Summer in Ireland and we’ve had a week of blissfully warm days but now, at least from where I am sitting in West Cork, a misty incessant drizzle is falling. You look out the window and instead of a clear blue vista to the Fastnet lighthouse there is a smog-like spitting mist. But today is Harry Potter day and we are destined for the cinema in Bantry this afternoon so giving out about the weather will wait until tomorrow.
Despite the rain it is still warm enough for t-shirts and our appetites too are definitely in summer mode. Gone is the hot carb that accompanies every winter meal replaced instead by fragrant leafy salads. I’m inclined to buy more fresh herbs to garnish meals in the summertime which often leads to a pile up of basil and coriander leaves in the fridge. As these don’t last long I like to use them up in pestos or in a salsa as pictured here.
Tomato & Coriander Salsa:
You will need:
250g cherry tomatoes
4 spring onions
1 red chilli
bunch fresh coriander
Method:
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and slice the spring onions.
Deseed and finely chop the red chilli.
Rinse and roughly chop the coriander leaves.
Combine everything in a bowl and mix well.
I’ve been making these Spicy Beef Fajitas lately with varying degrees of spiciness and topped with all sorts of good things like sour cream, grated cheese, jalepenos and guacamole.
This makes a really quick and tasty supper dish. Once your beef is cooked through, it’s merely a help-yourself at the table assembly job after that. The version here is a child friendly, mildly spiced version but if you want a more grown up ‘give me heat’ version put in 1 tsp cayenne chilli pepper and 1 tsp hot chilli powder instead of the paprika and mild chilli powder listed below.
Serves 4.
Spicy Beef Fajitas
You will need:
1tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
500g steak mince
1 tsp turmeric
half tsp paprika
half tsp mild chilli powder
140g tomato puree
300ml water
6 flour tortillas
To serve: 1 quantity tomato and coriander salsa (as above), grated cheddar, sour cream
Method:
Heat the olive oil or rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and cook the mince thoroughly.
Add the turmeric, paprika and chilli powder to the cooked mince and mix through – cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomato puree to the cooked mince and mix through – cook for 1 minute.
Add half of the water and stir well and cook for a minute or two, add the remaining water, stir well and heat through.
Heat the flour tortillas in a warm oven or under the grill (kids may prefer them cold)
Assemble your fajita with some salsa on the tortilla, topped with spicy beef, sour cream and cheddar.
Great with a cold beer.
Enjoy.
Til next time, Sheila.