Enchiladas

(serves 3-4 people)

8 flour tortillas
450g (1lb) minced beef or other ground meat
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼-½ teaspoon chili powder
1 medium can (about 1 cup) tomato puree, sauce or paste
175g (6 oz) grated cheese (about 2 cups when grated)
1 small can red kidney beans (optional)

Method:
Brown the mince in a large pan with the garlic and onion, stirring gently. No need to add oil as there should be sufficient fat in the meat. Add spices and tomato sauce, and stir until simmering. Cover and simmer gently for about ten minutes.

For each tortilla, put a generous heaped tablespoon of the meat mixture lengthways in the centre, with a sprinkling of cheese. Roll up and place in a greased or non-stick dish. Repeat for all the other tortillas, using up all the meat and about half of the cheese. They should fit fairly tightly in the dish, so the enchiladas do not unroll.

Cover with the drained kidney beans, if used, and the rest of the grated cheese. Put in a hot oven for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas heated thoroughly.

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There are many variations on this basic recipe. Adjust the chili powder to taste, of course. You can use cooked beans or lentils in place of the mince, or you can pour a tomato sauce (even jarred spaghetti sauce if you're in a hurry!) over the enchiladas before topping with cheese. As with any recipe, it's best to adapt to your family's tastes, whatever they are.

This is good to serve with a green salad, sweetcorn and tzatsiki.

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