Recipes

Much like every tourist who comes to Mexico City, I couldn’t wait to get involved in the taco culture here. I have enjoyed tacos around the world but as we all know, food like this always tastes better where it originated. In my first couple of months in Mexico City my Spanish was pretty poor and that meant that the taco stand experience was a little more interesting than it could have been.

There are some basic tips which everyone should remember when it comes to the taco stand however, and here is what to bear in mind should you come to Mexico City, or to another area of Mexico.

Salsa Baby

One of my worst experiences with salsa at a taco stand happened during my time in Oaxaca, and it was because I didn’t try the salsa first. I had it in my mind that red meant hot and green meant mild, and so I lathered the green sauce all over my carnitas. Sadly however I was mistaken and the green salsa blew my face right off. I have since learned that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the salsa, and that is why you should always have a little sample first.

Shout Up

Something which I learned very early on, courtesy of my local friend Javier Burillo, was that you have to be vocal if you want to get your order in. There is no queuing system exactly here, so if you are just standing around then you are unlikely to be able to make your order. No matter how confident you are with your Spanish, the key is to shout out your order, and point to things if you have any difficulties. Staying quiet means that you will stay hungry.

Watch What You Eat

If you are open minded when it comes to food then go ahead and order whatever you fancy. If however you are somewhat squeamish when it comes to some foods, then it is always better that you know exactly what you are ordering. Here in Mexico they cook up just about every part of the animal from their brain to their feet, tongue to their livers, and that is why you should just make sure that you know what you are eating, before you load up the taco.

Spotting The People

Throughout the streets of Mexico you will find an enormous number of taco stands, and it can be hard to know which is the best choice for you. In the interest of your stomach health and your palate, the best idea is to go where the people are. Locals will sniff out the best taco spot in no time at all, so if you see a big group of people hanging outside of a stand, this is the best place for you to go, if you want the tastiest tacos.

Rules to live by when it comes to the taco stand.

So you’re planning on barbecuing lamb, but either don’t know where to start or you tired of using the same old recipes. The following list is a compilation of some of the finest BBQ lamb dishes which are best suited for dinner parties.

One of the best things about preparing lamb is you only need salt, pepper and olive oil for seasoning as it tastes great and needs very little help. However, all of the following specific marinades and herb blends were made to fully accentuate the flavor of each dish. Whether you want to make kebabs, chops or an entire leg of lamb, you’ll likely find a recipe you haven’t tasted.

Marinated Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

• 5lb butterflied boneless leg of lamb
• 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp of dried oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 12-inch metal skewers

Directions:

Combine the olive oil, oregano, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add your leg of lamb and make sure it’s completely coated in the marinade. Place a pan under the resealable bag to avoid leaks and place it into the refrigerator for 8 hours. Remove from the fridge just 1 hour before grilling so it can be brought up to room temperature. Discard the marinade and place the skewers inside the leg with about 2 inches of space between them.

Cook on direct heat with moderate heat for a gas grill and medium-high for a charcoal grill. For medium-rare, grill for 8-14 minutes then take it off the grill, remove the skewers, cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes. A leg of lamb can be paired with many side dishes and beverages. If you would like more tips on lamb marinades, recipes and cooking techniques click here.

Ground Lamb Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground lamb
• 1 minced onion
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of pepper
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp of cloves

Directions:

Mix the onion with the spices before you add the lamb to guarantee your spices are distributed evenly without overworking the meat. Shape the meat into sausages and stick the skewers into them.

Lightly brush the grill grates with oil and place the kebabs onto the grill. Do not move or turn them while they are sticking to the grill. Give it time and turn them once they loosen up. These are a great alternative to traditional kebabs and are gluten-free and keto-friendly.

Grilled Lamb Burgers with Mint and Red Pepper Aioli

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp of fresh mint (finely chopped)
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 2 tsp of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 4 pitas or ​hamburger buns

Red Pepper Aioli:

• 2 red peppers (roasted)
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• The juice from one lemon
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Combine ground lamb, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, mint, cumin, black pepper, eggs, and Aleppo pepper. Don’t add the salt yet. Form into 4 equally sized patties and make an indentation in the center of the burger with your thumb and add salt.

Lightly oil your grill, and place on direct heat for 4 minutes per side. Prepare the red pepper aioli by placing the roasted red peppers and mayonnaise into a food processor and blend it. Afterward, add olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to the mixture.

Whether it’s fresh mint or jelly, mint and lamb is a classic pairing and the aioli adds a remarkable flavor to the burgers which should please your guests.

Simple Grilled Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar
• 2 lbs of lamb chops
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1 thinly sliced onion
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Combine white vinegar, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and olive oil until the salt has been dissolved. Add the lamb and coat it with the marinade, and place it into the refrigerator for at least two hours.

When you remove the lamb from the marinade, it’s ok to leave any onions on the meat.

Your grill should be set to medium-high heat and you only need to grill each side for 3 minutes for perfect medium. Adjust the amount of time they spend on the grill to meat your desired doneness. Although simple, this recipe tastes wonderful and can easily be the star of the dinner party.

