This is a deliciously simple supper dish that I have had in my wait queue for a very long time. I don't know why it has taken me so long to post it. I guess life got in the way!
I enjoy a real love affair with Tex Mex food. When I first moved over here it was very difficult to find anything Tex Mex, and ingredients to make your own dishes were few and far between.
I used to bring my own chili powder and taco seasoning, etc. back with me when I came back to the UK after Canadian visits. I learnt to make my own seasoning mixes as well, using what I had to hand.
Thankfully it is a lot easier to find Tex Mex ingredients over here nowadays. I think we have Thomasina Meirs to thank for that. She won the BBC Master Chef competition back in 2005 and was instrumental in introducing Tex Mex flavours to the UK and the contest with her innovative style and her love of Mexico and its food.
Tex Mex ingredients are not as hard to come by these days . . . with the exception of canned green chilies and tomatillos. I still have a hard time finding them.
In fact I do my own green chilies. I buy a bag of green jalapeno chilies every time I shop just about, and roast them and then freeze them in small batches, ready to use when I need them. There is no substitute for the tomatillos . . .
I make my own Taco Seasoning and my own Enchilada Sauce. Both are very easily done and I know what is in them, preservative free, and free from any nasty chemicals, additives, etc. I can also control the amount of salt and sugar. More ready made foods contain far too much of both.
I make my own flour tortillas also. You can find my Flour Tortilla Recipe here. They are very easy to make and tastes a bazillion times better than store bought. At first you might make some rather irregular shaped ones, but with time you will get better. Of course you could use a Tortilla press, if you are lucky enough to have one. I am not. I simply roll the dough into balls and then roll it out into thin rounds with a rolling pin.
This recipe today is like stacked Enchiladas I guess . . . with separate layers of re fried beans, enchilada sauce and cheese . . .
interspersed with turkey taco meat. You can use ground beef if you want. We prefer turkey. For me its a texture thing. For Todd it is a case of eating what's put in front of you, lol.
After spending 15 years on his own before we got married, he is just happy to have someone who cooks and does it well. His meals are never boring.
You layer up the beans and the taco meat in the tortillas, along with the cheese and enchilada sauce, finishing with a final layer of enchilada sauce and cheese on top . . . after that it is an easy bake in the oven until the flavours meld together and the cheese melts and its all heated through perfectly . . .
I like to sprinkle some chopped olives and spring onions on top when they are done. I cut them into wedges and serve with up with either additional warm enchilada sauce (OR salsa) and some sour cream to dollop on top. A salad on the side also goes very well!
Yield: 4
Author: Marie Rayner
Stacked Turkey Mexi-Melts
These are surprisingly hearty and delicious. Serve with a salad on the side for a complete meal.ingredients:
- 6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 package of taco seasoning mix
- 1 small tin of re fried beans (200g/8ounce)
- 1/2 jar enchilada sauce (I make my own) (about 1 cup)
- 120g grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup)
- 130g grated Jack cheese (1 cup)
- chopped spring onions
- chopped green and black olives
- Additional enchilada sauce or salsa and sour cream to serve
instructions:
How to cook Stacked Turkey Mexi-Melts
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. gas mark 6. Line several large baking trays with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spray a skillet with some low fat cooking spray. Heat over medium heat, crumble in the ground turkey and then scramble fry it until no more pink remains. Sprinkle on the taco seasoning mix and add about 60ml/1/4 cup of water. Cook on low heat until everything thickens up nicely.
- Scrape the tin of refried beans into a bowl. Mash them up with a fork to loosen them a bit.
- Mix together both cheeses.
- Lay out two tortillas on the prepared baking sheet. spread 1/2 of the enchilada sauce over top. Spoon over the refried beans, spreading them out evenly. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Top with another tortilla. Divide the ground turkey between the two tortilla stacks and spread it out evenly. Top with another 1/3 of the cheese and the final tortillas. Spread the remainder of the enchilada sauce evenly over top of each stack and then sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through and slightly crisp on the edges. Remove from the oven. Mix together the chopped olives and spring onions. Sprinkle half on top of each stack.
- Cut into quarters to serve along with some warmed enchilada sauce or salsa and sour cream for spooning on top.
These are just so, so, SO good! I hope you will try them out and like them as much as we do!
Up Tomorrow: Homestyle Baked Haddock
