Angela Day
Give your taste buds a kickstart with these recipes from Angela Day.
ON THE MENU:
Chicken quesadillas
Spicy beef chilli
Chile con queso dip
Easy refried beans
Mole mince with sweet potatoes
Mexican style chicken salad
CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Makes 4
30ml olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
1 each small red, yellow and orange pepper, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
500ml cooked shredded chicken
8 flour tortillas
250g grated cheese
Heat the oil and fry the onion, peppers and chilli until soft. Remove from the heat and add the chicken.
Place a tortilla in the base of a frying pan. Cover with a layer of cheese. Spread over a layer of the pepper and chicken mixture and sprinkle over more grated cheese. Top with another flour tortilla.
Heat the frying pan and cook until the bottom tortilla is golden.
Carefully flip it over and cook until golden and the cheese is melted.
Remove and cut into wedges to serve.
Repeat with remaining tortilla, chicken and cheese.
SPICY BEEF CHILLI
Serves 4-6
45ml olive oil
1kg blade of beef, diced
2 onions, chopped
20ml chopped garlic
2 large green peppers, diced
1 box of chilli con carne spice mix
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
330ml bottle of cider or beer
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
400g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Heat the oil and fry the meat in batches until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.
Add the onions, garlic and green pepper and fry until soft.
Return the beef to the pot. Add the spice mix and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes, cider, bay leaf and seasoning.
Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 1-2 hours until the meat is very tender.
Stir in the kidney beans and heat through.
This is delicious served with refried beans and topped with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped tomatoes and avocado.
NOTE: Chilli con carne spice mix is available at Woolworths.
CHILE CON QUESO DIP
60g butter
1 onion, chopped
1 large mild red and green chilli, seeded and chopped
10ml chopped garlic
45ml flour
300ml milk
250ml tinned chopped tomatoes
200g mature cheddar cheese, grated
125ml sour cream
salt and pepper
125ml chopped coriander
tortilla chips for serving
Melt the butter in a pot. Fry the onion, chillies and garlic until soft.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute.
Gradually stir in the milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens.
Add the tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Gradually stir in the cheese until melted.
Add sour cream, seasoning and coriander.
EASY REFRIED BEANS
Serves 4-6
45ml olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
10ml chopped garlic
1 large mild red chilli, seeded and chopped
5ml ground cumin
400g tin of borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
400g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
125ml water
250ml grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and chilli until soft. Add the cumin and cook for a minute.
Add the beans and water and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher.
Mix through the cheese and seasoning.
Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.
MOLE MINCE WITH SWEET POTATOES
Serves 6-8
6-8 orange sweet potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
30 extra olive oil
1 onion, chopped
15ml chopped garlic
500g beef mince
10ml chilli powder
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
5ml paprika
3ml ground allspice
15ml cocoa powder
60ml almond or peanut butter
250ml beef stock
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
Halve the sweet potatoes. Rub with olive oil and seasoning. Place on a baking tray and roast at 180degC for 30 minutes until tender.
Heat the olive oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the mince and fry, breaking up the lumps with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the spices and cocoa powder and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the almond butter, stock and tomatoes and mix well.
Simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Serve spooned over the sweet potatoes. Top with grated cheese and diced avocado and tomato if desired.
MEXICAN STYLE CHICKEN SALAD
Serves 4-6
4 chicken breast fillets
30ml olive oil
30-40 ml Cajun spice
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado pear, diced
3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 green jalapeno chilli, seeded and chopped
125ml chopped coriander
1 baby cos lettuce
250ml nachos chips, slightly crushed
salt and pepper
DRESSING
45ml lime juice
60ml olive oil
10ml honey
1 mild red chilli, seeded and chopped
5ml Cajun spice
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and Cajun spice. Cook on a griddle pan. Remove and set aside to cool. Cut into chunks or slices.
Combine with the onion, avocado pear, tomato, chilli and coriander.
Line a serving dish with lettuce and pile on the salad.
Pour over the dressing and scatter over the chips. Serve immediately.
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.