Simple Mexican food recipes easy to prepare in the UK

Oh, I forgot to mention a substitute for American style bacon in beans. I've read that American style bacon isn't easy to come by in the UK, and really any pork drippings are what make refried beans EXTRA yummy. Just use the drippings in place of cooking oil and refry the beans. It's not healthy at all, but that's what makes refried beans so good.

Thanks! How about some fajitas, burritos, and the seafood soup you mentioned?

I am working on these and will have these posted very soon!!

I make my tomatillo salsa quite similar to yours. I've never put avocado in though but I do use nopalitos add a little something to the flavour. (a tip I got from vnicepeeps!).

Where have you found fresh poblanos in the UK?

Where have you found fresh poblanos in the UK?

http://www.peppersbypost.biz/types.asp

I am working on these and will have these posted very soon!!

Cool!  My grandparents were Mexican, and skirt meat, fajitas, was some of the not-so-often meat my father had whilst growing up - Easter and Christmas, pretty much.  My Mayan grandmother would marinade it overnight.  She beat the hell out of it first, and then sprinkled her garlic salt all over it and soaked it in lime juice and vinegar overnight.

What I would love to have is her 'recipe' for tamales, but there wasn't one.  It was all oral.

And my first cousin Susana got her mortar and pestle.

Oh, I forgot to mention a substitute for American style bacon in beans.

Streaky bacon or panchetta?!

Streaky bacon or panchetta?!

streaky

Cool!  My grandparents were Mexican, and skirt meat, fajitas, was some of the not-so-often meat my father had whilst growing up - Easter and Christmas, pretty much.  My Mayan grandmother would marinade it overnight.  She beat the hell out of it first, and then sprinkled her garlic salt all over it and soaked it in lime juice and vinegar overnight.

What I would love to have is her 'recipe' for tamales, but there wasn't one.  It was all oral.

And my first cousin Susana got her mortar and pestle.

Those are special memories expat. I'm sure you've experienced that wonderful Latino way of celebrating with wonderful food and laughter. I absolutely love this about Mexican culture. There are plenty of cultural things that get negative press about Hispanic culture, but love of family, great food, and wonderful, joyous celebrations are such positives. My husband is a middle child of 10 kids, 9 of them and his parents live within an hour of us. When we all get together (0ver 40 immediate family members), it's quite a gathering. MY MIL still insists on making all the good stuff by hand and she's orally taught all her daughters, Daughters in law, and now grandchildren so many handed down recipes. My kids and their cousins love it when there's a fiesta and they all get balls of 'masa' and their grandmother lets them make the tortillas by hand. My husband's job growing up was to beat the 'masa' for tamales. He's really good at it!!

It's sad that cooking for the younger generations has lost some of it's appeal. I do understand since lives are so much busier and it's just easy to buy prepared food. I grew up with a mother that's also an incredible cook and taught me the love and joy of cooking. Then I married a Hispanic man that grew up the same way, so it's just natural that I would follow this tradition. I fought it for a while in my younger days while exerting my power of choice as a modern woman, but once the kids came along and started to get a little older, I found the value of it all and took up paying attention to the older women in my life. I'm so glad that I did. It sort of scares me that some of these great cooking traditions can get lost in just a few generations without a way to get them back.

I thought I'd add a quick note about the mortar & pestal mentioned by ex pat. They are great to make salsa and really fun to try out. Also, you can control the consistency better than with a blender and have a chunkier salsa. The key to grinding the salsa is to put it in a little bit at a time and really work your arms and grind in a fluid motion. Just follow the salsa recipe and instead of the blender part, this would replace it. I've found that stone grinding salsa makes the roasted flavor of the charred tomatoes and chile peppers really stand out.

An electric vegetable chopper is also great to use to get a chunkier salsa.

I'll also add a good recipe for guacamole soon. 

jtorres, have you seen that movie Tortilla Soup, I think you'd like it! It's all about how Mexican family life revolves around the kitchen.

awesome--thanks for this thread! 

haven't got a recipe for frybread, have you?

awesome--thanks for this thread! 

haven't got a recipe for frybread, have you?

Navajo frybread or sopaipillas? I have a good recipe for the latter that I've made a couple of times (in the UK, even!). I think I may have a recipe or two for proper frybread around, but I've not tried to make it.

Navajo frybread or sopaipillas? I have a good recipe for the latter that I've made a couple of times (in the UK, even!). I think I may have a recipe or two for proper frybread around, but I've not tried to make it.

navajo frybread.

nothing in the world like it when it's topped with pintos & lettuce & cheese--it's got to be what heaven tastes like!

navajo frybread.

nothing in the world like it when it's topped with pintos & lettuce & cheese--it's got to be what heaven tastes like!

oh stop.  my fat pregnant body can't take anymore of this.  I haven't had this in YEARS and now I am obsessing on it.  I don't know if I can be happy until I get one. 

navajo frybread.

nothing in the world like it when it's topped with pintos & lettuce & cheese--it's got to be what heaven tastes like!

That's it, you are not my friend anymore, you horrible tease!