Agua Fresca de Flor de Jamaica

Ingredients you’ll need

2/3rds cup jamaica flowers (dried hibiscus flowers)
1/3rd cup raw sugar, or to taste
3 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
optional: lime slices, ice

Start with scooping out 2/3 cup dried flower. From here you have a choice. You can either boil the flowers in a saucepan with 3 cups of the water for 5 minutes or let them steep in 3 cups of kettle boiled water. For the sake of ease, I do the latter.

Add the sugar here and give it a good stir. Warning, if you use a wooden spoon, it may stain.

Carefully pour it into a bottle, flowers and all and add 1 cup of cool water. From here, you’ll want to continue to let it steep for 1-4 hours or overnight. The longer you do, the redder and more flavourful it will become. I suggest that you start making it in the morning of a known hot day. The only reason I’m using a bottle here is so that it will fit in the door of my fridge and I can cap it if I want to leave it overnight.

Once it’s steeped to your satisfaction, strain it into a serving jug. Because it’s so rich, I also like to add a ton more water and ice, but you don’t have to do this if you want a stronger drink. This is just my personal preference. Have a quick taste to see. Isn’t it lovely? So refreshing, a bit fruity, a bit acidy. Not sweet enough? Oh heck, add more sugar. Go on, you know you want to.

Serve well chilled with a heap of ice. You can also add some lime slices if you feel like it. I did because they look pretty, but it doesn’t need it for flavour.

If you use corn tortillas, often times you find yourself opening a pack, not wanting to use them all and sometimes, they’ll dry out.

Have you ever done this and thrown them out? Don’t! I have a delicious recipe for you to use. Save those dried out corn tortillas!

Chilaquiles

Ingredients you’ll need

Old corn tortillas, but you can use fresh as well!
Fresh jalapeños
Red, brown or white onion, whatever you have in your pantry
2 nice, big aussie garlic cloves
1 blanched and skinned tomato OR
2 tablespoons tomato paste and 1/4 cup water
salt to taste
2-3 beaten eggs for every 4 tortillas (optional: see note)
vegetable oil
feta cheese OR
romano cheese if you don’t like feta
avocado
crème fraîche
a paper bag
a comal or cast iron skillet you can toast your jalapeños on

Start by heating up your comal or hot plate and begin toasting the jalapeños. Make sure you rotate them frequently to get all sides nice and even until they look like the photo on the right or you can even go a little longer depending on how much flavour you want.

Pop them into a paper bag and let them steam in there for about 10 minutes. Have a special cutting board set aside just for prepping hot chillies or you risk adding a bit of spice to anything you cut on that board in the future. There shouldn’t be too much risk as jalapeños are relatively mild, but if you have a delicate palette, be warned! If you want to be extra careful, use gloves when handling the chillies so you don’t risk cross contamination the next time you touch your eye or … well I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination. I’ve had it all happen. Milk on standby.

Once the jalapeños are done in their sauna, take them out and with a sharp paring knife, cut a circle into the skin around near the stem at the top. This will make it easier for you to grasp the thin membranous skin that should now peel off very easily. What you should be left with is a clean, naked jalapeño. Repeat this process for all the jalapeños you’re preparing. When done, cut off the stems and discard along with the skins. Make a slice down the body of the pepper and de-seed and de-vein. If you like more heat, though, leave them in! My grandfather used to insist on whoever was making his salsas to grind the seeds and add them in for extra heat!

Toss the prepared jalapeños into your blender with the garlic and small/medium sized onion and your skinned tomato. If you don’t have one on hand, you can used some tomato paste and a little water. Blend well! If it’s not blending well, put in a splash of more water. Add a pinch of salt.

A warning, if you’re not sure how much heat you can take, start with blending one jalapeño and taste and take it from there. If you’ve added one and it’s just too much, add more tomato to make it milder. You may have to adjust your other ingredients accordingly. If you know how much heat you can take, ignore this!

