chilli sauce, and let everyone assemble their own tacos with anything they fancy!
BREAKFAST TACOS
These easy breakfast tacos are just the ticket on a lazy Saturday morning or even for lunch or dinner! If you’re veggie, swap the crispy bacon for thick slices of milky halloumi cheese, either grilled (broiled) or charred in a griddle pan.
SERVES 4
PREP: 10 MINUTES
COOK: 25 MINUTES
400g (14oz) small vine-ripened tomatoes
½ tbsp olive oil
12 rashers (slices) of smoked streaky bacon or 1 x 250g (9oz) block of halloumi, sliced
300g (11oz) baby spinach
3 tbsp double (heavy) cream
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
4 large free-range eggs
4 x 20cm (8in) soft corn tortillas
4 tbsp chilli jam or Smoky Chipotle and Tomato Chutney
Salt and black pepper
1. Keeping the tomatoes attached to the vine, rub them with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and fry for 5–6 minutes until blistered. Set aside.
2. Preheat the grill (broiler) to high. Line a baking tray (cookie sheet) with foil and lay the bacon on it. Grill for 4–6 minutes, turning halfway, or until the bacon is golden brown and crisp. If using halloumi, grill on each side for 1 minute or until evenly golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, place the spinach in a pan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of water, cover with a lid and cook for 4–5 minutes until wilted. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out any excess liquid by pressing the spinach with the back of a wooden spoon. Return to a clean pan, along with the cream, nutmeg and some salt and pepper, and warm through over a low heat.
4. Heat the sunflower oil until hot in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once starting to bubble, crack in the eggs and fry until crisp around the edges with a just-set runny yolk.
5. Warm the tortillas through in a small dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, keeping a stack warm, wrapped in foil, in a low oven while you heat the rest. Top each one with a fried egg, three crisp bacon rashers or slices of halloumi, a couple of charred tomatoes, a spoonful of spinach and a generous dollop of chilli jam or chipotle chutney. These might be a little fiddly to eat with your hands, as you would other tacos, so grab a knife and fork and a couple of napkins before digging in!
HUEVOS RANCHEROS
Huevos rancheros are a traditional Mexican breakfast, consisting of warmed tortillas with a spicy topping, such as black beans, and fried eggs. Add to this sweet peppers cooked with a warming hint of coriander and the cooling creamy avocado for a cracking weekend brekkie!
SERVES 4
PREP: 15 MINUTES
COOK: 20 MINUTES
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow (bell) pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 orange (bell) pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 x 400g can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
180g (6oz) cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 medium-sized fresh red chillies, one finely chopped the other sliced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 medium free-range eggs
4 x 20cm (8in) soft corn tortillas
Flesh of 2 medium avocados, sliced
Salt and black pepper
Cholula or other chilli sauce, to serve (optional)
1. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the peppers and fry gently for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ground coriander and continue cooking for another minute. Stir through the beans, tomatoes and chopped chilli and cook everything for a further 5 minutes or until just beginning to break down. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the lime juice.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. When the oil is hot crack in the eggs and cook until crispy around the edges and the yolks are just set but still runny.
3. Warm the tortillas through in a small dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, keeping a stack warm, wrapped in foil, in a low oven while you heat the rest. Divide the bean mixture among them, top each with a fried egg and some sliced avocado. Finish with a good shake of hot sauce if you like it spicy!
CHARRED SPRING ONION AND MARINATED FETA TACOS
Feta can be transformed just by leaving it for an hour or two in a delicious marinade of flavoured olive oil. Paired with griddled spring onions, these tacos make for a veggie delight!
SERVES 4–6
PREP: 15 MINUTES, PLUS MARINATING
COOK: 20 MINUTES
1 x 200g (7oz) block of feta
100ml (3½fl oz/½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
Leaves of 1 small bunch of dill, torn
1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
24 spring onions (scallions), trimmed
400g (14oz) chard or spinach
2 tbsp crème fraîche
Leaves of 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
12 x 15cm (6cm) soft corn tortillas, homemade (here) or shop-bought
1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced
Salt and black pepper
1. Place the feta in a shallow bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and chilli flakes with half the dill and the pared zest of half the lemon. Pour the mixture over the feta and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1–2 hours.
2. Wash any dirt or grit off the spring onions and pat dry. Heat a ridged griddle pan or heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a high heat until almost at smoking point. Drizzle a little olive oil over the spring onions, then add to the pan and cook in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side until blistered and beginning to soften. Remove and keep warm.
3. Roughly slice the chard or spinach, place in a steamer or in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water, covered with a lid and steam for 5 minutes or until wilted. Remove from the steamer/pan and squeeze out any excess water by placing in a colander and pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon. Combine with the finely grated zest of the remaining lemon half, the crème fraîche and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Warm the tortillas through in a small dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, keeping a stack warm, wrapped in foil, in a low oven while you heat the rest. Top each one with a spoonful of the wilted greens, a couple of spring onions and some of the marinated feta crumbled into pieces. Drizzle over a little of the marinade and finish with some of the remaining dill and the sliced red chilli scattered over.
ANCHO SMOKED TOFU