne

I've said before that my husband would eat pasta any night of the week, however it will never be my favourite. With guests coming around this evening I was looking for something other than the regular tomato based sauce that we normally have. This is super quick and makes use of that store time saver, the pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. We'll be having my Garlic bread and some salad. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie-cooked chicken de-skinned and shredded
• 2 green onions finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 jar (8oz) sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
• 1 jar (12oz) marinated artichoke quarters, drained
• Cracked black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1lb favourite dried pasta

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente and drain
3. Whilst pasta is cooking gently fry the green onions and garlic until softened in the olive oil in a large frying pan.
4. Add the chilli flakes, orgegano, sundried tomatoes and artichokes and cook for a minute
5. Add the shredded chicken and cook until heated through
6. Add the chicken stock and heat through
7. Add the Cream and heat through
8. Add the chopped parsley and 1/2 cup of parmesan and cook until the cheese has melted.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste
10. Combine with the penne and then put into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top
11. Cook in the oven for 20 mintutes.

Serve with some salad and garlic bread

Chicken, Spinach & Blue Cheese Pasta Sauce

My friend Anne is staying with me and this is one of the first dishes I ever made her...it's quick, super tasty and you can pretend it's good for you because of the spinach!!

Serves 4
Prep Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
• 3 large chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 bag baby spinach leaves (170g)
• 1 tsp dried Herbs de Provence
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 8oz (227g) low fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy (double) cream
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1/3 cup of chopped fresh herbs (I grow Thyme, Basil and Oregano at home so I mixed these)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. In a large non stick saucepan heat the olive oil on a medium heat and then add the garlic & onion and saute for 5 mins, stirring to prevent burning.
2. Add the chicken, salt & pepper, lemon zest and herbs de provence, cook for an additional 5 mins
3. Add the sour cream, heavy cream and blue cheese. Cook down for an additional 5 mins. The cream should reduce by half
4. Add the spinach and herbs and cover for the last 5 minutes, stirring half way through. The spinach will wilt down, don't worry if it looks alot!

Serve with some penne or spaghetti and some Garlic Garlic Garlic Bread

Enjoy

Lemony Chicken

This goes great with the Mediterranean couscous, but is great with salad to..

Serves 4 people
Preparation Time 5 mins
Cooking Time 10 mins


Ingredients

• 4 Chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• Juice and Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper

1. Slice the chicken breasts in large goujons
2. Combine all the other ingredients and leave for 20-30 mins to marinade
3. Heat a non-stick grill pan, broil (grill) or barbeque in the summer
4. Cook chicken on both sides and serve hot.

Enjoy