tangy mango salad with shrimp

a light meal on its own, or a fresh side dish

The flavours of lime, cilantro & chilies make this salad arguably thai or mexican!  Doesn't really matter what you choose to eat it with, it's really easy and super tasty.  Make it vegetarian easily by eliminating the shrimp.  I served this alongside the spicy adobo beef enchiladas, which was perfect because the sweet mango cooled down our palates.

what you need:

• 1 ripe mango
• 1 cubanelle pepper
• 2 green onions
• 1 small handful of cilantro
• ~ 12 large shrimp, shelled and cleaned
• 1 clove of garlic
• ~2 tsp canola oil
• salt and pepper

for the dressing:

• 1 lime - zest and juice
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 red thai chilli, finely chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• small pinch of salt
• freshly ground pepper

what to do:

1. Combine dressing ingredients and taste - adjust if needed (e.g. if the lime wasn't very juicy, you may need more lemon juice to add acidity).
2. Dice mango and pepper into approximately equal sized pieces.  Thinly slice green onion, and roughly chop cilantro.  Toss all ingredients together with dressing (except for shrimp), and allow it to sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before serving for flavours to combine.  
3. When you are about ready to serve, pat dry shrimp.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a non-stick pan, heat canola oil on medium.  Add garlic, once you can smell the garlic aroma, add the shrimp, cook just until pink, about 45 seconds each side.  Toss shrimp with salad and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

spicy adobo beef enchiladas

truly flavourful and wickedly spicy

Last night our friends Kim and Steve came over for dinner and we decided on a Mexican themed menu.  For the main I decided to make enchiladas with homemade flour tortilla wraps and a spicy adobo sauce.  They can handle their spice and I've been on a mission to meet their spice tolerance and I think this adobo sauce almost hits the mark (although, while I used it sparingly on my enchilada, Kim proceeded to spoon extra sauce on hers!).   The sauce is very spicy so take caution - you can half or even quarter the adobo chilli amount.  Be sure to serve it up with some sour cream and guacamole to help cool the heat!  And add some homemade salsa for a fresh bite.

what you need:

*serves 4

• 8 tortilla wraps (I used my homemade flour wraps)
• ~450 g of lean ground beef
• 1 small can of corn kernels
• 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp oregano (Mexican if possible)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup shredded old cheddar cheese (or even better, use queso fresco) 

spicy adobo sauce

• 1 - 7 oz can prepared adobo chipotle chillies (use 1/2 or 1/4 this amount if you prefer medium heat)
• 1 - 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 1/2 small red onion - diced
• 2 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
• small pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp canola oil

what to do:

1. For the sauce - preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully place whole tomatoes on it, bake for about 15 minutes, until tomatoes are charred on the outside (for a smokey flavour).
2. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, sauté onions with oil.  After a minute or two, add garlic.  Continue stirring to avoid burning the garlic, about 1 minute. Season lightly with salt and pepper.            
3. Add the adobo chillies and continue stirring, then add the charred tomatoes (be careful when transferring them, the juices inside are very hot!) - and the rest of the tomato liquid from the can.
4. Put a lid on and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Allow to cool, then puree until smooth.  Optional - Strain for a silky smooth sauce.

1. For the enchiladas - Dice up onion, finely chop garlic, and get your spices and ingredients ready.  
2. In a pan or pot on medium heat, sauté onions and ground beef in a little bit of cooking oil, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon.  Season with cayenne, pinch of salt and pepper, oregano, and cumin.  Once the beef is cooked, add the corn.  Stir, them reduce heat to medium-low. 
3. Mix cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of cold water.  Add slowly to beef mixture as you stir, to thicken.  Turn off heat once it is thickened.
4. While beef is cooling, make your flour wraps (or get tortilla wraps ready).
5. Spoon some of the adobo sauce to coat the bottom of a baking dish.
6. Spoon beef mixture onto wrap and then roll it up tightly and place it down on the baking dish.  Continue until all 8 are made and nestled. 

 7.  Top with more sauce, then shredded cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes in a 375 F oven,    
      and finish with a 1 minute broil to brown the top.  Garnish with chopped green onion 
      and cilantro.  Serve hot with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and extra adobo sauce 
      for those who dare.  Enjoy!

ready to bake!

the perfect bite includes all the fixings!

simple fish "burrito"

eat as a soft taco as above, or bake wrapped up as below

a quick healthy fresh meal

Still on that mexican kick, here's a simple version of a "burrito"... I've got quotation marks because it's kind of a mix between a wrap/soft taco/burrito.  Whole wheat tortilla filled with spicy seasoned cod and mexican inspired rice, with a side of fresh salsa and sliced avocados. Super satisfying.


what you need:
*serves 2

• whole wheat tortillas

burrito filling:

• 2 portions of white fish (I used cod)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne 
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed well
• canola oil
• salt and pepper
• mexican inspired rice

simple fresh salsa:

• 1 tomato
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 lemon juice and zest
• salt and pepper
• 1 small jalapeno 
• 1 small handful cilantro
• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 avocado
• 1 lime

what to do:

1. Marinate cod with 2 tsp canola oil, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper, and cayenne.  Be sure to use your hands to gently rub spices evenly all over the fish.
2. Dice salsa veggies (as finely as you want your salsa).  Toss together in a bowl, then finely grate lemon zest and garlic into bowl.  Add lemon juice and olive oil.  Mix well and set aside.  Slice up avocado and squeeze lime juice all over, set aside.
3. In a non-stick pan on medium, heat up 2 tsp canola oil.  Add cod and cook through, about 3 minutes on each side (depending on how thick your fish is).  Use a wooden spoon to gently break fish apart into large chunks.  Remove from heat.
4. Soft taco version: place tortilla on a large plate and fill it with the mexican rice, fish, salsa and sliced avocados.  Enjoy!
5. Burrito version: place tortilla on a piece of aluminum foil and fill with mexican rice, fish, and shredded cheese (if desired).  Wrap it up tightly and secure with foil, then bake at 425 F for about 15 minutes.  Serve alongside fresh salsa and avocados.  Enjoy!

mexican inspired rice

After a girls' trip to Chicago with some great friends (ina, mel & abby!) and having some delicious mexican fare, I was craving more.  This rice dish is inspired by mexican flavours and makes a great filling for my version of a fish burrito/soft taco (next post!).   

what you need:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 handful of fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions
• canola oil
• 2 cups water
• salt & pepper

what to do:

1. Finely dice onion, red bell pepper and garlic.
2. In a pot, heat up 1 tbsp canola oil on medium.  Add onions and saute until slightly translucent.  Add rice to coat with oil and allow it to toast lightly.  Add bell pepper, garlic, and black beans (drained).  Stir lightly, then add cumin, oregano and chili flakes.  Stir in the water and cover pot with lid.  Turn heat to medium - high until water boils, then turn it down to medium low and allow to simmer for ~ 30 min.
3. In the mean time, slice green onions thinly on a bias and roughly chop up cilantro.
4. Fluff rice with a fork and season to your taste with salt and pepper.  Fold in green onions and cilantro, and save some to garnish on top.  Serve as a side dish and enjoy! Or use it as a filling for a burrito:)

looking at ourselves in the bean, chicago