Turkey Mince Burritos

Turkey mince is not something usually associated with Tex-Mex meals, but it can work in recipes as a great substitute for beef mince and as a tasty alternative for chicken. Turkey meat is very low in fat and high in protein. So if you usually avoid burritos because you are concerned about the nutritional aspect, then why not try this recipe for homemade and healthy turkey mince burritos instead? 

Serves 2

250g Turkey mince
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped finely or crushed
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder (hot or mild)
Ground black pepper
1 tsp tobasco sauce
10 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 wholewheat flour tortillas

Iceberg lettuce leaves
Grated mozzarella cheese

Sweat the onion and garlic for 10 minutes on a low heat with the lid on.

Turn the heat up to medium, add the turkey mince and cook until the meat has changed colour and is no longer pink.

Add all the spices, tobasco sauce, and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and peppers and leave on a low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have become soft and mushy.

For the flour tortillas, either heat in the microwave on a high heat for a minute, or place in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius, covered with tinfoil, for 10-15 minutes.

To make the burrito, place the lettuce, turkey mince mixture, and cheese on the tortilla. Serve with salsa and guacamole (follow the links for recipes). Fold up the tortilla and enjoy.

Spicy Tomato Salsa

Salsa is so easy to make and there are so many recipes, with several possible ingredients to include or exclude. I like to keep things pretty basic for salsa, but most importantly, I really want to taste the tomatoes, and not let the other flavours dominate. This means that using good quality, fresh tomatoes is really important. I like to use cherry or piccolo tomatoes as I find them the most flavoursome.

One crucial aspect of a salsa recipe is the spiciness. It's really easy to alter the spice level, although it may take a few attempts to get it right. Personally, I go for a pretty hot flavour but the milder varieties taste great too.

There are many salsa recipes to choose from, but the recipe below is very quick and easy to make. Serve on a Mexican dinner night, alongside burritos or fajitas.

10 cherry tomatoes, diced
Half tsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice
Half red chili, chopped finely
Half spring onion, chopped finely
Salt/Ground black pepper

The best way to do this is to dice the tomatoes then place them on a chopping board. Add the chopped chili, spring onion, and coriander. Now with a sharp knife, chop quickly across the mixture until all the ingredients blend together, without it becoming mushy.

Then, place in a bowl, add the lemon juice, and mix well. Season to taste.

If you prefer a milder taste, you can omit the chili, or simply add less.

Guacamole

I hate buying guacamole. It is so easy to make, and generally, the homemade versions taste much better. The only difficulty can be getting a sufficiently ripe avocado. Once ripe, an avocado goes out of date quite quickly, so supermarkets can be reluctant to stock ripe avocados. An exception to this rule is Waitrose, which stocks both under-ripe and perfectly ripe avocados. So if you are planning on making guacamole tonight, then Waitrose supermarket (for those in the UK) is your best bet. If not, buy an under-ripe avocado a few days in advance. You will know how important a ripe avocado is when you try and make guacamole with an under-ripe one. The flesh of a ripe avocado should be really soft and mushy, so it is very easy to mash up. An under-ripe avocado requires some more elbow grease....

1 avocado
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed
1 tbsp good olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chopped parsley
Salt/ Black pepper

Cut the avocado in half. Remove the skin from each side and place the flesh in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mash with a fork.

Season to taste.

Serve on the side of burritos or fajitas, or have as a snack with tortilla chips.