Risotto

Ingredients
250g Risotto Rice (long grain will do)
600ml Water
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
1 Large Onion
1 Large Pepper
1 130g Can of Sweetcorn
1 400g Can of Kidney Beans (or a handful of button mushrooms quartered)
1 200g Can of Mixed Beans
200g Frozen Peas
Olive Oil
A Knob of Butter

Equipment
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Sharp Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Heat a splash of oil in your frying pan, and add to it a coarsely chopped onion and pepper, cook until the onion has softened and begun to turn brown. Add to this the knob of butter then add all your rice and stir fry for about a minute.
2. Add then all your water and all 4 stock cubes and bring to the boil, add the contents of the 3 cans at this stage making sure they have been well drained or the quartered button mushrooms if you are using them and the frozen peas, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Play at being a chef by adding whatever herbs you like, don't over do it, only add a teaspoon of one type at most (dry herbs) and don't be tempted to use more than maybe 3 herbs, i like basil here, if you are going to use fresh herbs, chop them well and add a minute before you serve add in a good knob of butter, stir well and then serve. How's this for a recommendation! Our dog who will eat a piece of dropped meat before it has chance to land on the floor and yet will pick out and leave the vegetables from a plate of Sunday dinner (and for some reason arrange the carrots around the edge of the plate) LOVES this meal
   

Serves 4

Tortilla Espanol

Ingredients
2 Onions (red are better here)
2 400g Cans Kidney Beans (drained)
1 Jar Guacamole
8 Lettuce Leaves (shredded)
6 Tomatoes
2 Teaspoons Cumin
1 Pack Tortillas
100g Grated Cheese (your choice, i love a good strong cheddar)
A Dash of Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon or Lime
Fresh Parsley/Coriander

Equipment
1 Sharp Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Potato Masher
1 Large Bowl
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Can Opener (unless your cans come with one of them clever openers already on)

The Good Bit

1. Chop both the onions into fine cubes and fry off half in the frying pan until golden (3-4mins), add the cumin and fry for another minute, Add the kidney beans and keep over a low heat whilst you prepare the rest.
2. Chop your tomato into small cubes and add the rest of the onion into the small mixing bowl with the lemon/lime juice, A tablespoon full of the chopped parsley and a splash of olive oil and mix gently
   
3. Heat the tortillas according to packet instructions, whilst doing this mash the onion and kidney beans in a large bowl.
4. Serve each tortilla rolled up with a handful of lettuce and a generous helping of the mash inside and good dollops of guacamole and salsa on top and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
   

Serves 4

Mexican Chicken Tower

Ingredients
250g Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces (or for the veggie option 250g mixed veg/beans)
125g Bag of Ready Grated Mature Cheddar Cheese (or grate your own)
1 Can Tomatoes
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Large Onion
1 Pepper
4 Ready Made Tortillas (usually come in 8's so if you have 4 left from the fajitas,bonus!)
Chilli powder
Olive Oil (any will do, sunflower, vegetable etc.)
Salad Leaves and spring onions (or thinly sliced onion rings) and soured cream (optional) to serve.

Equipment
1 Large Frying pan/Wok
1 Wooden/Plastic Spatula
1 Wooden/Plastic serving spoon
1 Sharp Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Oven Proof Dish (large enough for a tortilla to lay in and 2-3inch deep)

The good bit

1. Start by heating a dash of oil in the wok/large frying pan and preheat your oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4
   
2. Cut the large onion into small chunks, (a size you are happy to eat, not onion ring size though!) try to cut the pepper into similar size chunks.
3. Put all this in your heated oil and cook through until the chicken begins to brown stirring fairly often.
4. Once the chicken is browning open the cans of kidney beans and tomatoes and drain your kidney beans, add these to the pad along with a teaspoon of chilli powder (2 if you are daring!)
   
5. Bring to a simmer and leave for 10 minutes. Now to prepare the tower!
6. Lightly grease an oven proof dish and place a tortilla on the bottom, spread over 1/3 of the chicken mix and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese, continue this patter (tortilla, chicken, cheese) and top it off with your 4th tortilla and the remainder of your cheese.
   
7. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, grab yourself a drink, you'll be impressed when this comes out! Prepare your lettuce, onions and anything else you want to serve up
   
8. Cut the tower into 1/4's and serve with the lettuce and onion rings/spring onions, again to keep things cool you could always serve with a dollop of soured cream.
   

Serves 4

Chili Mince Tacos

Ingredients
500g mince beef (or turkey if you want to be healthy)
1 Large Onion
1 400g Can Kidney Beans
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
150ml STRONG Black Coffee
1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon of Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 Pack of ready to serve Tacos
Dash of Oil
Salad to garnish
Maybe some Soured Cream with a sprinkle of Paprika on top

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Can Opener
1 Large Frying Pan/Wok
1 Plastic/Wooden Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Heat the oil in your pad/wok, whilst that is warming, chopped your onion into small pieces and open all your cans.
2. Add the onion to the pan/wok and cook until it begins to go clear and feels soft when pressed with the spatula, 5 minutes, add the meat the chilli and 5 spice powder and cook until the meat is brown, 5 minutes.
3. Now add the kidney beans, tomatoes and the hot black coffee and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, this will look thicker and a lot darker than the chilli I have already made (if you have made that) due to the coffee, it also has a very authentic rustic taste.
4. Heat the tacos to the packet instructions, only a few seconds in a microwave, for best results oven warm.
5. Serve 2 taco shells on a bed of lettuce with a healthy dollop of the chilli mix next to it and at the side of the plate a good spoonful of soured cream sprinkled with paprika.
6. I also like to add sliced tomatoes to the plate, it gives it more colour and also when eaten can take the heat out of the chilli (because I like my chilli hot!)

Serves 4

Mexican Chicken

Ingredients
250g Chicken Breasts (pieces and fillets will do but always seem poorer quality)
1 Can Tomatoes
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Large Onion
1 Pepper
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1 Small Carton of Soured Cream
Any Vegetables you want to bulk out if you need.
250g Rice (any rice but pudding rice)
Chilli powder
Oregano (not necessary but adds more flavour)
Olive Oil (any will do, sunflower, vegetable etc.)
Salt

Equipment
1 Large Frying pan/Wok
1 Large pan
1 Wooden/Plastic Spatula
1 Wooden/Plastic serving spoon
1 Sharp Knife
1 Chopping board
1 Colander

The good bit

1. Start by heating a dash of oil in the wok/large frying pan and heating the large pan which should be 2/3rds full of water with a generous sprinkle of salt in.
2. Cut the onion into small chunks, (a size you are happy to eat, not onion ring size though!) try to cut the pepper into similar size chunks and then the chicken into bite size pieces.
3. Put all this in your heated oil and cook through until the chicken begins to brown stirring fairly often.
4. Once the chicken is browning open the cans of kidney beans and tomatoes and drain your kidney beans, add these to the pad along with a teaspoon of chilli powder (2 if you are daring!) and a sprinkle of oregano if you have it.
5. Bring to a light simmer and now add your rice to the salted water, cook to packet instructions, usually 10-15 minutes but al lot longer for brown.
6. Bring a kettle of water to the boil to wash the rice, when the rice is done, tip into a colander and wash.
7. Serve the rice and a portion of the chicken mixture, add a hand full of tortilla chips and a dollop of soured cream at the side.

Serves 4