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Salsa & Guacamole – the perfect sides for Chili Con Carne

No Chili can come to the Labor Day party without its side kicks and there is nothing that compliments it better than a gutsy Fresh Tomato Salsa and an order of Guacamole. Here, in the US, stores pass many odd heavily preserved mushed up red gooey products as ‘Salsa.’ Don’t be fooled, it is nothing like it!

In case any of our readers are in doubt as to the excellence of these tried and tested recipes, I deferred to the father of one of my kid’s friends, who originates from south of the border for his opinion and apparently the Salsa simply ROCKS and the simple Guacamole ain’t half bad too!

So, here they are – try them out at home and see what you think

Ingredients for the Salsa

Ingredients for the Salsa

Tomato Salsa

You’ll need 1 lb of ripe tomatoes, a Jalapeno pepper, half a red onion and a bunch of coriander + the juice of half an orange, a teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper for the dressing

Making it is really easy, de-seed the tomatoes slice in strips and dice, de-seed and finely chop the Jalapeno pepper. Finely chop the onion and coriander

Alll chopped and Ready to combine

Alll chopped and Ready to combine

Mix the ingredients, pour in the orange juice and add the sugar, salt and pepper and mix  – the intense flavors will overwhelm you

Guacamole

All that you need is 2- 3 ripe avocados, 3 teaspoons of lime juice, a 1/3 cup of Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

It is possibly the easiest thing I know how to make because all you need to do is peel, stone and chop those avocados and chuck them in your blender, add the remaining ingredients and blitz them until you achieve your desired look, be it lumpy or smooth

Guacamole Ingredients ready to blitz

Guacamole Ingredients ready to blitz

Try these out with the Chili and you won’t be disappointed…..

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Going Tex Mex for the Labor Day Weekend!

It’s Labor Day Weekend here in the US, families gather for the official end of the US Summer but you wouldn’t know Summer was at an end given the current weather here in NY, where, during the day, the mercury continues to soar to the upper 80s and 90s (28c – 33c)!

When its hot, I like to heat it up with my food, get out the Jalapeno Peppers and cook up one of my family favorites. This simple delicious version of Chili Con Carne with side orders of my own home made Tomato Salsa and Guacamole, is great for a crowd or just a few. The combination of flavors from South of the Border are wonderful

In this first of three posts, I’ll share my recipe for the Chili itself and deal with the sides and offer my secret recipe for something a little Cuban to wash it all down with!

Chile Con Carne Ingredients ready for the Pot

Chile Con Carne Ingredients ready for the Pot

Ingredients

  • 1lb Minced Beef
  • 1 x Diced Yellow Onion
  • 2 x Cloves of Garlic finely chopped
  • 1 x Diced and de-seeded Green Pepper
  • 1 x Diced and de-seeded Jalapeno Pepper (watch out, I had a live one!)
  • Small bunch of Chopped fresh Cilantro / Coriander
  • 1 x Can of Red Kidney Beans (drained)
  • 1 x Can of Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1 x Packet of ready made Chili spice mix (I didn’t have time to make it myself but used a quality organic version by ‘Simply Organic’)
  • 1 x tbsp of Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
Chile Con Carne Burrito and Sides

Chile Con Carne Burrito and Sides

Method

  • Warm up the Olive Oil and saute the Onion, Garlic, Green and Jalapeno peppers in a pan until softened
  • Then, add the mince meat and fry till brown
  • Chuck in the Kidney Beans adding the spice mix and 1/4 of a cup of hot water followed by the chopped tomatoes
  • Heat until the mixture bubbles
  • Now turn down the heat and cook for 20 – 30 minutes on a low light
  • Once cooked, season with the Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Mix in the Chopped Cilantro / Coriander

Add the Chili to a tortilla wrap with re-fried beans, Salsa, Guacamole, crisp chopped lettuce and Hatch Jalapeno peppers? That’s the way I like to eat it and it tastes amazing, I kid you not!!

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Classical Greece in a Salad

Well, my co-blogger is finally returning from her vacation around the Greek end of the Mediterranean, whilst I and my fellow New York residents, gently broil here in the Summer sun and humidity.  Her recent travels reminded me that it has been a while since I had made anything Greek for my family to gobble up

Since living in the US, I’ve been amazed to see that in super markets and restaurants, the oddest leafy concoctions dusted with a mysterious powdery ingredient called crumbled Feta and mixed with all sorts of odd things are regularly passed off as a Greek Salad.  These salads are a long way from the original version served on the Olive tree studded Greek Isles, by the azure foam dusted Mediterranean!

Greek Salad is actually an incredibly simple dish to make and tastes simply wonderful on a hot summer day, or evening with its crisp fresh ingredients accompanied by tangy Sheep derived Greek Feta Cheese and a dressing with a fresh slightly acidic bite

The key ingredients ready for chopping and dicing

The key ingredients ready for chopping and dicing

Ingredients

  • 1/4 lb of Greek Feta Cheese (I am using some excellent stuff I purchased at the wonderful Yaranush Mediterranean store in White Plains – a must go for all things Greek in Westchester County)
  • 1/2 an English Cucumber
  • 4 Tomatoes (I am using some beautiful heirloom tomatoes)
  • 1/2 a large Red / Spanish Onion – with a mild flavor
  • A dozen or more Kalamata Olives
  • 1 tbsp of Wine Vinegar but you can substitute for a flavored one if you like
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Greek is best for this dish)
  • Salt and Pepper
All Chopped and Ready to Combine

All Chopped and Ready to Combine

Method

  • Slice the onion finely and break it into onion rings
  • Slice the tomatoes thin horizontally
  • Peeled and dice the cucumber into 1/4 inch cubes
  • Cut the Feta cheese into 1/4 inch cubes
  • Mix the oil, vinegar and seasoning in a bowl to form a basic dressing and add the onions. Leave for an hour – this softens the onions and improves the flavor
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix – serve immediately

A salad fit for Olympus!