Beany enchiladas

This is very similar to the enchilada recipe found here, except this time I used herby tortillas, and no enchilada sauce. Still good - just not with the saucy kick!

Beany Enchiladas

800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
400 gram tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, grated
6 herbed flour tortillas
100 grams grated tasty cheese
3 large handfuls salad leaves
1 Lebanese cucumber, roughly diced
50 grams feta cheese, crumbled
1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 - Heat a large pan over a medium hot heat. Add the tomatoes, beans, chilli flakes, carrot, zucchini and 1/2 a cup of water to the pan, and bring to the boil.

2 - Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the mixture is nice and thick.

3 - Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C. Lay each tortilla on a flat surface, and spread with some of the filling. Roll up the tortilla, and place snugly in a baking dish. Repeat with other 5 tortillas.

4 - Top the enchiladas with the tasty cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbling. Set aside for a couple of mintues to cool before serving.

5 - Put the lettuce and cucumber in a bowl together. Mix together the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl, then pour over the salad. Serve with the enchiladas.

No-cook tacos

I was so tired the other night. Truly, the last thing I wanted to do was cook. Where was Jeeves when you needed him? But, alas, wishing on an imaginary Jeeves won't put dinner on the table. I gave a sigh of resignation, and took stock of my fridge and cupboards. I found a crisp cucumber, an avocado that really needed to be used, some new season cherry tomates and a pack of taco shells. A half smile began to play on my face. "Whoa-ho-ho!", I thought. "I may not cook tonight, but I can certainly come up with the goods for dinner!"

And thus the no-cook taco was born.

No-Cook Tacos


2 taco shells per person
400 gram tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
100 grams cherry tomatoes, quartered
Juice of one lime
100 grams tasty cheese, grated
1 small tub sour cream

1 - In a bowl, mix together the beans, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes and lime juice. Set aside for 15 minutes or so, to allow the flavours to mingle.

2 - When ready, quickly heat the tacos in a hot oven as per the packet directions. Stuff each taco with the bean mix, then top with cheese and sour cream and dig in!

Vegetarian Enchiladas

I was poking around in my cupboard the other day, and found a jar of enchilada sauce. Although I had absolutely no recollection of buying it, I wasn't about to let that stop me using it! Usually I like to make everything from scratch, but I wasn't about to look a Mexican gift horse in the mouth. So I kept poking around and discovered some tortillas, some beans and a few rubbery carrots in the frige. Perfect! So here we have enchiladas, Leisl-style: completely off the cuff, but damn good nonetheless.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

800 gram tin crushed tomatoes

400 gram tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, grated
4 flour tortillas
1 small jar hot enchilada sauce
100 grams grated tasty cheese
3 large handfuls salad leaves
1 Lebanese cucumber, roughly diced
50 grams feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 - Heat a large pan over a medium hot heat. Add the tomatoes, beans, chilli flakes, carrot, zucchini and 1/2 a cup of water to the pan, and bring to the boil.

2 - Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the mixture is nice and thick.

3 - Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 C. Lay each tortilla on a flat surface, and spread with some of the filling. Roll up the tortilla, and place snugly in a baking dish. Repeat with other 3 tortillas.

4 - Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas, then top with the tasty cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbling. Set aside for a couple of mintues to cool before serving.

5 - Put the lettuce and cucumber in a bowl together. Mix together the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl, then pour over the salad. Serve with the enchiladas.

Thai lentil curry pies with corn on the cob

I love making these ramekin pies. It's basically just a really easy way of jazzing up a casserole - put it in the bowl, whack some pastry on top, then call it a pie. Brilliant! And if you serve it up to dinner guests, everybody does the big "Oooooh!" and "Ahhhhh!" thing, because it looks like you spent hours fiddling around in the kitchen. Big points for impressing people, all thanks to a little bit of pasty. Love it!

