Remove the vegetables from the oven and add to the saucepan or casserole dish. Place on a medium heat for a few minutes to warm through, then stir in the spinach and spoon into bowls with a sprinkling of fresh coriander, a scattering of the toasted nuts and a spoonful of yoghurt or crème fraîche.
Bean burritos with refried beans, guacamole and tomato salsa
These burritos are great for a casual crowd. Children will especially love creating their own at the table, choosing from a variety of fillings for the tortillas. I love to see everyone passing around various bowls and plates. This is what communal food is all about.
SERVES 8 VEGETARIAN
1 quantity of guacamole (see opposite)
1 quantity of tomato salsa (see opposite)
1 × 200g jar of jalapeño peppers (optional)
250g (9oz) Cheddar or Gruyère cheese, grated
250g (9oz) crème fraîche
16 tortillas
1 quantity of refried beans (see opposite)
1 Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2.
2 Place the guacamole, salsa, peppers (if using), grated cheese and crème fraîche in separate serving bowls on the table.
3 Put the tortillas in a roasting tin, cover with foil or an upturned bowl and place in the oven for 5–10 minutes or until warmed through, then divide between plates. Reheat the beans, pour into a serving dish and place on the table with the other bowls. People can help themselves and assemble their own burritos by spooning each of the fillings in a line on their tortilla, then rolling up and eating!
Refried beans
SERVES 8 AS A SIDE DISH VEGETARIAN
25g (1oz) butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
½–1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 × 400g tins of pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 250g (9oz) of dried beans, soaked and cooked
100ml (3½ fl oz) beef or chicken stock
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and ground black pepper
1 Melt the butter in a large frying pan ona medium heat, add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook for about 8–10 minutes or until softened and a little golden around the edges.
2 Add the beans, stock, cumin and coriander and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and mashing the beans every so often using a potato masher, for a further 7–8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Guacamole
SERVES 8 AS A SIDE DISH VEGETARIAN
2 ripe avocados, peeled and stones removed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Salt and ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lime or lemon
1 Place the avocado flesh in a large bowl, add the garlic, olive oil and coriander and mash together, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice.
2 Cover the bowl with cling film to stop the mixture going brown and set aside until it is needed.
Tomato salsa
SERVES 8 AS A SIDE DISH VEGETARIAN
4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
1 tbsp chopped red onion
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
½–1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Juice of ½ lime
Salt and ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 Mix all the ingredients together, seasoning with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Fish tacos with pepper and spring onion salsa
The first bite into a fish taco immediately transports me to the white sands of Puerto Escondido in Mexico. The flavours here are all so evocative: crunchy taco shells enveloping a crisp, refreshing salsa, a smooth and creamy guacamole and delicate flakes of fish. I can practically smell the sea!
SERVES 8
750g (1lb 10oz) filleted round white fish, such as haddock, whiting, hake or cod, in small fillets or one big piece
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
To serve
16 taco shells
1 quantity of guacamole
1 quantity of pepper and spring onion salsa (see below)
250g (9oz) crème fraîche
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
2 Put the fish in a roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for 10–20 minutes, depending on the size of the fish piece or pieces, until the flesh is opaque all the way through.
3 A few minutes before the fish are cooked, place the tacos in the oven to warm through, then bring to the table with bowls of the guacamole, salsa and crème fraîche. Cut or break up the fish into bite-sized chunks and place in a warmed serving bowl on the table. People can help themselves: just spoon a little from each bowl to fill the tacos, and eat!
Pepper and spring onion salsa
