Whip up a colourful Mexican feast with Mrs Crunch’s tasty & healthy recipes

A MEXICAN feast is a colourful, tasty and healthy dining option. With plenty of filling tomatoes, avocado, peppers and beans, it can be economical too. Try these recipes that are fun to make – and a joy to eat. Chilli con carne Serves 4 – £1.37 per serving Preparation time: 20 minsCooking time: 1 hour […]

A MEXICAN feast is a colourful, tasty and healthy dining option.

With plenty of filling tomatoes, avocado, peppers and beans, it can be economical too. Try these recipes that are fun to make – and a joy to eat.

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Chilli con carne

Serves 4 – £1.37 per serving

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Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour

YOU NEED:

• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 2 red and 1 green chilli
• 4 mushrooms
• 1 (400g) tin kidney beans
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3 tsp mild chilli powder
• ½ tsp dried ginger
• 250g lean minced beef
• 600g of tinned chopped tomatoes
• 200ml beef stock
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Serve with rice and sour cream

METHOD:

1. Chop onion, pepper, chillies and mushrooms and set aside. Drain kidney beans in a sieve and also put aside.
2. Warm the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
3. Add garlic and coriander, cumin, chilli powder and ginger. After five minutes, add the mince. Once starting to brown, add onion, pepper, mushrooms and chillies. Cook together for around five minutes more until veg has started to soften.
4. Add the kidney beans and cook for two minutes, then add chopped tomatoes and stir though.
5. Add beef stock and puree, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until cooked together and the beef is no longer pink.

Guacamole

Serves 4 – 80p per serving

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Preparation time: 10 mins
Chilling time: 1 hour

YOU NEED:

• 2 ripe avocados
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped, or a spoonful of salsa
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ lime, juiced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or through a garlic press
• Sea salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Cut the avocados in half. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Then mash using a fork or masher.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, mix it together and taste.
3. Chill for an hour to let the flavours combine.

Mexican salsa

Serves 4 – 70p per serving

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Preparation: 5 minutes

YOU NEED:

• 2 medium tomatoes
• ½ onion
• 5 sprigs fresh coriander
• 3 jalapeno chillies
• Juice of half a lime.
• Salt

METHOD:

1. Finely chop all of the ingredients – or put them in a food processor with the lime juice and whizz together.
2. Add a little salt to taste.

Tortilla chips

Serves 6 – 50p per serving

Preparation: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

YOU NEED:

12 corn tortillas
3 tbsp vegetable oil
sea salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C, gas 3. Cut each tortilla into wedges using kitchen scissors.
2. Brush both sides with the vegetable oil and put on a baking tray in a single layer in the oven for about ten minutes until golden brown.
3. Remove, sprinkle with salt and transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

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