Thai lentil curry pies

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (or to taste)
1 onion, diced
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
1 red capsicum, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
100 grams green beans, top and tailed, and cut into 3 cm lengths
1 cup red lentils
400 ml tin coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 sheet puff pastry
Sesame seeds

1 - Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and cook until golden and tender. Add the red curry paste, and cook for a minute or two more.

2 - Add the coconut milk, water and lentils, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until lentils are beginning to tenderise, add the sweet potato half way through.

3 - Add the remaining vegetables, and simmer, covered for 5 minutes, stirring often. The mixture should be nice and thick, with the lentils mushy.

4 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Spoon the mixture into ramekins, then cover each ramekin with a piece of puff pastry. Lightly oil the pastry, and scatter with sesame seeds. Place the ramekins on a baking tray, then bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then serve with the corn.

Corn on the cob

1 corn cob per person

1 - Fill a medium sized saucepan with salted water, and bring to the boil.

2 - Add the corn cobs, and cook for 5ish minutes. Remove from the water, then serve.

Bean and vegetable curry

This is just the thing for those chilly nights - it's hearty and spicy. My favourite combination!

Bean and vegetable curry

500 grams sweet potato, peeled and diced into 2 cm cubes
300 grams pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced into 2 cm cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 onion, finely diced (save the other half for the gnocchi on Friday)
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
400 gram tin red kidney beans, rinsed well
plain rice, to serve
tzatziki, to serve

1 - Preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the pumpkin and sweet potato in a baking dish, toss with a smidge of oil, and roast for 20ish minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

2 - Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes or so, or until tender and golden. Add the curry paste, and cook for a minute more.

3 - Add the beans and tomatoes, and bring to the boil. Turn heat down and simmer, until the mixture is nice and thick. Add the roasted vegetables, then stir carefully to combine (you don't want to squish the roasted cubes of sweet potato and pumpkin).

4 - Place some rice in a bowl, then top with a good dollop of the curry. Serve with tzatziki, if desired.

Nachos

Sometimes, at the end of a very, very, very long week, it would be so easy to dial a pizza. But you know what it's like on a Friday - every other person in the world has done the same thing, so your quick meal becomes a grumpy two hour wait at the front door, cursing their inefficiency loudly the whole time, resulting in other family members hiding in the bedroom so they too don't incur your wrath (What do you mean that never happens at your place? Geez, I must get grumpier than I suspected!).

So save yourself the trouble, and bang this together. It's even got beans in it - that makes it healthy, right?!

Nachos

1 pack unflavoured corn chips
800 gram tin crushed tomatoes
400 gram tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
100 grams tasty cheese, grated

1 - Preheat oven to 200 C.

2 - In a large non-stick pan, combine the tomatoes, beans and chilli, and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is nice and thick.

3 - Scatter the chips into a large baking dish, then pile the bean mixture evenly on top. Top with cheese, then bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve, with a smug smile!

Kolokithopita (Greek pumpkin pie) with garlicky vegetables

This is just the ticket for those days when the sun is warm, and you're convinced that spring is properly here (and go a bit nuts hiding winter jumpers and bringing out summer dresses to air), only to be laughed at by the weather gods when they bestow a chilly old night. Who has the last laugh when you're sitting in a nice warm house, tucking into this?

Kolokithopita

20 sheets filo pastry

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 kilo pumpkin, peeled and grated

1/2 cup pepitas, toasted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

200 grams feta cheese, crumbled roughly

sesame seeds

Cherry tomatoes, halved, to serve

1 - Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large, non-stick pan over a medium high heat. Cook the grated pumpkin for 8 - 10 minutes, until soft and tender. Set aside to cool.

2 - Once cooled, mix the pumpkin with the eggs, pepitas and feta. Season to taste.

3 - Oil a large baking dish with a little of the oil. Spread out the filo on a work bench, covering with a damp tea towel between bits. Carefully pick up a single piece of the filo, and place into the dish, gently molding it into place. Don't worry if bits are hanging off the side, we'll fix that up later. Brush the sheet of filo with oil, then place a new one on top of it. Brush it with oil, and repeat until you have layered 10 sheets.

