Recipes - Roast Capsicum Dip

I love dips as there are a million different recipes, using thousands of ingredients and hundreds of ways to use them. This Roast Capsicum Dip is spicy and flavoursome, simple and quick to whip up (once the capsicums are roasted).  I am yet to serve it as a dip, but I have used it as an element of a canape, the base of a pasta sauce and a flavouring for rice.  So it's highly versatile as well as delicious. 

Ingredients

3 capsicums, roasted (about 300g once roasted)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbs olive oil

salt, to season

Step 1 - Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.

Step 2 - Use 3 or 4 short pulses to combine. Serve warm or cold.

Recipes - Pimped Nachos

Who doesn't love good Mexican food?  Especially nachos!  The pre-brought spice mixes are great as a flavour base to which you can add extra spices and a few other ingredients to develop a rich, flavoursome sauce, better than what you find in most Mexican restaurants!  

Ingredients
500g mince
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, diced
1 red chili, seeds & pith removed & sliced
1 packet of taco or burrito seasoning
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground chili
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
1 x 400g tin red kidney beans
To serve
2 x tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1 small spanish onion, finely diced
guacamole
tomato salsa
grated tasty cheese
sour cream
corn chips

Step 1 - Heat a good splash of oil in a large frying pan.  Add onions, garlic and chili and fry off for 1-2 minutes.  Add cumin, coriander, paprika and chili and fry off for up to one minute.
Step 2 - Add mince and brown.  When brown, add taco or burrito seasoning, tomato paste and sugar and cook, stirring frequently until tomato paste is dark in colour and well cooked.
Step 3 - Add tin tomatoes, red kidney beans and 1 cup water. Reduce heat and simmer slowly  for 1-3 hours.  The longer the sauce cooks the richer the flavour will be.
Step 4 - To serve, place nacho mix, corn chips, onion, tomato, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and salsa in separate bowls in the middle of the table and let people serve themselves. 


Notes:


The amount of chili can be reduced or omitted for children.  To increase kids vegetable intake grate 1 carrot, 1 zucchini and 2 celery sticks and fry in step one after spices and before adding mince.  

Recipes - Mexican Chicken

This is my own, bastardised take on a Mexican stew.  This recipes stemmed from my desire to keep my kids meals veggie packed, interesting and easy to cook in bulk and freeze in portions. This dish is so delicious it became one of the regular meals I cook for all of us!  

Ingredients

4 x chicken thighs, diced

2 x 400g tin tomatoes

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 x red capsicum, grated or finely diced

1 x carrot, grated or finely diced

1 x zucchini, grated or finely diced

2 x celery stalks, grated of finely diced

1 x corn cob, kernels removed

1 x brown onion, grated or diced

2x garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped

1-2 x small red chili, finely chopped

2 x tbs tomato paste

1 x tsp sugar

2 x tsp ground ginger

1 x tsp ground cumin

1 x tsp ground corriander seeds

1 x tsp smokey paprika

1/2 x tsp ground chili

1-2 cups water

salt, to season

Step 1 - Heat a good slurp of oilve oil in a large fry pan.  When hot, add onion and garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes.  Do not allow to colour. 
Step 2 - Add carrot, zucchini, capsicum and celery and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

Step 3 - Add chicken and seal. Once sealed add spices and toast, stirring frequently, for up to 1 minutes. 

Step 4 - Add tomato paste and sugar and cook off for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 5 - Add tin tomatoes, 1-2 cups water, chickpeas, red kidney beans and corn kernels.  Cover with lid and simmer slowly for 2-3 hours, stirring periodically.  

Step 6 - After about an hour, season with salt and taste.  If sauce is getting too dry, add a little more water.

Step 7 - Serve on rice with sour cream, guacamole, lemon and fresh, finely chopped coriander.

Notes:

To cook this meal quickly, only add 1 cup water, place on a fast simmer for 30 minutes - 1 hour and stir frequently.  

The slow cooking heat for a long time ensures the acidity in the tomatoes reduces and you will get a much richer flavour.  The chicken will also become very tender and the vegetables should 'melt' into the sauce, which is a great way to get more veggies into kids who are fussy eaters.  


Some of the vegetables have a high water content, so if grating you will need to squeeze the excess water from the vegetables before frying otherwise they will stew and it will be difficult to seal the chicken and toast the spices.  

Two chicken breasts can be used in place of thighs, however, I prefer the flavour of the theigh.  I feel that breasts are great for grilling but are wasted in stews and other slow cooked meals.  

Add chili to taste.