HANDMADE NO FRILLS GORGEOUS GUACAMOLE

Now I know I’ve already posted a recipe for guacamole before but this is my new take on the Mexican sauce to try and be a smidge more authentic having been inspired by Rick Stein's TV series about his road trip to Mexico. It’s a simple guacamole without any bells and whistles that you bash up using a pestle and mortar followed by a fork before seasoning to taste. No machines used here which is a good thing as your guacamole not only tastes better with its more interesting texture but also because you know you’ve put the effort in! 

HOLY GUACAMOLE BAR AND GRILL BALI (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So at the beginning of this month I was very lucky to go for two weeks holiday exploring Bali and Singapore. I love Asian food in all its forms so I couldn't wait to try all the delights of these two regions. You might be surprised to see then that for our first meal away we actually ended up in Holy Guacamole, a Mexican bar and grill near our hotel in Legian. Well, when you're still adjusting to a country's time zone, temperature and culture sometimes it's best to stick a little too what you know.

PROPER DIRTY LEFTOVER CHILI ENCHILADAS

Whenever we make a chili con carne we always have loads leftover. A batch we make can last three days sometimes if we go all out! Just having chili and rice for three days straight would be boring though so you need to think of ways to breath life into it each evening. Enchiladas are a perfect way to do this. Wrap your leftovers in tortillas, cover in a tomato based sauce, cheese and fresh herbs and voilà, your chili is transformed into something new right before your very eyes. It's proper dirty but proper delicious!

STREET N4 FINSBURY PARK LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

We're back in the big smoke this weekend and with tickets to see a show at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park we needed to find somewhere nearby to have  pre show nibble. How lucky for us then that Street N4 should be located right next door. When we saw that it sold burgers and burritos we were instantly sold so off we popped on the tube to go and see if the food tasted as good as it sounded.

SMOKIN' SWEETCORN SOUP

It's time for another soup recipe now and this one uses the smoky flavors chipotle along with sweetcorn to create a kind of tex-mex vibe to this gorgeous soup which also blends sweet potato, pepper and veggie bacon to make a truly vegetarian treat. Fresh coriander (stalks and all), cumin seeds and garlic work alongside a hint of cayenne pepper thrown in for a bit of heat to produce a cuddle in a bowl that if you play your cards right, you can have on the table in just under 30 minutes. Quick, simple and tasty, what's not love!

WAHACA LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECCOMMENDS)

In my third ever blog post I spoke about how I wanted to visit a Wahaca in London as I'm a fan of creator Thomasina Miers fabulous Mexican street food cookbooks. Imagine my delight then when I heard they were opening a branch right over the road from my workplace in Liverpool city centre. As part of a glut of new restaurants opening inside the reinvigorated Stockton's building on Hanover Street, it was a given that I was going to go and check out this new restaurant when it opened. Having visited on opening week, I went again after work on a mild February evening to see how they were faring 3 months on!

GORGEOUS GUACAMOLE

It's Fajita night at MattyB Towers tonight. What better way to use leftover chili from earlier in the

week then getting your fajitas out, whipping some delicious sides and creating some yummy finger food for the weekend. A great way to get stuck in with friends or family before the weekends festivities begin. Every fajita needs guacamole! These are the rules! But don't be buying shop bought stuff. No no no! Grab some avocado on the way home and you can make my beautiful fresh version in less than ten minutes.

"DIRTY" REFRIED BEAN BAKE

Now when I say dirty I don't mean that in an actual filthy kind of way. That would just be wrong now wouldn't it! What I mean it is that this refried bean bake is just so wrong that it is just oh so right, one of those guilty pleasures that you know you shouldn't be in love with but you could eat by the bucket load. What's great about this too is that although you can make it from scratch if you so please, it's the perfect quick dish to knock together when your pressed for time using simple store cupboard ingredients.

HAIRY BIKERS CHILI SALAD BOWLS (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Check these bad boys out! Don't they look incredible! They are crispy tortillas filled with lettuce, chili, fresh tomatoes, spring onion and grated cheese. They are one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. I cannot take credit for creation of the idea though. That goes to the Hairy Bikers. If you have never seen any of their Hairy Dieters books then this is my public service announcement to tell you that you need to go and buy them immediately. Trust me, it'll be one of the best things you ever do with your life!

FABULOUS MEXICAN FRITTER

I do love Mexican food. That more subtle chili heat that you get compared to those blow your mouth off spicy curries you get in Indian cuisine and the use of all those fresh tomatoes, pepper etc that create in my eyes some of the best dishes in the world. However, as much as I have all this love for Mexican treats there is only so much chili con carne and tortilla based dishes a boy can take. So I've created this new Mexican inspired dish. A chili sweetcorn fritter topped with a fresh Mexican salsa topped with grated cheese. Simple, yet oh so scrummy!

CLASSICS REVISITED: PERFECT PEPPERY PICO DE GALLO

One of my early recipes was part of my Mexican trilogy, a delicious and fresh tomato and jalapeno salsa. It still holds it's own today and is much better than any shop bought version you could buy. Having educated myself over the last year of blogging and kitchen adventures I have learnt that the Mexicans would refer to this type of raw salsa as a "pico de gallo" and that there are many ways you can jazz up that basic pico base that made up my original recipe to give it an extra flavor punch. In my second revisited classic I have just done this that.

QUALITY QUESADILLAS

 

Having recently enjoyed some cracking Quesadilla at Revolction De Cuba I thought it was time to

expand my Mexican repertoire and try and recreate these little bad boys at home. I didn't realise how simple they were to make. Simply load up tortilla with some flash fried onions and peppers and smother with cheese. Give them a little griddle to make them all toasty good and you have a great snack to serve as a meal or as part of a lully spread at your next fiesta!

