MEXICAN'T?? HELL NO....MEXICAN!!!

Ok, so to all my friends and family, they know me as a lover of Mexican food....Nachos, Tacos, Burritos...you name it, I LOVE IT!!!


So when I was told by my cardiologist about my heart and cutting the salt, I got sad...No Tacos!!! No Nachos!!! NOOOOOOO my life is OVER!!!!!


But then after I picked myself up from the floor and put my google cap on and did a little research I was surprised and delighted, I can do this, I can make these myself!!! Forget the stupid preservative packed Taco Kits you buy in the supermarket!!!


So I come up with a recipe for my own taco seasoning, pair that with Old El Paso's Taco Shells (which are Low Sodium anyway!!), I was eating tacos once again....and you know what?? They tasted BETTER than the packet mix and you can control how spicy they are - win/win!!


Taco Seasoning (Low Sodium)
(Makes enough for 1/2kg of Mince  - about 8 tacos worth)


What you need:
2 tablespoon of chilli powder (this is for HOT tacos so drop down the spice according to taste)
2 tablespoon of plain flour
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 x plastic bag (to combine spices and give them a shake)
1 x pack of taco shells (I find Old El Paso to be lowest in sodium)
Sprinkle of grated cheese (limit to as little as possible)
Sour Cream to taste (REALLY search the brands on this one, as the sodium levels are dramatic from brand to brand!!)


What you need to do:
1) Combine all the ingredients in a plastic bag and shake until completely mixed.
2) Add to browned mince (chicken or beef, whatever your preference, I find beef tastes best for me).
3) Add around 1/2 cup of water and simmer until your desired consistency.
4) Once you have made up your mince, toast your taco shells in the oven for a few minutes until warm and toasty.
5) Fill your taco shells, sprinkle on the cheese and top with Sour Cream (and Guacamole if you desire, I have a great recipe for this and will post it soon).


This is surprisingly a REALLY Low Sodium meal, the only sodium is in the shells, the cheese (so watch how much you put on there) and your sour cream (so again, check your brands and watch your intake!).....


Enjoy!

Not Your Everyday Polenta

*sigh* oh polenta, how I adore you, you can be made into an amazing savory dish or a mouth watering sweet desert, so many uses you have!!

For those of you who don't know, Polenta is a ground cornmeal and it is delicious and simple to cook and just one bag can make so many different meals and it is a staple food in my kitchen along with various couscous (more about that in a future post)...

Anyway, I was surfing the net a few months back as I had Polenta in the pantry and Mascarpone that needing using and wanted to combine both and voila - a little tweaking here and there and you have a super low sodium dessert that is SO quick to make and I have served at dinner parties and it is always a hit, so even if you are wary on the Polenta front, I urge you to give it a go as the result is sweet and delicate and quite truly just plain yummy!!

Enjoy!

Sweet Polenta Cakes with Mascarpone 

(Makes 4 muffin sized cakes)

What you will need:

Melted butter to grease

Muffin Pan (or mini loaf pan, which is what I used)

275ml milk

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1/2 cup polenta (cornmeal)

1/2 cup caster sugar (alternatively if you prefer things a little less sweet, 1/4 cup will do you)

1/3 cup sultanas

25g butter, melted

a nice dollop of mascarpone to serve

What you need to do:

1) Preheat your oven to 200°C

2) Brush your Muffin Pan with melted butter to lightly grease

3) Combine the milk, egg, polenta, sugar, sultanas and melted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for around 6 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.

4) Bake in the preheated over for 10-12 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5) Remove from oven and turn onto wire rack. Place on serving plates and serve with mascarpone while warm.

hello hello

Well, here I am - I finally got myself one of these blogs and I find myself lost for words - and if you are one of those poor individuals that know me in the flesh, that is somewhat a strange concept. 

Me?? the girl who was always getting told off in school for talking too much, the girl that babbles to no end about inanimate objects - lost for words??? bizarre.

I guess I just don't know where to start, I mean how does one kick off a blog such as these? A witty story maybe or a perhaps a lame joke?.... maybe I should just kick it off with another post about one of my favorite recipes at the moment and we just go from there??... yes?? excellent - I am glad we agree then!! :)