Cooking Mexican food in the UK - any recipes?

just a word of warning if you happen to buy taco, etc. seasonings from grocery stores here in the UK. While they appear to be the same brand that they carry in the US, they do not taste the same. They taste more like Indian flavoured food than Mexican. So if can find a real Mexican sort of grocery get ingredients there.

I haven't found this to be the case, but i normally blend my own taco seasonings anyway.

Back when I used to live here in 2002-03, I too found that the taco seasoning packets did have a curry flavor. When I first moved back last Oct., I brought a stash of packets from the US, but after using them up, I just do my own mix, like Q-G.

As for recipes...one that I do fairly regularly (and I think I originally saw on here posted by Aimiloo) is to put chicken pieces in the Crock Pot (we usually use thighs) with a couple of cans of mixed beans, tinned tomatoes and spices, and then let it sit all day. The chicken pulls apart and the sauce thickens the longer you let it cook, and makes a delicious filling for tortillas, or whatever else you want to use it for (could work as just a stew). We then usually add cheese, sour cream and lettuce and wrap 'em up burrito style.

We love to make this on the weekend, and will quite happily eat the leftovers a couple of times during that same week.

Tortilla chips and salsa is a must! There are a couple of recipes over on the Nachos thread.

Q-G would you mind sharing your recipe for taco seasoning, I just can't stand my tacos tasting like curry.  Thanks.

Im still gobsmacked about this 'curry' thing... makes me wonder what kind of curries you guys are eating as well!!   

I dont really have a recipe...  i just bung all this stuff into a mortar & pestle, and grind away till it's a powder!

cumin seeds, dried chillies or chilli powder (i usually use chipotle - sometimes i mix a few different kinds together), dried minced onion, garlic powder or granules, black peppercorns, maldon sea salt.

Good luck!

I've been intrigued by this curry flavored taco thing.  My mom brought me a few packets of taco seasoning from the states and I happen to have a UK OEP one too.  These are the ingredients:

OEP
Dextrose, green pepper powder, salt, flavourings, black pepper, cumin, yeast extract, onion powder, garlic powder, citric acid, paprika extract.

Lawrys
Paprika, cumin, oregano, chili peppers, onion, salt, lactose sugar, garlic powder, wheat flour, cocoa powder, citric acid, natural flavor

cocoa powder in the Lawry's?   That's interesting!

cocoa powder in the Lawry's?   That's interesting!

I wonder if they use that for coloring, maybe.

cocoa powder in the Lawry's?   That's interesting!

I know.  I had to do a double take.  Maybe it adds a little something.  Who knew?

Mole anyone?

If you have eaten curry with a lot of cumin in it, you might feel the seasoning is curry-like I guess. I think I also prefer the UK OEP taco seasoning to the fajita seasoning (or is it the other way around?!).

I used to just fry chicken pieces (chopped up boneless) with onion, garlic, salt, chili powder and cumin. Then finish with a splash of lime.

Mole's nice, but i wouldnt want my tacos to taste of it!
Mind you, it's one of the last ingredients in the list, so there's probably not enough in there to make any difference to anything.

QG-where do you get your chipotles from? We have a hard time finding them here.

Hiya...

i buy them from http://www.coolchile.co.uk/

they also have a stall at Borough Market, so if you are in London, that might be handy for you.   

Here in Edinburgh, we also have a Mexican food shop & deli called Lupe Pintos, and they sell them too.  They do mail order on http://www.lupepintos.com/

Our local Tesco Extra now sells dried chipotles and Sainsbury's sells the Cool Chile chipotles in adobo.

Thanks we'll have a look.
Re. the cocoa powder, it does add something. We make cinicinatti  chili and one of the ingredients is cocoa powder. It seems to add a sort of richness. It's nice.