JON'S GARLICTASTIC BREAD

It's chili night at MattyB Bakes tonight! I've shown you how to make a delicious slow cooked chili in the past and tonight I'm lucky enough to of had one made for me. It's always nice when you come home and open the door to the smell of slow cooked chili. The woes of the day instantly vanish. Yes, Jon has been a busy little bee today and has even whipped up some garlic bread as a little treat!

Making your own own garlic bread is so easy I'm surprised more people don't do it. Not only is the taste a lot fresher but it's also so much cheaper than buying ready made from the supermarket. I'll have non of that "I've got no time business" either. Jon's garlic bread will take you five minutes top to prepare as long as you have all the ingredients at hand so there is no excuse. Recipe below is enough for a small portion for two or a hefty portion for one!

MEXICAN NIGHT PART TRES!

Last night we enjoyed a Mexican Night In. If your anything like us you'll always end up making far too much food than you needed. This is no bad thing however - leftovers are perfect for having at lunch the next day or for jooshing up for dinner the next day (and for when you just can't be bothered cooking at all should you of had a heavy Mexican Night Out).

So when deciding what to eat today we thought - Fajitas! Perfect for turning leftover chili into something special. The only problem we had is that we prefer a nice fresh salsa with our fajitas as opposed to the overly saucy tomotey salsas you get in supermarkets. If your like us then you will love my recipe tomato and jalapeno salsa:

Tomato and Jalapeno Salsa:

8 Medium Tomatoes

A Handful Of Chopped Parsley

1 Red Onion

2 Jalapeno Chillies

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Lime

1 Tsp Soft Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Black Pepper

LUCHA LIBRE LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So The Mexican Night In is complete! The plate of chili I had to the left - hoovered up in no time

 But what if you want the Mexican experience but don't want to go to the hassle of cooking. This is my number one Mexican restaurant suggestion as well as where I would love to visit next time I'm being lazy and crave good chili!

Lucha Libra:

 If your ever up in Liverpool (or Manchester now I believe) please visit Lucha Libre. Not just your typical restaurant, the small restaurant tucked away in the back streets of Liverpool growing increasingly popular in the city. Capitalising on the lack of any decent street food in the city (come on Liverpool, get with the revolution!) they serve fresh Mexican treats washed down with their amazing flavoured frozen Margarita's which are worth a visit on their own.

 The decor inside is brilliant, giving that authentic Mexican street feel whilst the relatively small inside gives it a great atmosphere when busy. The seating is brilliant for all occasions - raised booths which are ideal for families, cosy two seaters for first dates and long bench areas for groups of friends looking for something to eat before heading down into their Maya night club in the restaurants basement for more of those amazing cocktails.

As for the food, this is proper Mexican street food. All the food is fresh and light, miles away from the stodgy burritos you can get in other restaurants. To the right are there sharing platters - this is what we have every time we go as you get a little bit of everything (the menus too good to possibly decide on one thing). We always choose the veggie platter which at the time of writing consists of: 

•  Veggie Tacos with marinated grilled halloumi
• Maria Sabina with mushrooms, herbs and spinach
• Veggie Tostadas with black beans and beetroot puree
• Veggie Empanadas with butternut squash and goats cheese

All absolutely delicious and perfect for sharing with your dining companions - it's the item I recommend but f you do love your meat then carnivorous versions are available

Hopefully they will continue to expand so that more people get to sample their Mexican treats but if you are planning a night out in Liverpool and are in a Mexican mood, Lucha Libre is my number 1 choice. 

Check out their full menu on their website here

Bucket List Restaurant: Wahaca

 

I never watched the series of Masterchef when Thomasina Miers won. I saw her first on her fantastic show Mexican Food Made Easy. This lead me onto her book of the same name and later Mexican Food at home. Both are fantastic buys and I'm looking forward to her new book, Chili Notes.

We often visit London and it baffles me why we have never taken time out to visit Wahaca. If the food is half as Delicious as what is in her books then it will defiantly be one to come back too. This is top of my bucket list and I hope I can write up about my experience visiting their on in the very near future.

How about you? Are there any mexican restaurants you would recommend in a heartbeat. Post your recommendations in the comment box below or drop me a tweet!

AYE PAPI! ITS A MEXICAN NIGHT IN

No, I haven't turned into Jennifer Lopez. Although I can bust some moves like good old J'Lo. No tonight is Mexican night here at MattyB Bakes.

For me a good chili con carne is an essential comfort food meal, one that if I know were having it for tea then I crave it all day. It's especially good on a day like today - that day being Friday! What better day to reward yourself for surviving another week of work then a good old chili.

Now I never used to like any spice in my chili, however over time I've been conditioned by a certain someone, who used to slip in the odd chili into all kinds of meals, to now miss that warm kick of a good spicy chili when it's not there. I find adding chili to any kind of tomato sauce based meal such as a bolognase really gives it some ooompf!

Tonights chilli brewing away. Yum!

I can't stress as well how good it is too slow cook your chili. If your not part of the slow cooker crew yet you really should invest in one. You can pick up a fairly decent one for next too nothing. For my fellow scousers out there take a trip to good old TJ Hughes. We got ours from there for next to nothing and it's not let us down yet. The slow cooking time really gives your chili time to really brew and the result is really deep and flavourful chili and a beautiful warm smell wafting through your house. Nothing more comforting than that is there!