4 - Spread over the pumpkin mixture, then layer the remaining filo over, as above. Tuck the overhanging bits into the dish, or trim, then score the pastry in a diamond pattern. Brush with oil, sprinkle over some sesame seeds, and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crinkly. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then slice up and serve.

Garlicky vegetables

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

2 handfuls butter beans, tops and tails trimmed

1 cup fresh breadcrums

1 garlic cloves, diced finely

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 - Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli and beans, and cook for 3 - 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Drain, and keep warm.

2 - Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the garlic and breadcrumbs, and cook until the garlic smells fragrant, and the breadcrumbs are golden. Toss with the vegetables in a bowl, and serve immediately.

Eggplant and green bean noodle soup

This soup is what I like to refer to as "The Clayton's Laksa", or the laksa you have when you're not really having a laksa. Anyhoo, it doesn't really matter what it's called - it's damn fine!

2 tablespoons red curry paste (or more if you want to blow funny steam clouds out of your ears)
1 1/4 cups of water
1 large eggplant, cubed
1 large sweet potato, cubed
410g tin coconut milk
200 grams green beans, trimmed
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
150 grams dried flat rice noodles
coriander, to serve

1 - Combine the curry paste, water, eggplant and sweet potato in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered for 5 minutes.

2 - Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil, and cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain.

3 - Add the beans and broccoli to the pan, plus the coconut milk. Rebring to the boil, then simmer for another 5 - 7 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Add the noodles then serve, topping with the coriander.

Beany Quesadillas

This is perfect Friday night fare. It's relatively quick, full of goodness and is so delish, what with the squirt of lime juice and the dip of sour cream, that I was practically licking the plate afterwards! And if you decide to pair it with a Corona or four (hey, sometimes those work weeks can be absolute slogs), then so much the better. Loosen the tie or kick off the heels, crack open the beer and enjoy!

Beany Quesadillas

800g tin of crushed tomatoes

1 onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

410g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 cup grated cheddar

2 flour tortillas per person

300g sour cream

1 lime, quartered

coriander, to taste

1 - Heat the oil in a large fry pan. Saute the onion until golden, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another minute or so more, or until everything smells yummy and spicy.

2 - Add the kidney beans and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is a lovely thick goop. Leave to cool a smidge.

3 - Heat up a sandwhich press, dropping and smearing some olive oil on the surface. Place a tortilla on the press, spreading a good dollop of the bean mix onto the torilla, then top with cheese and coriander. Place the other tortilla on top of the first, then grill in the press for a minute or so, or until nice and crisp.

4 - Transfer the tortilla to a plate using a spatula, then cut into quarters. To serve, squirt over some lime juice and dip into the sour cream as you take each bite. Good, huh?!

Burritos with chocolate milkshakes

Burritos. So easy. So filling. So messy. So finger-licking, down-my-arm-it's-dripping good! Who needs takeaway when you can whip up this kind of stuff?

Burritos
200 grams of black turtle beans, picked over and soaked overnight
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
800 gram tin of crushed tomatoes
salad leaves, washed well and dried
2 tomatoes, sliced
100 grams feta, crumbles
1 large piece of pita bread per person

1 - Drain the beans from their soaking liquid, and rinse well. Put them into a heavy saucepan, cover with 1 litre of water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 45 minutes or until tender, then drain well.

2 - Put half the beans in a bowl, add a little water, and blitz with a blender stick until pureed. Set aside.

3 - Heat the oil in a non-stick fry pan, and saute the onion until golden. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for a minute or two more.

4 - Add the beans, bean puree and crushed tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until thick.

5 - Take each piece of bread, and spread the middle of bean mixture. Add the salad leaves, tomatoes and feta, then roll up and eat.

Chocolate milkshake
2 tablespoons of Dutch dark cocoa powder
500ml of milk
Caster sugar, to taste.

Put the cocoa and milk in a blender and whizz. Add caster suger, one spoon at a time, and whizz again until the desired sweetness. Pour into glasses and serve.