I have found the recipe for Mexican rice to be so useful - we have it a lot as accompaniment to all different types of protein - that I thought it was about time I gave it the credit it deserves and blogged the recipe!
Here's some examples of where I've used it ....
with Quorn Southern Fried (which get baked) flavour nuggets ...
with sausage incorporated into it ...
with a Mexican style baked lime chicken and side salad ...
with fajitas ...
and even with a fried egg & avocado, for lunch!
As you can see, it's a great accompaniment to all kinds of Mexican inspired dishes. I love it - and it can be taken up a few notches with the addition of beans, or mushrooms, or peppers, anything you like really! I tend, these days, to add a red or yellow pepper as a matter of course, anything to increase the vegetable intake of the menfolk. They love the spicy flavours and the Mexicana cheese that melts on top, so any additional veg tends to just get eaten along the way.
If you can't find Spanish rice, paella or short grain rice is an acceptable substitute. Oh and interestingly (well you might not find it interesting, but I thought it was!) and while we're talking about rice, I discovered today the difference between Mexican and Spanish rice dishes. For ages I've thought they were one and the same, however it seems that the Mexican is red (because of the tomato) and the Spanish is yellow (because of the saffron and no tomato). So there, now you know. You'll thank me one day when you're at a pub quiz and that question comes up. LOL
MEXICAN RICE (serves 4)
Ingredients :
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 red onion, chopped finely
1 bell pepper (any colour), diced
10g butter
150g Spanish or Paella style rice
1 tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
half a tsp ground cumin
half a tsp garlic granules
1 tsp chicken stock powder
half a tsp vegetable stock powder
freshly ground black pepper to taste
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
two thirds of the empty tomato tin of hot water
100g of Mexicana cheese, sliced finely
3 spring onions, sliced finely on the diagonal, as garnish.
Method :
In a deep saucepan or wok (non-stick is great), heat the rapeseed oil and add the onion and pepper. Fry over a medium heat until the onion is soft and the pepper has begun to soften.
Add the butter and rice and continue to cook, so as to achieve a toasted effect on the majority of the rice.
Add the chilli powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, garlic granules, stock powder and black pepper and stir through.
Add the chopped tomatoes and a two thirds of a tomato tin of hot water and stir through. Cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, over a slightly reduced heat, until the rice is 99% cooked and the liquid has reduced and thickened. You may find you need to add a little more water before the rice is finally ready for the next stage.
Turn the heat off and lay the Mexicana cheese on the surface of the rice. Sprinkle the spring onion over the top and replace the lid. Some 10 minutes later, once the cheese has had time to melt, serve.
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When I decided to put these twice baked potatoes on the menu plan for this week, I imagined that I would have a recipe here on the blog to consult where quantities were concerned. Well I was wrong! I seriously can't quite believe that I haven't blogged the recipe for these little darlings, mostly because they're so NICE!
Now, having made them again without following any recipe but relying on my (patchy, at best) memory of what to use and how much, I appear to have made the best version of these baked potatoes, to date. All of which necessitated a blog entry, so that I can re-create them in future.
They are very simple to make and don't take much longer than a standard jacket potato. You just need to allow a bit of time for filling the potato shells and putting them back into the oven to finally bake. Making the filling is a little bit fiddly, but can easily be done while the potatoes are baking, so no worries there.
In this instance, I served the potatoes with some leftover gammon ham, juicy tomatoes and homemade coleslaw. However, finding something to serve them with really shouldn't be difficult - they can be lunch, the star of the show, a side dish or even a standalone item in a finger buffet (so long as you let them cool down a bit!).
So the next time you find yourself with two rashers of bacon (or some ham) that are homeless - break out the twice baked potato and do yourself a super-tasty favour.
BACON & CHEDDAR TWICE BAKED POTATOES (serves 3)
Ingredients :
3 large baking potatoes (floury are best - I like Marabel type)
a drizzle of rapeseed or olive oil
sea salt & ground black pepper
2 rashers of smoked back bacon
1 heaped tsp of sour cream or mayonnaise
1 tsp of wholegrain mustard
2-3 spring onions, sliced finely on the diagonal
200g & 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated.
Method :
Pre-heat your oven to 200degC/400degF/Gas 6.
Taking each baking potato, cut each in half long-ways. If necessary, shave a tiny amount from the underside of each half, so that it will sit level and steady on a baking tray.
Drizzle each half with oil and season lightly with sea salt & black pepper, then place into the oven - on a high rack - to bake for 45mins.
While the potatoes are baking, make the filling.
Grill the two rashers of bacon until cooked through and the fat rendered, but not crispy. Set them aside to cool.
Into a large heatproof bowl, place the spring onions, sour cream, mustard and bulk of the cheese. Reserve the 50g of cheese for sprinkling over the filled potatoes. Cut the bacon into tiny pieces and add to the bowl.
When the potatoes are soft and baked golden brown on top, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool slightly in order for them to be handled. Using a teaspoon, gently remove the bulk of the cooked flesh from inside each half and add it to the filling bowl. Replace the empty shell onto the baking tray.
Break up the potato flesh using a fork and mix lightly into the rest of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary.
Spoon the filling back into the shells, making sure not to pack it down. Leave each spoonful light and airy for a deliciously luscious look. Once the filling is evenly distributed, divide the remainder of the grated cheese between each potato half, sprinkling it over the top.
Place the potatoes back into the oven for 15-20 mins until golden brown and delicious.
Serve with your choice of accompaniment.
