No, don’t panic, you can do this!
Picadillo from the previous recipe. Note you can freeze this, so make loads and freeze two or four portions at a time. Defrost, then heat through in the microwave or a saucepan (make sure the product is piping hot before serving, and do not refreeze defrosted food).
Onions and/or spring onions
Chillis
Tomatoes
Lemon juice
Sour cream (or use crème fraiche but beat it for a minute or two first)
Tortilla chips
Soft flour tortillas (come in packs from supermarkets, near the spaghetti)
Tinned tomatoes
Cheese
Avocado (one per 3-4 people) (optional, but does make it seem more authentic)
Tinned refried beans or tinned kidney beans (this is optional), but I thought I’d do the whole lot
Rice
Starter
Chop up some tinned tomatoes (quite finely). Add finely chopped onion and chillis. Drain off excess juice, then serve as a dip with tortillas.
Don’t buy dips. Or if you have to, serve them in proper bowls, not in plastic containers. But really, don't buy dips.
To be really flash, spread the tortillas out on a baking sheet, sprinkle over slices of mild chilli (optional) and add some grated cheese. Warm in the oven for 10 minutes. Call them Nachos, and voila. Or you can add the nachos to the main course.
Main Course
Roll some picadillo in the tortillas, tucking in the ends. Place into a large flat dish or baking tray so they don't unravel. Optionally grate over some cheese. Warm through in the oven.
Soften some finely chopped onion in olive oil in a frying pan – add a small amount of chilli if you want. Add the refried beans, or mashed kidney beans. Stir together until hot and sludgy (like mashed potato, or a little sloppier). Add more oil if it gets too dry.
Cut a tomato per person into quarters. Roughly scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and throw away. Cut into ½ cm squares. Cut a spring onion per person into ½ cm lengths. Optionally chop the avocado very roughly into 1cm cubes. You can also chop a couple of chillis very small, but you may want to leave this dish mild as a bit of mouth relief. Mix all this together with a teaspoon of ground coriander per 2 people (or some chopped fresh coriander) and a generous splash of lemon juice.
Give each person a burrito (soft tortilla with meat), some fresh salsa (salad), a spoonful of sour cream, some frijoles refritos (refried beans) and some arroz blanco (white rice).
Dessert
Forgot to mention this in the ingredients bit. Serve fresh fruit with mango sorbet. Easy.
Serve with margaritas if at all possible (you will probably need to buy the frozen type, or make your own from a cocktail book – it’s mainly tequila, cointreau and a little lime). As many as possible.
Alternatively, start on the Mexican beer (such as Sol) with a piece of lime in the neck of the bottle. Get in a bottle of tequila, and by dessert, start on the shots of tequila. Ideally, provide salt and pieces of lime for people who claim to know what they’re doing.
Before you go to bed, drink lots of water (at least a pint and a half) and have a pee. This is nothing to do with the meal, it just makes it less likely that you will be hung over the next day and you will be able to enjoy the exhilaration of your successful dinner party to the full.
Picadillo from the previous recipe. Note you can freeze this, so make loads and freeze two or four portions at a time. Defrost, then heat through in the microwave or a saucepan (make sure the product is piping hot before serving, and do not refreeze defrosted food).
Onions and/or spring onions
Chillis
Tomatoes
Lemon juice
Sour cream (or use crème fraiche but beat it for a minute or two first)
Tortilla chips
Soft flour tortillas (come in packs from supermarkets, near the spaghetti)
Tinned tomatoes
Cheese
Avocado (one per 3-4 people) (optional, but does make it seem more authentic)
Tinned refried beans or tinned kidney beans (this is optional), but I thought I’d do the whole lot
Rice
Starter
Chop up some tinned tomatoes (quite finely). Add finely chopped onion and chillis. Drain off excess juice, then serve as a dip with tortillas.
Don’t buy dips. Or if you have to, serve them in proper bowls, not in plastic containers. But really, don't buy dips.
To be really flash, spread the tortillas out on a baking sheet, sprinkle over slices of mild chilli (optional) and add some grated cheese. Warm in the oven for 10 minutes. Call them Nachos, and voila. Or you can add the nachos to the main course.
Main Course
Roll some picadillo in the tortillas, tucking in the ends. Place into a large flat dish or baking tray so they don't unravel. Optionally grate over some cheese. Warm through in the oven.
Soften some finely chopped onion in olive oil in a frying pan – add a small amount of chilli if you want. Add the refried beans, or mashed kidney beans. Stir together until hot and sludgy (like mashed potato, or a little sloppier). Add more oil if it gets too dry.
Cut a tomato per person into quarters. Roughly scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and throw away. Cut into ½ cm squares. Cut a spring onion per person into ½ cm lengths. Optionally chop the avocado very roughly into 1cm cubes. You can also chop a couple of chillis very small, but you may want to leave this dish mild as a bit of mouth relief. Mix all this together with a teaspoon of ground coriander per 2 people (or some chopped fresh coriander) and a generous splash of lemon juice.
Give each person a burrito (soft tortilla with meat), some fresh salsa (salad), a spoonful of sour cream, some frijoles refritos (refried beans) and some arroz blanco (white rice).
Dessert
Forgot to mention this in the ingredients bit. Serve fresh fruit with mango sorbet. Easy.
Serve with margaritas if at all possible (you will probably need to buy the frozen type, or make your own from a cocktail book – it’s mainly tequila, cointreau and a little lime). As many as possible.
Alternatively, start on the Mexican beer (such as Sol) with a piece of lime in the neck of the bottle. Get in a bottle of tequila, and by dessert, start on the shots of tequila. Ideally, provide salt and pieces of lime for people who claim to know what they’re doing.
Before you go to bed, drink lots of water (at least a pint and a half) and have a pee. This is nothing to do with the meal, it just makes it less likely that you will be hung over the next day and you will be able to enjoy the exhilaration of your successful dinner party to the full.
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