Rosemary Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

• 12 loin lamb chops
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 2​ minced garlic cloves

Directions:

Place your chops into a large resealable bag and combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Pour the marinade into the bag and as usual, gently work the marinade into the meat. They will need to marinate in the refrigerator for 3-5 hours. Cook each side on high heat for 5-6 minutes then remove from the grill and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

Conclusion

So now you have recipes for amazing burgers, leg of lamb, and kebabs and two lamb chop recipes which should have your guests wanting more. The marinades used here can be applied to other cuts if you desire, but always marinate a sample piece and taste to so you can ensure the balance is correct before you serve it to guests. But if you follow these directions, they ought to love the taste of these dishes.

There are many things which we associate with the country of Ireland. One of them is St. Patrick’s Day, which for many people is celebrated as keenly (and in some cases, more keenly) than their own national saint’s day. In some cases, it’s not even a day anymore – there are businesses in Canada who observe entire St. Patrick’s weeks, and spend a whole seven days painting everything green and waking up each morning with a stout-induced hangover!

If St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the Emerald Isle, then chances are you’re picturing characters from Irish myth and legend. That means banshees, leprechauns, rainbows, and pots of gold. While leprechauns were originally gruesome and terrifying characters, they’ve become a little tamer over the years. You’ll often see them anywhere there’s a casino; the mobile slots game ‘Rainbow Riches’ is one of the most popular of its kind in new slot sites. In fact, the Irish theme is one of the most popular of all the mobile slots genres, tempting millions of players into taking a spin of the reels. It’s not just mobile slots in online casinos or sister sites either; anyone who’s seen the ‘Leprechaun’ series of horror films can testify that the characters are still capable of giving you a scare.

One thing that often gets overlooked when we think about Ireland, though, is the cuisine. People are often hard-pressed to think of any Irish dish other than Irish stew. While it’s a fine stew (especially when done right, which is harder than it looks), it’s not the kind of dish people are likely to get overly excited about. That might lead you to believe that Irish food is boring. To that, we have one response:- Guinness chocolate puddings.

It goes without saying that all kinds of chocolate pudding is delicious, but adding Guinness into the mix takes it to the next level. The Irish stout – which is so widely drunk around the world that it’s now more popular in Nigeria than it is in its home country – might not necessarily seem like the most obvious cooking ingredient, but when it’s used properly it can bring a richness and a warmth that few other alcoholic ingredients are capable of – and so it’s only right that we share the secret with you here!

What You’ll Need

The good news here is that making this delicious dessert isn’t going to take you all day. Preparing everything shouldn’t take you more than half an hour at most, and it cooks in 20 minutes. You’ll need to leave it to chill for an hour before cooking, but this is a recipe that will be ready to eat within two hours of starting to make it. The mix we’re about to describe is sufficient to feed four people. You’ll need:-

150 grams of butter (unsalted);

200 grams of dark chocolate (the darker, the better, but go for at least 70% cocoa), chopped;

3 eggs (large);

90 grams of golden caster sugar;

90mls of Guinness (you could alternatively use another Irish stout, but why would you?); and

Double cream or clotted cream (an optional serving choice).

You’ll also need four 5cm ramekins, and an electric whisk.

How To Make It

This is a simple, three-step process, and you don’t need to be a wizard in the kitchen to get it done. As long as you know how to operate an oven, you should face no problems here!

First, butter the ramekins and put them aside for now. Take the remaining butter and chocolate, and pour them all into a heat-proof bowl. Add a pinch of salt along with it. Take a small pan, fill it with water, and bring the water to the point of simmering (not boiling). Set your bowl of ingredients over the plan, and stir it until everything has completely melted. Once that’s done, take it off the heat, and leave it to cool.

While that’s cooling, it’s time to move on to the eggs and sugar. Place them into a suitably-sized mixing bowl, and use your electric whisk to beat them until they’ve turned pale. If you don’t have an electric whisk, you can do this manually, but it might take you a while! Stop whisking when the mixture has approximately doubled in volume. You should notice a trail beginning to form when the beaters are lifted out of the mixture, which is a sign that you’ve reached the right point. When you’re satisfied with the mixture, gently and carefully fold in the butter and chocolate in with it. Follow that up by pouring in the Guinness, and fold that in, too. When everything’s all together in the mixing bowl, divide it equally between your buttered ramekins, and place them in your refrigerator to settle and chill for one hour.

The last stage is the cooking! Heat your oven up to gas mark 6, or 200C. If you have a fan-assisted oven, go for 180C instead. Have a baking tray on the top shelf of your oven to heat up as the oven warms. Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, place the ramekins directly onto the baking tray, and bake them for twenty minutes. Once they’re done, we recommend allowing them to stand for a minute or two before serving them. This is where the cream comes in; if you like cream, add a healthy spoonful of it on top of the pudding before serving. If you don’t, then serve them naked – they still taste great without it!

Normally when we offer recipes to you, we suggest that they’d go well with a certain color or flavor of wine. That would be inappropriate here though; the only drink you should be pairing with this pudding is a hearty pint of Guinness! This is a dessert that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, or just because it’s a boring Tuesday and you fancy giving yourself or your family a treat. You’ll never think of Irish cooking the same way again!

