Cookery Calendar Challenge

It's Friday! We did it, we got through the first week back at school and work, and it was ok, better than ok actually. I am genuinely very happy to be back in my job; I was reminded how much I like my colleagues and how much I enjoy working with them all, and how completely brilliant the children are. Neither Bella nor Angus would admit to being thrilled at being back at school, but I know they are happy - they are so full of chat and stories after school, their little growing brains are being nourished and challenged again. We were all very ready for the six week holiday to end. Friends in other countries who have twelve week long breaks - I do not know how you do it. 

How are you all, everyone ok? It's rained every day this week and has often been so dark in the mornings that we've had to turn the lights on. But it's still mild, the kind of weather that makes you feel a little chilly when you're sitting around indoors, but the minute you go outside and start doing anything you feel warm again. But the grey skies and blustery winds mean that summer feels longer ago than it should this early in September. And is it me or are the trees turning a little earlier this year? 

Well, I almost forgot to join in with Penny's Cookery Calendar Challenge in August, and only remembered to cook from my chosen book Mexican Food Made Simple last Sunday. I blame holiday brain. 

The recipes in this book are a million miles away from the kind of Mexican - well, Tex-Mex really - cooking most restaurants and pubs serve here; "Fageetas" served with under cooked onions and smothered in so much grated cheddar and sour cream that you can't really taste anything, and I'm not being snobby, I've ordered that before and probably will do again. The recipes in this book are lighter and fresher, full of smaller dishes, starters, sides and salads, lots of vegetables and lots of fresh herbs and spices. 

However, I was in a hurry and wanted something that would appeal to all without giving me a migraine, so I chose "An easy, speedy chile con carne", not remotely authentically Mexican. I was intrigued to see if it was better than John's version, which is one of his favourite things to cook and he's very good at it. (He uses minced beef and bacon, chopped onions, carrots and celery, kidney beans, tomatoes, stock, and it cooks in the oven for a few hours.) This recipe is based around beef stewing steak - I used briskett - and chorizo for the meat. You brown the beef in large chunks, then the chorizo, then the vegetables, then put everything back in the pan with stock, tomatoes, lots of spices, chilli, beans, all sorts. 

After two hours cooking you remove the meat, shred it with two forks then return to the pan.

It was gorgeous. Rich and oozy and full of flavour, and quite perfect for the rainy grey day on which I cooked it. We served it with rice, tacos and lots of accompaniments. Bella and Angus love tacos because, lets be honest, they are basically like giant tortilla chips, so they think it's like having crisps for dinner.

To go with this meal, I also decided to make a Fresh Tomato Salsa and Classic Guacamole, and this is the part I most enjoyed preparing and eating. 

Avocado, chilli, lime, coriander - my favourite flavours, zingy and fresh. 

I don't usually like salsa and I think that's because I associate it with the supermarket dip selection packs, you know, the ones that come in a pack of four. It's always the one I leave as it's just tomato and so much chilli that is blows your head off. But this was a revelation; sweet, sharp, fragrant and refreshing, and it was even better the next day when the lime juice had mellowed the red onions a little. I am converted.

Now the guacamole - that is the only recipe we'd previously used from this book and so often that it falls open at that splashed and stained page. The book is almost worth it's cover price alone (although, actually, I seem to remember this was a gift from my friend Rachel when she found herself with two copies) for this recipe because the guacamole is so, SO good. It's nothing like supermarket guacamole, but creamy, spicy, soft, crunchy, herby and so full of flavour, it's like you can taste every ingredient. 

That last photo is making me quite hungry! Now my next challenge will be to remember how good this book is and actually get it off the shelf and cook from it more. 

My book for September will be The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman. Happy weekend everyone, I've got nothing much planned except food shopping, rearranging some furniture, and lots of crochet.