• 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.