We hope you love this dessert as much as we do; and if you do, why not share it with a friend? Thanks for stopping by to check out our recipe. We’ll be sure to bring you more great cooking ideas soon!

As you know, we like to bring you mouthwatering recipes from around the world every now and then on this page. Today we’re turning our attention to Greece – which is a country which perhaps isn’t as well-represented when it comes to restaurants as it should be. Yes, there are many Greek restaurants out there, but not In anything like the same numbers as Italian, Chinese, Thai or Japanese restaurants. That’s a shame – especially if there isn’t a Greek restaurant in your area. Not to worry though – we’ve got all the information you need to make a great-tasting Greek dish of your own at home!

When you look at Greece, there are primarily three things that it’s known for. In no particular order, they are:-

1. History. Greece is one of the most historically important ancient nations in the whole world. As well as once having an empire, we owe Greece for the invention of many things the world now takes for granted. Where would the world of sport be if it weren’t for the Olympics – which were invented in Greece? The ancient Olympic Games started in Athens in the year 776 BC. When the modern Olympics began, they also started in Greece, this time in 1896. If sport’s not your thing, how about the concept of democracy – the system of government that most civilized countries rely upon? That, too, was invented in Greece over two and a half thousand years ago. If you ever find yourself getting angry at modern politicians, remember to blame the Greeks for putting them there!
2. Myth and Legend. From the serpent-headed Medusa, who could turn you to stone with a simple stare, to the winged Icarus who fell into the sea while flying too close to the sun, Greek myths and legends are full of fascinating, colorful characters. Although the tales are thousands of years old, they’ve been brought alive and told once more many times, and they’re still relevant today. Hercules was last on our movie screens in 2014, for example, and mobile slots websites are full of slots casino which take their inspiration from Greek legends. There are some obvious choices, such as the ‘Zeus: God of Thunder’ mobile slots game which is based on the most famous Greek god of them all, but other characters are also represented. ‘Magic of Pandora’ is a mobile slots game based on the woman who, according to myth, brought sin into the world. ‘Medusa Megaways’ is all about that petrifying Gorgon. They’re at mobile slots websites, they’re in the cinema, they’re on TV – they’re everywhere!
3. Food. That’s why we’re here today, and that’s perhaps what Greece is most famous for now (other than its beautiful beaches and vacation destinations). When we think of Greek food, we think of lamb, and yogurt, and feta cheese. We think of olives, and pasta, and fish. We also think of wine – but that might just be us. Whether you want to choose a bottle of wine to go with the meal we’re about to show you is entirely up to you! Today’s recipe is all about lamb and feta, brought to life with a spicy kick and then skewered for convenience. Here’s how you go about making it.

What You’re Going To Need

Making this recipe will take you 25 minutes from start to finish, so it’s a great choice if you’re looking for something quick and tasty! The ingredients are:-

500 grams of minced lamb;

300 grams of basmati rice (brown);

300 grams of cherry tomatoes (cut in half);

50 grams of feta cheese;

85 grams of black olives (quartered) ;

12 wooden skewers;

1 red onion (large, and half-sliced, half-grated);

1 cucumber (diced);

1 large cup of parsley (chopped);

1 large cup of mind (chopped);

1 lemon (juiced);

1 tablespoon of olive oil, and

1 tablespoon of harissa.

How To Make It

This may seem like quite a lengthy list of ingredients, but it’s easy to make once you’ve assembled everything you need. There are only three steps, and if you follow them to the letter, you can’t go wrong.

1. Immerse all of the wooden skewers in a bowl of water, and leave them there for thirty minutes. While they’re soaking, consult the cooking instructions on the back of your packet of rice, and cook them using the recommended method. When it’s cooked, give it a quick rinse with cold water and then drain it thoroughly before setting it aside.
2. Heat up your grill. While it’s heating up, put your lamb mince into a bowl, and mix it with the feta cheese, the grated half of the onion, the harissa, and any seasoning you wish to add. Make twelve sausage shapes from the mixture (you should have more than enough mixture to do this with), and thread the resultant sausages onto the skewers. Place them onto a banking tray (important note: this should be a non-stick baking tray!), and grill them for between six and eight minutes. Turn them regularly during the grilling process, and keep a close eye on them. When they’ve turned slightly brown, they’re ready.
3. Mix all the ingredients you have left over with the brown rice, and again add further seasoning if you see fit. The rice and the rest of the ingredients are a bedding for your hot skewers to sit on. You’re now ready to serve. Fill some small bowls with the rice mixture, add the skewers on top, and either enjoy them yourself or impress your guests!

All the spice in this recipe comes from the harissa. If you or your guests have a liking for spice, you could increase the amount of harissa in the recipe to give things a little more kick and zing. Be very careful though – harissa is a very hot chili paste, and shouldn’t be trifled with. In practice, it’s better to be safe than sorry when putting it into food!

We hope you’ll find these lamb skewers as delicious as we did, and we’ll see you back here soon for another great recipe idea!