Make it Mexican

Flamboyant family food!

Mexican food is a vibrant celebration of textures, bold flavours and bright colours. It’s the kind of food that brings family and friends together, sharing all the lovely aromas. Mexican food is typically served in an array of plates and bowls perfect for everyone around the table to share and help themselves. This recipe perfectly captures this warm style of eating with the variety of accompaniments used.

You may be familiar with the Mexican dish, Chilli con carne, made with mince, chilli, spices and red kidney beans. Some even refer to it as cowboy food. Did you know that these flavours are absolutely delicious with chicken? Heleen’s recipe is so easy to prepare.

Make it Mexican

There is a long list of popular ingredients in Mexico and typical ones include everyday things, like tomato, spices, citrus and of course, chillies. Dairy products like sour cream, yoghurt and cheese often form part of a meal together with fresh salsas made with veggies or fruit. One can’t talk about Mexican food without mentioning avocados – whether it’s freshly sliced, in a salsa or as guacamole – it’s the perfect partner to all these wonderful flavours.

Chicken meets chilli

For this Chilli con pollo (pollo meaning chicken), the chicken is cooked in a fragrant tomato base with spices, like cumin, coriander, paprika and a bit of chilli. The chicken is then shredded and returned to the sauce with the red kidney beans and fresh herbs. This is served on warm tortillas with fresh salsas or salad ingredients, sour cream, creamy avocado and a good squeeze of lemon or lime.

Invite your family and friends over, fill a table with your choice of accompaniments and let everyone ‘build’ their own tortillas. The flavours in this meal complement one another so well. There’s a good balance between textures, with spicy, hot, fresh and cooling elements.

Chilli con pollo

Recipe by Heleen Meyer

Serves 4 – 6

20 ml (4 tsp) olive oil

4-6 chicken breasts on the bone, halved

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 red pepper, seeded and cubed

1-2 small red chillies, chopped (seeded if preferred)

5-10 ml (1-2 tsp) cayenne pepper or to taste

5 ml (1 tsp) paprika

10 ml (2 tsp) ground cumin

10 ml (2 tsp) ground coriander

125 ml (½ cup) orange juice or strong Rooibos tea

1 x 410 g tin chopped tomatoes

50 ml tomato paste

30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh origanum

2 bay leaves

1-2 whole star anise

1 x 410 g tin red kidney beans, drained

salt and pepper to taste

To serve

1-2 tortillas per person, depending on the size of tortillas

salsa of your choice (see below)

fresh avocado or guacamole (see below)

sour cream or plain double cream yoghurt

fresh tomato, shredded cabbage and more chillies

coriander leaves, lime or lemon wedges

1. Heat half the oil over a medium heat in a large pot. Brown chicken on both sides and spoon out.

2. Heat remaining oil in the pot and sauté onions, garlic and pepper until soft. Add chillies and spices and sauté until aromatic.

3. Return chicken with orange juice or Rooibos, tomatoes and paste with origanum, bay leaves and star anise. Stir through and bring to the boil.

4. Reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked, but still juicy. Spoon chicken out and allow to cool slightly.

5. Debone and skin chicken and carefully shred meat and return to the warm sauce.

6. Stir in the beans and season to taste. Simmer with the lid for another 10 minutes or until heated through.

7. Serve chicken with warm tortillas and your choice of salsas and other accompaniments – choose from avocado, sour cream, tomato and cabbage, more chillies, fresh coriander and lemon wedges. See the accompaniment recipes below. 

Accompaniments

Fruity salsa: Toss together ½ small pineapple or papaya, cubed; ½ red pepper, diced; 250 ml (1 cup) finely shredded red or white cabbage; a handful mint leaves, shredded and 1-2 pickled jalapeños, chopped. Season with lemon or lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 6

Bean salsa: Toss together 1 x 410 g tin black beans, drained; 125 ml (½ cup) whole kernel corn; ¼ cucumber, diced; 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin and a handful coriander leaves, shredded. Season with lemon or lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 6

Guacamole: Gently mix together 2 ripe avocados, mashed; 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil; 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon or lime juice; ¼ red pepper, diced; 1 small green chilli, seeded and chopped or a pinch of cayenne pepper; 2 spring onions, finely chopped with 45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh chopped coriander leaves. Season with 10 ml (2 tsp) ground cumin, salt and pepper. Makes about 250 ml,

Visit Heleen’s website for more recipes like this.

Image by Adel Ferreira for LiG Tydskrif