Hello Peeps. How goes it on your side?
Yes, we all are enjoying the holidays, but this week has a spanner in the works cos schools officially off for the week and the littles ones are home, and altyd honger.
I love having them home but sometimes being in the kitchen and always prepping goodies to eat can get hectic, that’s why I always opt for quick, easy and fuss free food.
This week I wanna chat about Mexican food. It’s gou-gou kos, very lekker and easy enough for the kids to lend in a hand at mealtime or even make it themselves.
I love how simple Mexican dishes are. All you need is protein, (which is usually chicken or beef mince) boontjies, corn, salsa, chillies or jalapenos and you are ready to go.
These ingredients form the base of all Mexican dishes, and you can literally use the same base for tacos, wraps, enchiladas, burritos, nachos or even rice bowls.
Prep a lekker batch of these ingredients and mix and match your meals. If you are lucky you sorted for at least three to four days.
Serve with a side of homemade guacamole and sour cream and it’s done.
Now about those ingredients, salsa sauce is a key ingredient in all Mexican dishes, but have you seen the price of a jar of salsa sauce? Yoh! Its close to costing R100 bucks for one jar.
That’s one element only before you even start the dish, but there’s no way I'm paying that. I’m all for economical, cost saving and making lekker kos on a budget - so I decided to make my own with just three ingredients and it works out way cheaper (see recipe below, but if you want to see the full video, find it on my socials).
All you do is take onions, tomatoes and sweet chilli sauce, cook until its lekker thick and reduced and it's klaar!
It tastes lekker, works brilliantly and it doesn’t break the bank. Enjoy this week’s Mexican recipes and if you are lucky enough to be home, rus lekker mense. Vakansie tyd is amper klaar en next week its back to normal.
For more recipes or baking and cooking inspiration, visit my website www.sprinklesandspice.co.za or visit my social media platforms on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok @sprinklesandspicect or Sprinkles and Spice by Farzana Kumandan.
Love, Your Cooksister.
Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
6 chicken fillets cut in strips
1 tsp garlic flakes
2 tablespoons chicken spice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cup frozen corn
A dash of lemon juice
Crushed chilli to taste
Salt to taste
1 large onion cut in sliced
½ green pepper cut in strips
½ yellow or orange pepper cut in strips
Method
On a stove top, over a high heat, heat a large pan.
Add in the chicken, spices, and corn.
Braise on a high heat until the chicken is cooked, and all the excess water has dried out completely.
Add in the lemon juice, chilli and salt and add in the onions and peppers. Stir fry for three minutes (the chicken must still be crisp) and turn off the heat.
Use to fill tacos, wraps, burritos, and fajitas.
Tomato and Sweet Chilli Salsa
Ingredients
1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
4 large tomatoes, cut in quarters
1 cup sweet chilli sauce
Method
Add the onion and tomato to a food processor and pulse until it’s coarse and chunky. Add it to a pan, (no need to add oil or butter) and add a cup of sweet chilli sauce.
Cook on a medium heat, stirring often, until it bubbles, and it's reduced to a thick, chunky Salsa.
Optional add extra crushed chillies for a spicy kick.
Allow to cool and use for all your Mexican dishes, as a dip or for pizza bases. Store in a well-sealed jar for up to five days or freeze on the day, then thaw and use as needed.
Cheesy Nachos
Ingredients
1 large bag corn chips
2 cups homemade salsa sauce
2 tablespoons sliced jalapenos or any chilli
1 cup corn (drained)
1 tin red kidney beans (drained of excess water)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 tub sour cream
2-3 mashed avos mixed with 3 tablespoons mayo
Fresh chives or spring onion for garnish
Method
In a large oven safe dish, layer the chips (leave behind two handfuls).
Top the chips with half the salsa sauce (see recipe above).
Sprinkle over half the cheese.
Add the remaining chips and cover in the remaining salsa sauce.
Add the jalapenos, corn beans, and top with cheese.
Bake at 180 degrees in a preheated for 15 minutes until the cheese melts.
Serve with generous heaps of avo guacamole and sour cream and garnish with freshly chopped chives or spring onion.
Cheesy Chicken and Corn Baked Tortillas
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion diced
4 -6 chicken fillets cubed
½ cup frozen corn
1 punnet sliced mushrooms
½ green pepper cubed
1 tablespoon Portuguese spice
½ cup water
1 cup salsa sauce (see recipe) or sweet chilli sauce
6 Tortilla wraps
1 cup grated mozzarella
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup grated sweet milk cheese
2 rounds feta cheese
Parsley for garnish
Method
Braise the onion in butter until golden brown.
Add the chicken fillets, mushroom, pepper, corn and spices and braise until the chicken is slightly brown.
Once browned, add the water and simmer until the chicken has cooked, water has reduced and its cooked completely dry.
Once cooked and dry, add in the salsa sauce and add in the sauce and simmer for two minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Fill the tortillas, roll them up, and place them packed tightly next to each other in a rectangle medium-sized Pyrex dish.
Generously sprinkle with cheese and garnish with parsley and grill on 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes until the cheese bubbles and is grilled to perfection
Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and chilli.
Peri Peri Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
A dash of oil
6-8 Chicken fillets (cut in thin strips)
¼-½ cup peri peri Sauce
2 or 3 tablespoons of Mayo (sauce and mayo depends on how saucy you want your chicken)
Cheese
Sour Cream
Avo/Guacamole
Method
Fry the chicken strips in olive oil until its golden and add in the sauce and mayo.
Mix well and cook for five minutes until its thick and saucy.
Add the chicken to a wrap and fill the surface. Add cheese, sour cream and avo and cover with another wrap. Toast in a hot pan until the cheese is melted and its grilled on both sides.