Once your salsa is made, set aside. Break or tear your tortillas up into quarters or sixths. You don’t want them too much smaller than what’s shown. Tortilla chip/bite size is what you’re after. Heat a large cast iron skillet and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Once it’s hot, add the tortilla chips and toast until they’re golden brown. This should take several minutes. Keep turning them to ensure an even browning. If you’ve decided to use fresh corn tortillas, fry them in oil until golden, but not browned.

This next step is optional, but I really like the addition. Add your beaten eggs and coat the tortillas. Once the egg is coated and cooked, add your salsa and combine well.

This part smells AMAZING.

Once they’re cooked to your satisfaction, turn off the heat and serve.

Top with a very dry and crumbly feta or romano if you’re not a fan of feta, cilantro/coriander and sliced avocados. Drizzle some crème fraîche on top. Or lime juice. Usual sides include refried beans and fried eggs. It is a breakfast food, but you don’t have to follow those rules. I don’t. I’m an adult now. I can make these decisions. So can you.

Can I also just say that these are amazing when made fresh? They’ve got nothing on those stale-grease pre-made shells from that old-company-that-shall-not-be-named.

Tostadas

Ingredients you’ll need

Corn tortillas (I get the 10pk Woolies home brand and they’re fine.)
Vegetable oil
A cast iron pan for frying
Refried beans
Your choice of topping

Have all your toppings ready and set aside. Get your pan nice and hot, then add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom, maybe 1cm deep.

Add your first tortilla to the hot pan with some heat-proof tongs and flip immediately, then back. Keep turning occasionally after this, and carefully, until it’s golden brown evenly on both sides. As long as your pan is hot enough, they should only take a couple of minutes until golden. Pick them up with your tongs delicately, as they should be crisp and prone to cracking now and place on a plate prepared with paper towels to drain. Set aside and repeat process until you have enough shells for your guests.

Once they’re all done and are cool enough to handle, spread a thin layer of refried beans to the base. You want to do this because this will act as a tasty adhesive for more toppings. After this is done, get creative! Add your favourite crumbly or shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream and hot sauce. Try them with shredded chicken, carnitas, seasoned beef mince, avocado, onions, salsa, prawns, the possibilities are endless!

How easy was that? The only thing left to do, is eat and enjoy your delicious tostadas.

(Pictured: hubby @wombat1974)

Mole Poblano comes in little glass jars.* I used to be scared of things that came in little glass jars because I thought there was too much effort and difficulty involved in making something out of them.

Let me demystify these little glass jars for you!

Mole Poblano Sauce

Ingredients you’ll need:

Jar of Mole
Chicken or vegetable stock cube
Water
Cream or sour cream
1/4-1/2 cup raw sugar

Once you open this little jar of magic, you’ll notice there’s a layer of oil coating the top. This doesn’t go in your sauce, though if a little gets in, it’s fine. It’s there to act as a preservative and to keep the paste, well, pasty. It’s sort of like adding olive oil to the top of opened containers of tomato paste so mould doesn’t grow on it. (I just learned that, how cool is that trick?!) Anyway, it may take a bit of effort to get a spoon in there and gouge some out. The oil is messy, btw. Don’t wear white while making this.

Pop some in a saucepan. The amount I have shown will make enough for 2 dishes and then some, depending on how much of it you want smothering your food. I like it suffocating.

Put it on the range with the smallest flame and set it to low. Add enough water to cover the bottom of your saucepan and add a chicken or vegetable stock cube. Massel brand is great and gluten-free. With a wooden spoon, as the saucepan heats, mash the mole paste so it starts to dissolve and incorporates the water. Add more water if it’s too thick or you think it’s going to burn. Once the water and stock is incorporated, you should have a nicely thick paste. From here, you’ll add the sour cream. Add anywhere between half a cup to a cup or more, depending on your taste. I’ve added about 3/4 of a cup of sour cream to mine. Then add about 1/3rd a cup of raw sugar and keep stirring until everything has dissolved. Taste. Is it too spicy? Add more cream. Not sweet enough? Add more sugar a tablespoon at a time.

