Mexican waves

Sometimes, researching a little more about the origins of a particular country’s food becomes a history lesson in itself. We often eat wraps for lunch, they make a great alternative to bread and are readily available in the supermarkets here, both wheat (blé) and corn (mais). It was whilst investigating what to make out of a few slightly stale wraps that I discovered more about the world of Mexican food. Traditional Mexican cuisine that dates back to the Mayan and Aztec empires is based on foods that were indigenous to the country: corn, amaranth, beans, avocados, tomatoes, various vegetables, and chilli peppers. Prior to the Spanish invasion in 1519 the Mexican population ate very little meat, except turkey, and no dairy products, although populations near to the coast ate fish.

The Spanish conquest of Mexico in the sixteenth century had a great influence on Mexican cuisine. The Spanish introduced the domestication of animals and dairy production, such as cheese-making, plus rice, herbs and garlic. Mexican cuisine was also influenced by African cooking due to the slave trade, and even after the Spanish had left the European influence from France and the Low Countries continued until the twentieth century. Nowadays, it’s a two-way street as Mexican food has been ‘exported’ to the US and further afield with its influence on Tex-Mex cuisine.

The two most important ingredients are corn and chilli peppers (that’s why we like it!). The chilli pepper originated in Mexico, so it no surprise that the Mexicans use chilli in virtually everything. Although rice and wheat are grown, corn is the staple carb. It’s usually dried and ground and the flour, known as masa, is used to make a wide variety of tortillas. Now, what to make with those left-over wraps? First, I investigated the variations in their use:

Enchilada – a corn tortilla, rolled around a filling and topped with a chilli pepper sauce and cheese, sour cream or fresh herbs. The name comes from the Spanish verb enchilar which means to season with chilli.

Taco – a folded tortilla with a filling, so it’s folded in half rather than rolled. Nowadays, pre-made hard shell taco shells are very popular, but are not traditional.

Burrito – a wheat tortilla, with a filling, wrapped up with a folded end. It’s thought that the name comes from the word burrito meaning ‘little donkey’ possibly because the shape resembles a donkey pack dating to late nineteenth century.

Chimichanga – a deep-fried burrito

Quesadilla – a corn tortilla filled with cheese (queso) and sometimes other ingredients and grilled.

Tostada – a tortilla deep-fried, grilled or toasted then used as a base for fillings, rather like an open sandwich.

Nachos – yay, my favourite snack! Deep-fried triangles of tortilla.

Plenty of choice! So, I decided to develop a vegan enchilada, first by developing a Mexican Spice Mix. Then, it was easy to make the enchilada filling vegan-style, just by using vegetables and beans and replacing the cheese-based sauce with soya gratin cream. The filling would also work for any other wrap-based dish like burritos, and is also great on jacket potatoes.

Mexican Mix

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp crushed chilli flakes

½ tsp dried oregano or herbe de provence

2 tsp paprika

1 ½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper

A pinch of cinnamon

A pinch of ground cloves

Enchiladas with Mexican Filling

½ cup frozen sliced onion
½ cup frozen sliced peppers
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsp Mexican mix
400g tin of red kidney or haricot rouge beans
400g tin of chopped tomatoes

 

·         Heat vegetable oil in large frying pan

·         Fry the onion and peppers until golden

·         Add 3 tsp of Mexican mix, stir well and continue to cook for a few minutes

·         Drain and rinse the beans, add to the mix and cook for a few minutes

·         Add the tin of tomatoes plus fill half of the tin with water and add

·         Bring to the boil and simmer for at least thirty minutes to develop the flavours, more if possible

·         If not thick enough when ready to use, thicken with a couple of tablespoons of arrowroot

 

To assemble the enchiladas: wheat or corn wraps, box of soya gratin mix, sambal or chilli sauce, avocado, coriander to taste.

·         Place couple of spoonfuls of Mexican mix in the centre of a wrap

·         Roll up and place in oblong baking dish, continue until dish filled

·         Pour gratin sauce over the row of enchiladas followed by a couple of spoonfuls of chilli sauce

·         Bake in oven at about 180c for twenty-five minutes

·         When serving, scatter with fresh topping ingredients such as chopped avocado, coriander, tomatoes