Refried Beans Pita

Refried Beans Pita

It's dark, so very dark. Darker than I thought it would be at this time. Too dark. The pictures are going to be terrible! I made a decision about a year ago to try to always take my pictures in natural light. I much prefer it, it's cleaner and (surprisingly!) more natural. I had planned to do just that last evening. I would make my delicious refried beans, stuff them into warmed pita bread, spread over some sour cream and parmesan and take some beautiful pictures with the light flooding through my kitchen window. What do you do when it doesn't happen the way it should? You plough on regardless and pretend that you were going for the unappetising, unnatural look....

pic of the list, with one glaring mistake!

Makes 4 pita breads

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
pinch of Dried Oregano
1 tsp Hot Paprika
1 Tomato (finely chopped)
1 Tin of Cannellini Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 tbsp finely chopped Parsley
4 Pita Breads
2 tbsp Sour Cream
1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion. Season well and cook for 7-8 minutes until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the garlic, chilli and oregano and continue to cook for 2 minutes before adding the tomato and cooking for a minute more. Add the beans and parsley and cook for 5 minutes before mashing with a fork or potato masher. Check for seasoning, set aside and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile toast the pita breads before filling with the beans mixture. Cover with the sour cream and parmesan. Alternatively you can cut all the way around the pita and layer the beans, sour cream and parmesan. Serve and take some better pictures than me!

Review: Café Mexicana, Cork

Cafe Mexicana

Carey's Lane, Cork City

I instantly feel better about life upon entering Cork City. My better half lived there while in college and during my many visits I grew to love the rebel city. We headed down just before Christmas to visit Ali's former house mate Aoife and spent the evening at Café Mexicana.

Café Mexicana is located just off Patrick Street, on Carey's Lane in Cork's city centre. It is a vibrant, busy restaurant taking up two stories. It has great decor on both floors which conveys the Mexican feel perfectly. There is plenty of seating available but it would still be advisable to book to avoid disappointment.

For starter I went for the special; Jalapeno Tasters. These are quite simple. Jalapenos sliced, dipped in a light batter, deep fried and served with a garlic sauce. Don't let the simplicity turn you off. They are delicious but are to be avoided if you have an aversion to spicy food. I have no such problem and enjoyed this dish immensely.

Starter: 9/10

For mains we decided on the platter for two between the three of us with a couple of portions of chips and garlic bread. We had an enchilada, a burrito and a chimichanga with various fillings. The platter also contained rice and re-fried beans. Everything was great with the only down point being the re-fried beans. They were a bit bland and under seasoned but the rest of the contents easily made up for this. There was plenty of food here between the three of us and we were contemplating forgoing dessert as we were so full. We soon thought better of that though!

Main Course: 8/10

Being almost completely full, I decided to go for the simplest dessert on the menu. The Azteca is vanilla ice-cream with a rich chocolate sauce and chopped hazelnuts. Simple and delicious while my espresso was also of a high standard.

Dessert: 8/10

We were very well looked after at Café Mexicana. The service was very efficient although there could have been the odd smile thrown in!

Service: 8/10

It is on price that Café Mexicana really stands above the rest. We paid €107 for 1 starter, 1 sharing starter, 1 mains platter for two, 2 portions of chips, 1 portion of garlic bread, 3 desserts, 2 teas, an espresso, half a bottle of red wine and a pitcher of margarita. Great value!

Value: 9/10

Ambiance: 9/10

Overall: 8.5/10 Highly Recommended

Café Mexicana

Carey's Lane

Cork City

(021) 4276433

Fajitas

World Cup, Day 12 - Mexico

Fajitas

The final round of the group stages have arrived and today we'll lose four teams from this year's World Cup. I wanted to celebrate one of my favourite cuisines this evening - Mexican. I really enjoy Mexican food, I like that it's practical and delicious. I decided to make fajitas because they're quick and satisfying after a busy Monday. I used turkey instead of beef or chicken as it's cheaper and healthier.

Serves 4

8 Flour Tortillas
400g Turkey Breast/Steaks
4 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp Ground Corriander
juice of 1 Lime
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper (cut into strips)
1 Onion (sliced)

For the Salsa:

8 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
2 Spring Onions (sliced)
15g Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely sliced)
juice of 1/2 Lime
Good Pinch of Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1. First make the salsa. Place all the ingredients except the oil in a pestle and mortar. Pound to a rough paste and add the oil. Stir well, check for seasoning and set as

ide in the fridge until ready to serve.

2. Cut the turkey steaks into strips and put them in a bowl with 2 tbsp of oil, garlic, chilli, ground coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

3. Wrap the tortillas in foil and place into a 150 degree oven for 10 minutes to heat through.

4. Meanwhile heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a pan over a high heat and add the yellow pepper and onion. Stir fry for a few minutes to soften before removing from the pan. Add the turkey strips and marinade to the same pan and brown all over. Add the pepper and onions back in and cook until the turkey is cooked through. 

Serve on a tray with the salsa, the tortillas, some mayo and yoghurt.