What you should have now is a rich smelling, nicely thick, chocolatey, spicy yet mild and delicious mole poblano sauce. Serve it on top of cooked chicken, either breast or pieces and/or by itself on top of refried beans and Spanish rice for a vegetarian delight (with the vegetable stock instead of chicken stock cubes.) Top with sesame seeds, avocado slices, fresh cilantro (coriander) and thin slices of onion. You can top it with even more sour cream as well should you desire to. Stir it around. Combine flavours. Experiment. Live a little.

I hope that you’ll buy that little jar now. It really is delicious. And easy. And versatile to all palettes. If my little gringo husband likes this, I know you will too.

Where to buy: Oasis Bakery sometimes has jars and Fireworks Foods sells them online as well.

*Note: Okay, Mole Poblano doesn’t ALWAYS come in glass jars, but there are over a dozen ingredients that need to be roasted, prepped, ground together in a molcajete that it’s easier to buy the glass jar that has everything in perfect proportions already.

Tacos in general are traditionally made with corn tortillas. One nice thing about the corn tortilla is it’s naturally gluten free. Please check your labels to be sure. Some companies put weird ingredients in everything.

If you’ve tried corn tortillas and haven’t liked them before, like my mother-in-law, try using them in different ways. I’ll show you how and hopefully convert you! If my mother-in-law can be converted, anyone can. I take this as proof that miracles can happen.

You’ll need:

A pack of corn tortillas found in the “ethnic” food aisle at your local major grocery store or at the specialty stores located on my Where to Buy page. Please, don’t get the Old El Paso brand, the home brand is actually better.

Actually, while I’m at it, please don’t buy Old El Paso anything. Have I mentioned how much I loathe baked enchiladas? No wait, I take that back. The only thing you may buy from Old El Paso are their jarred, sliced jalapeños. Ha-la-pen-yoes. Say it with me.

Choh-dee-so.

Chicken breast chunks seasoned in granulated garlic, cumin and pepper and “dry fried” in lemon juice (instead of oil.)

Shredded iceberg.

Light sour cream and cheese optional, but tasty.

Method:

1. Cut your chicken breasts into small to medium sized chunks and dry fry in your preferred seasonings and lemon juice. It doesn’t need to be fried in oil because it doesn’t need the extra fat. Like my hips. I like granulated garlic, it’s different from garlic powder which is awful, ground cumin and pepper. When just cooked, put in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat a large cast iron fry pan on medium-high heat and coat the bottom liberally with vegetable oil. Please don’t skimp on this part or your tacos will not be crispy, only toasted.

3. With frying tongs, put in your first corn tortilla and coat in oil.

4. Flip after a few seconds, when soft. This is so that they’re pliable enough to fold without breaking.

5. Add some of the cooked chicken in a row, just off center so there’s room to fold.

6. Fold and repeat until your pan can’t hold anymore.

7. When one side is crisp, flip with your tongs and fry the other side until also crisp.

8. When both sides are adequately crispy, remove with tongs onto a serving plate with a few paper towels spread over it to drain the excess oil away. Be careful when flipping or removing, the juices from the chicken, when dripped into the oil in the pan can bubble and splash hot oil onto your hands. You’ll probably need to give your stove a wipe down after as well. I never promised they wouldn’t be messy, just easy. Like Al’s mum.

9. Repeat until you’ve made as many tacos as you need for dinner. Two medium chicken breasts should make 10-12 tacos.

When they’re all done, add cheese and sour cream if using, add your shredded lettuce and douse with Tapatio or your favourite hot sauce. But really, you should be using Tapatio. They’ll stay crisp through dinner, but should be eaten straight away.

Other topping ideas: If you don’t want to go the cheese and sour cream route, you can add a fresh tomato salsa, a salsa verde, black beans or pinto beans, diced radishes, jalapeños, cilantro/coriander with fresh onion and lime juice or any combination of these so they never get boring. If you want to use something else besides chicken, try some mince beef with the same seasoning or make some carnitas.

That’s it! Invite some friends over, crack open your favourite dark ale and enjoy!

For those who don’t know, tamales are a a whole package dish. Usually made with a savoury filling inside a corn-based dough, inside a leaf wrapper and steamed until tender yet firm. They can be made sweet with sultanas throughout and the dough can be  coloured with food dyes. They can be served with sides in a meal or eaten alone. The wrapper is not eaten.

