Mexican

Yesterday I cooked us some Mexican food for tea, home-made chilli, guacamole, home-made tortilla chips and brown rice. I cooked the chilli in the slow cooker using 2 tins of tomatoes, 3 tins of beans, white beans, haricot beans and a three bean salad which was adzuki, canelini and flageolet. I browned off some onions in a pan, with water, I really don't like cooking with oil, I don't actually own any oil, I think you can substitute other things most of the time so I try and avoid it. I also put two bell peppers, one red, one yellow and lots of mushrooms in. To spice the chilli I went really simple, just some cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and some green tabasco sauce which is really nice. I was going to add some fresh red chilli also but I couldn't find it... still haven't found it but I'm certain I bought it cause I went out specially for it... I'll probably find it somewhere really silly.. The chilli tasted really nice but it was actually a little thin for my liking, I should have added some lentils at the beginning of cooking it and that would have thickened it up nicely whilst adding some extra protein.. not that it needed too much! I also normally add some tomato puree but I ran out making Bryanna Clark Grogans fabulous fruit sweetened ketchup yum!!


The guacamole was my favourite part of this meal, I've only had it twice before but decided to attempt making it, I looked up a basic recipe and then just kinda went off on one a did my own version... this happens a lot, I suck at following recipes, I just have to tweak! Anyway, this time it worked out! It was really hot cause when I was pouring on the jalapeno tabasco it wasn't coming out so... I shook it a bit too violently!

half a finely chopped red onion
juice of half a lime
2 cloves of garlic
1 avocado
1 big vine tomato
cayenne pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste
green jalapeno tabasco, a generous glug
lots of fresh coriander (cilantro)

Chop the red onion and put it in a bowl, squeeze over the lime juice leave while you prepare everything else so the acidity in the lime cooks the red onion slightly. Next add your garlic, chopped tomato, chopped avocado and seasoning add a little at a time so you get the right heat for you, I say mine was hot but I'm actually a total wimp when it comes to spicy food, Mike's mild is my mega hot! Finally I left it in the fridge for a few hours before serving so all the flavours could come together, yum yum.. I also discovered how to take macro pictures on the digital camera... doesn't it look pretty!


Edit: I found the elusive little chilli... it was just in the fridge, I swear I searched it twice and got Mike to search... the phrase 'can't see for looking' comes to mind..