1 tbls oil, 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 heaped tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 500g mince beef, 1 beef stock cube, 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 410g can kidney beans.

Heat a deep pan put the oil in as well as the chopped onion, chopped pepper paprika and cumin and continue to cook until the onions are soft.
Add the garlic and the meat and stir in and cook till all the pink bits are gone, keep the heat quite high as you don’t want it to stew.
Add the chopped tomatoes stock cube and chilli powder and leave to cook out stiring occasionally.
Add 500ml water, sugar then stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 take the lid off and stir in the kidney beans and the puree, cover and cook for 15 more minutes stirring occasionally.
Serve with plain boiled rice and enjoy.

The pancakes are filled with meat and served with a cheese sauce. You can use mini burritos for Mexican catering. Make this tiny can you can serve these at your catered parties as finger food.

250 ml 1/2 pt pancake batter

4 portions chilli con carne,
500 ml Mornay sauce flavoured with Dijon-type mustard grated cheese, parmesan or cheddar

1 Make the pancakes in the normal way (see below).

2 Fill the pancakes with chilli con carne. Place in a suitable earthenware dish.

3 Mask with Mornay sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.

4 Glaze under the salamander or in a hot oven and serve.

Pancake batter

100g 4 oz flour, white or wholemeal pinch of salt 1 egg

250 ml 1/2 pt milk, whole or skimmed 10g melted butter, margarine or oil oil for frying

1 Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, make a well into the centre.

2 Add the egg and milk, gradually incorporating the flour from the sides, whisk to a smooth batter.

3 Mix in the melted butter.

4 Heat the pancake pan, clean thoroughly.

5 Add a little oil, heat until smoking.

6 Add enough mixture to just cover the bottom of the pan thinly.

7 Cook for a few seconds until brown.

8 Turn and cook on the other side. Turn on to a plate.

9 Repeat until all the batter is used up.

• 100 g 4 oz tomatoes, skinned, deseeded, diced
• 50 g 2 oz tomato puree
• 1 teaspn cumin seed
• 50 g 2 oz raisins
• 250 ml 1/2 pt brown stock or water
• 18g 1/2 oz cornflour
• 25 g 1 oz green olives, chopped
• 25 g 1 oz capers, chopped
• 50 g 2 oz flaked almonds, roasted

1 Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the minced beef and brown quickly.

2 Add the onion, garlic, and the chopped chilli pepper. Season and cook for a further 3 mins.

3 Pour off excess oil and place the meat into a suitable saucepan.

4 Add to the saucepan the tomatoes, tomato puree, cumin seed and raisins.

5 Barely cover with brown stock or water and gently simmer for approx. 30 mins.

6 Lightly thicken with a little diluted cornflour and stir in the olives and capers.

Correct the seasoning and consistency. Finish by adding the roasted flaked almonds.

If you are using this dish for catering, you should not add to much chilli, leave the chilli as dried flakes and let guess add them to each individual dish.

Tortillas are served with all Mexican meals. Although in Mexico a special flour is used, tortillas may be produced using cornmeal and wholemeal flour.

100g 4 oz wholemeal flour

100g 4 oz cornmeal flour

250 ml 1/2 pt water (approx.)

Method

1 Sieve the flours together into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and sufficient water to make a smooth dough.

2 Knead well until elastic. Divide into 12 or 16 pieces, depending on the size of the tortilla required.

3 Place a ball of dough between two pieces of well oiled greaseproof paper (or use silicone paper). Roll the dough into a circle, diameter 10-15 cm (4-6 in.).

4 Lightly oil a frying pan. Peel off the top layer of paper and place the tortilla in the pan. Cook for approx. 2 mins. Remove the top paper, turn over and cook the other side approx. 2 mins. Both sides should be quite pale and dry.

5 Keep the tortillas warm for service, stacking between pieces of dry

greaseproof paper.

The tortilla can be served in different ways and are a great food to use for catering mexican style food. When crisp and golden it is called a tostada. These are served with red kidney beans, cheese and a chilli sauce.

Tacos are tortillas curled into a shell shape and fried, usually filled with picadillo and served with salad and chilli sauce.

Tortillas that are rolled and filled, then served with a sauce, are called enchiladas.

Chilli sauce is usually purchased as a commercial product. But it can be made by mixing together tomato ketchup and tabasco sauce or by making a fresh tomato coulis  strengthened with tomato puree and finished with tabasco.

Tortillas may be made lighter by adding 1 teaspn baking powder.