Tamales are a food as old as civilisation and as such, there are many recipes and varieties. The version I’m going to share with you, I can honestly, unbiasedly (maybe) say (as I have sampled MANY over my lifetime) are one of the best out there. Growing up, I remember begging mom to make these each winter holiday every year and waiting eagerly and impatiently for them to be ready. I know mine aren’t nearly as good as hers are, but someday I hope they will be close.

Traditionally, the masa (dough) is made with a special, granular corn flour (not the kind you can easily get at the grocery store) and lard. However, as lard isn’t health-friendly, my mom would make these with vegetable oil and they came out DELICIOUSLY and even better than the lardy ones.

These aren’t a “I feel like tamales, let me whip them up quickly” dish. These are usually planned ahead of time. Sometimes portions, like the meat and mole, are prepared a day ahead of time and then made in large batches with the whole family participating in the prep work.

For the filling, slow cooked beef with ancho mole is what I recommend. Slow cook the meat and prep the sauce the previous day if it’s easier, and refrigerate until ready to use. Also, save the beef broth from the meat and use it to give the masa a really rich flavour.

Tamales
Ingredients:
corn husks (or banana leaves)
masa harina (special corn flour, see: Where To Buy)
slow cooked beef in mole
beef broth from slow cooker
vegetable  oil
salt to taste

Tools needed:
tall stock pot with deep steamer insert
tea towel

If using corn husks, begin by soaking them now in warm water to rehydrate them so they’re pliable for folding later on. They should soak for at least 20 minutes. Put some water into your tall steamer, making sure no water is coming through and get that boiling.

The ratio for masa is 1 part corn flour, 1 part vegetable oil and about 3/4 parts broth with salt to taste. It may seem like too much liquid to dry part, but given time to soak, the flour will absorb it all until you get the desired consistency. I used 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oil and broth for the ones in these photos and it made about a dozen large tamales. Begin with all the flour in a large mixing bowl and slowly add the oil. Mix and begin adding your broth. Once it starts to get thick, continue mixing with your hand. You’re looking for a toothpaste consistency. Add oil, broth and salt until consistency and flavour is achieved. Nothing is worse than a dry, gritty tamale!

Once you have the consistency right, spoon some across your drained, softened corn husks and flatten. Spoon a small portion of your meat and mole mixture into the center and fold the two corners in so that the masa is touching itself forming a seal, enveloping the meat and mole and then fold the bottom, pointy end of the husk up and pinch the top closed. Store flipped with the heaviest part keeping the pointy flap down until ready for steaming. It’s okay if they’re a bit leaky. Still with me?

Once they’re wrapped, carefully place into the steamer with the open ends facing up. Some people like to tie either end with twine like an old fashioned candy, but I’m lazy, that’s more work and this works just as well. Depending on how many you’ve done, you may need to steam them in batches. They should sit comfortably without crowding each other or some might not steam properly and might not set in time.

If you don’t have a steamer insert, you can use an inverted metal colander that will fit inside your tall stock pot. There should be about 5-6cm of water at the bottom for steaming.

Cover the tamales with a damp tea towel and lid. Steam for about an hour to two hours depending on the size of your batch, on a low boil. Check periodically to make sure there’s still water.

Once done, test the masa to see if it has set. When the tamale pulls away from the husk, they’re ready. They should be soft and firm and may need to rest for several minutes before serving. Unwrap and serve with your favourite sides. They will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, if they last that long. Reheat in the microwave wrapped in a damp cloth or paper towel to prevent drying. I wouldn’t recommend freezing these.

Alternatives: Instead of corn husks, some people use banana leaves and form them in a square, tied with twine. I have yet to try them with dry banana leaves, only the wet, pre-packaged ones. My results were that they were difficult to wrap as they split very easily and steaming them took several batches.

I first tried making tamales here with banana leaves that we found vacuum packed at our local Chinese grocer. I can honestly say I wasn’t happy with the results and missed the days in the San Fran Bay Area of being able to go to the local mercado and buy a massive bag full of corn husks for under $5.