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Who needs a takeaway? Not me, not now I've discovered this Chicken Chow Mein recipe. Oh boy but it was good. Chow mein from a Chinese takeaway is always good - it's one of our favourites and so that goes without saying. However, this chow mein was full of everything that does you good with very few things that don't - and no MSG.
Once again, I have to thank Slimming World for the original recipe (which is here) that I have taken and boosted a wee bit for flavour and interest.
Now I really wasn't in the mood for cooking this evening. I've had a little run of cooking dinner for the last four or five days and I'm about ready for a day off. (Hubby is stepping into the breach tomorrow, so don't feel too sorry for me - a break is on the horizon!). I think there must be rain due sometime soon, if my knees are to be believed! Ouch.
Because this dish is another great two-pot deal (one for the noodles, one for the stir fry), all it required was a half hour's a-chopping and a-peeling, then it was a classic case of sit there and add stuff in order, stirring as you go. Perfect. I most definitely wasn't feeling ready for a "dotting about the kitchen, many different processes" type of dinner. Nuh-uh.
I will admit that I've not made too many changes to the original recipe. I opted not to use chilli sauce for the marinade, but to chop a live chilli instead. My tummy can sometimes react badly to the ingredients in hot sauces, so I thought I'd go for the "hot" and leave the "sauce" in the cupboard for the boys to play with. I also left out the ginger, because Hubby can be sensitive to ginger. Feel free to add it back in, if you like it!
I also did away with the tinned bamboo shoots, not because I don't like them - I really like them - but it just adds to the expense to be buying a tin of water chestnuts and a tin of bamboo shoots. Yes, I know you can get tins of stir fry mix that carry them both, but bleugh - who wants tinned bean sprouts? I much prefer water chestnuts, so I opted to go with those. Now I also added a few mushrooms, because a stir fry isn't a stir fry without mushrooms in it. Also, I was surprised to see that there were no bean sprouts included in the original recipe. Again, a chow mein just isn't right without bean sprouts - so I added a couple of big handfuls of those. I will admit to being heartily sick of red pepper at the moment, so I reduced that down to a half a pepper. Feel free to add any of your own favourite stir fry veggies or to take any of my favourites out - after all, it's your dinner!
Now once upon a time, I would always cook a chicken breast per person. However, I quickly realised that this simply resulted in too much chicken. Yes, I know, is there such a thing as "too much chicken"? Well yes, particularly when it goes into a bowl for lunchtime tomorrow, then we get sidetracked and lunchtime tomorrow doesn't happen - and it gets thrown away. Now that is just heartbreaking. So in these enlightened times, I generally work on two chicken breasts between three people, but then our butcher's chicken breasts are a very generous size. I'll leave you to decide how much is enough for your family.
We loved this recipe. Even Son and heir loved this recipe - and he has been known to dislike stir fry recipes, recipes that include red pepper, recipes that include water chestnuts, etc. etc. So for Son and heir to tuck into his dinner without a murmur of complaint, is quite some vote of approval. Hubby even went back for seconds - and at 355 calories (approx.) per portion, he could easily do that without upsetting his diet!
I really enjoyed this recipe. From the first mouthful to the last, I was happy. For all the chilli involved, it wasn't very hot spicy at all. I loved the flavour of the noodles, the mixture of the vegetables, the texture of the chicken - it was all just gorgeous. I served the chow mein with a little handful of prawn crackers - just to provide a different texture and a little added interest. Yummy.
There aren't very many Cook's Tips for you about this one, just the following :
- make sure to have done all your chopping and peeling before you start cooking. Once you start cooking, it all happens very quickly!
- make sure the water for the noodles is boiling before you begin cooking the stir fry, as you want the noodles ready and waiting. The veggies won't wait like the noodles can!
- be brave over the heat under your wok. You need it to be at top whack, blisteringly hot, to keep everything from stewing. Stewing would be just yuk. Frying is what we want - so you're going to have to move fast to stop bits from burning!
- make sure to add the sesame oil to the noodles once they're done. It seems like a stage that could be dropped, but it makes SO MUCH difference to the flavour!
So that's about it! Do try this one, it really is something special.
CHICKEN CHOW MEIN (serves 3-4)
Ingredients :
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1 red chilli, half chopped, half sliced for garnish
1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
200g dried medium egg noodles
2 tsp sesame oil
100g mangetout, halved lengthways
100g baby sweetcorn, halved or quartered lengthways
half a red pepper, sliced finely
100g canned water chestnuts, drained and sliced
8 spring onions, sliced diagonally
3 large mushrooms, halved and sliced
2 big handfuls of beansprouts
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
thinly sliced raw red chilli, for garnish.
Method :
1. Stir together in a large bowl, the light soy sauce, chilli, vinegar, garlic and five spice powder. Add the sliced chicken and stir to coat evenly in the marinade. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes or the time it takes to prepare the vegetables.
2. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and drain well, adding the sesame oil and giving them a good toss to keep them from sticking to one another.
3. Using a large wok (because there's a lot to go into it!) add the sunflower oil and heat to as hot as you dare. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry over a high heat until all pink is gone and the chicken is beginning to brown.
4. Add all the mangetout, red pepper and baby sweetcorn and stir-fry until the sweetcorn has begun to soften.
5. Add the onions, mushrooms and water chestnuts and continue to cook until the mushrooms are softened.
6. Add the beansprouts and stir to combine.
7. Add the noodles, sweet chilli sauce and dark soy sauce and cook for a further few minutes until piping hot.
Serve immediately with sliced red chillies sprinkled over and a few prawn crackers.
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