I eventually did find a source for dried corn husks in Sydney here, however you only get a handful for $5. If anyone knows of somewhere else I can purchase them, please let me know! I have tried drying my own, but the commercial corn, even when sold in husks at markets has most of the larger leaves, which are the best for tamales, already removed.

Good luck!

The recipe I’m about to divulge (as previously, it was a closely guarded family secret, sorry mom and dad) is fairly easy to make, delicious and can be used in many dishes that I’ll suggest at the end.

Ancho chile sauce
Ingredients:
ancho chile pods
chicken stock
vegetable oil
salt to taste
choice of herb seasonings to taste

Tools needed:
fine mesh sieve/strainer
stock pot/pan
blender

The texture of a good ancho chile pod I find is like fruit leather; dry, but pliable and slightly sticky. You’ll want to begin by cutting off the stems, slicing the pod open and deseeding it. Open the pod so it can lay as close to flat on either side.

Heat a small frying pan and add a little bit of vegetable oil to coat. Fry each side of the pod briefly until it turns red. Some pods go bright, others just a dark brown depending on freshness. You don’t want to let it linger in the pan or the taste of your sauce will turn bitter.

The true secret to a delicious sauce is to soak them in very hot chicken broth or stock, or pour boiling water over the chillies and then add chicken stock. Soak them for 15-20 minutes or until they go soft. Then let them cool enough to blend and use a blender has a rubber seal or you’ll have liquid flying everywhere. (Note: this may or may not be from experience.)

Pour the mixture into a pan through a fine wire mesh sieve and use a spoon to push the liquid through. What you’re doing here is straining all the pulp and liquid, but not letting any of the skins into your sauce.

Put the strained sauce over low heat to reduce and season to taste. Add enough salt to take the bitterness away. (Take care here that if you add salt and taste, be sure the salt is fully incorporated before you decide it needs more otherwise you’ll end up with a VERY salt sauce.) If you desire an even thicker sauce, you can temper in an egg yolk or add a teaspoon of corn starch at a time and whisk until the desired thickness is achieved. It will also thicken some upon cooling and will thicken if added to any meats.

Some herb seasoning suggestions: cumin, granulated garlic.

Once it’s reduced, you can add it to any savoury dish for a rich, delicious flavour. It’s good with chicken over Spanish rice, with a slow cooked shredded or cubed beef over rice, or pork as a red sauce for enchiladas or in tamales!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It really is delicious enough to not share.

Where to buy:
I’ve seen some in the deli section of the Queen Vic Markets, Casa Iberica has them sometimes, as does Oasis Bakery. See the Where to Buy page.

I’ve had local friends repeatedly tell me this is the best salsa they have ever tasted. Once you try this, you will NEVER buy that salt and preservative riddled awfulness available in stores and food chains.

Salsa
Ingredients:
4 tomatoes of your choice (I like roma for this salsa)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp granulated garlic
juice from 2 fresh limes (or equivalent amount from a lemon if you don’t have limes)
1/2 bunch cilantro (coriander), fresh, chopped coarsely
3 tbsp white vinegar
however many diced pickled jalapeño slices depending on desired heat
salt to taste

Blanch and peel skins off tomatoes. (Place in boiling water for a few minutes, then immerse in an ice water bath to shock the tomatoes making the skin easy to peel off.) Dice tomatoes into chunks and place in your bowl. Finely mince half a medium white onion and add to bowl. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste, a few shakes of cumin and granulated garlic. Add the juice from two fresh limes or lemons. Coarsely chop some fresh cilantro (coriander) and add. Add about 3 tablespoons white vinegar, and dice as many jalapeños as you want for the amount of heat you’re aiming for. (Add 3 diced jalapeño slices for mild.) Salt to taste.

Other elements can be added for depth of flavour. If you find something you absolutely love, I’d love to hear what it is!

Good by itself with tortilla chips. (Not Doritos! Mission have a really good salted tortilla chip that’s excellent with this salsa.) Also good as an ingredient in burritos, tacos or with rice and beans.

Spanish Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup of long grain, white rice
finely minced or granulated garlic
minced fresh red or dried onion
1 tsp (and a bit) tomato paste
salt to taste
chicken stock or bouillon
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen veggies (optional)

Heat a non-stick stock pan with medium heat until water rolls on the surface. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil or enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. Add the rice and let brown until golden. (It will first become translucent and then will start turning opaque white and finally golden.)

Add garlic, onion and 1 heaping tsp tomato paste. Stir until evenly coated and just combined. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and give it another good stir. This will be the last time you stir so the rice turns out light and fluffy. Keep the heat on medium until the liquid begins to reduce. Depending on your heat, 5-8 minutes. Then add another cup of water and turn the heat down to a low simmer for the next 10 minutes.

Add a grind of salt if desired and half a cup of frozen veggies if using. Cover. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. When it looks like there’s no more steam coming out, check the bottom to make sure it’s dry-ish but not stuck. Turn the heat off and leave covered for another 5ish minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork if needed.

Serve in burritos, tacos, as a side with slow cooker dishes. Versatile and delicious!

To those of you secretly groaning in your head, “Ugh, no, never.” give this a try! I promise my method of preparation won’t leave you hungry or dumping unfinished burritos in the bin. Have you ever spit out a Lord of the Fries burger? They’re pretty tasty, aren’t they? They’re also meatless. They use something called Textured Vegetable Protein, or TVP. You can buy TVP in many different forms, canned and ready to use, dry slices, dry meatball-sized chunks or dry minced. This is what we’ll be using for this burrito.

You can get TVP from most Chinese grocers, or online from these guys.

The best part about TVP in mince form is the texture. It feels like meat unlike veggie burgers made from tofu, legumes and nuts. Add the right seasonings and some might not suspect it isn’t meat if they weren’t told.

(I’ve only tested the mince form so I can’t vouch for the quality of the “sliced” or “meatball” versions.)

Meatless Beef Burritos
Ingredients you’ll need:
1 cup dried TVP mince
Boiled water
tsp granulated garlic
salt and pepper to taste
cumin to taste
lime (or lemon) juice
1 tsp parisian browning essence
1 beef stock cube or beef styled cubes (optional)
flour tortillas
shredded iceburg lettuce
shredded cheese (I like colby)
tapatio hot sauce to taste
extra light sour cream (optional)

Tools needed:
Comal or equivalent (hot plate or large dry pan to heat the tortillas)

In a bowl, add 1 cup of the dried TVP mince and 1 cup boiled hot water. The hot water will reconstitute the TVP. If you want to add a beef stock cube, add it now and mix it in well. (Personally, I don’t feel it needs it, but some people may like a beefier flavour.) Add to this the garlic, salt, pepper and cumin all to taste. Normally I add around 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp each. Squeeze in a little lime juice and about 1tsp of the parisian browning essence. This makes it look more like cooked beef mince. (It’s a psychological thing, but it does make it feel more like the real thing.) Mix well. It should look something like this when it’s done:

Pretty convincing, isn’t it?

Have your shredded cheese and shredded lettuce ready and heat your tortillas. I prefer to heat them on a hot plate rather than in the microwave because the microwave will make them go stiff and hard very quickly. If you heat them on a hot plate, they stay pliable and soft through the burrito folding process and well into eating-time. If using the large Mission tortillas, this batch should yield enough for four tortillas. If using the smaller flour tortillas, you might get six or eight burritos.

Once warmed, stack the tortillas on a preparing plate and add a couple tablespoons of the TVP mince, sour cream if you’re using it, the shredded cheese, shredded lettuce and some tapatio sauce. Then fold into a burrito and place on dinner plates. Continue until all burritos are made.

That’s it! Did I mention it’s cheap to make and lasts much longer than even frozen mince would in your freezer? Great for those on a budget. Quick as well.

Variations: You can use different filling ingredients as well. If you’ve made frijoles or spanish rice, the leftovers can be used to make burritos the next night. Mix it up.

If you make this, let me know what you think!