tacos with a little leftover love

”Never underestimate how much assistance, how much satisfaction, how much comfort, how much soul and transcendence there might be in a well-made taco and a cold bottle of beer.”

Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume

Tacos, cheap as chips and so simple even a child can throw one together, seem to be the new “it” girl in town. From the stupidly cheap, to tad underwhelming and coolest of the cool, I’m predicting a Mexican summer in Melbourne.

Unlike spending your night queuing on the stairs of last year’s hippest restaurant, it’s more fun and easy to make tacos at home.

With a little homemade salsa anything tastes good. Leftovers can be transformed with the addition of salsa, lettuce and avocado into a Mexican inspired feast.

Sure, there have been times when I’ve sourced the best taco shells, cooked refried beans from scratch, lovingly made kick-ass guacamole and forked out for horrendously expensive/only just edible dairy-free “cheese”. But take it from me; a little leftover chili beans and a few minutes spent chopping while the supermarket-bought shells heat in the oven works just as well. Add sunshine or a warm spring evening to dine outside and you can’t fail.

You can even throw together a quick after work bit of leftover love for tasty and easy solo dining.

Simple leftover-magic tacos for one

(multiplies easily for more)

Simple tomato salsa

A couple of ripe tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

1 chili to taste, finely chopped

A decent squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice

A pinch of salt

Mix together in a small bowl.

Sides

Protein – take your pick leftover beans (or refried from scratch), a can of fish, some smoked tofu cut into strips or for the carnivores leftover roast chicken or turkey (hey Christmas is coming!)

Shredded lettuce – use something crunchy like cos or the humble iceberg.

Avocado – halve, remove from the shell and stone and simply slice. Squeeze some lemon or lime juice over the cut fruit to stop discolouring.

If you must – get some super-hot Mexican sauce to add a few more drops of spice but I tend to make my fresh salsa hot enough to not need it. For those with children or who dine with the heat averse, the sauce isn’t a bad idea but watch out, the hot one really will burn your mouth!

Warm the taco shells in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes or as directed on the packet. Put in twice as many as you think you’ll eat. Believe me, there are never enough once you get started.

Assemble at your leisure, it’s a messy job but sometimes the best food is the kind that gets your hands dirty.

solo dining, simple thoughts and a request

While I am beavering away elsewhere (slaving over a hot Macbook when not at my day job) I have been keeping notes on how I am eating for these few weeks while I am home alone. Perhaps its because documenting it publicly will deter me from eating my style of “junk food” something involving tuna and/or noodles every, single night.

Am amazed I got through a whole week without making a Spanish omelette….though there is always tonight!

A week of meals for one for scratch

Food that can be put together quickly and involves a minimum of washing up

Vietnamese style rice noodle salad
Rice noodles, cucumber, spring onions, grated carrot, lots of herbs (Vietnamese mint, ordinary mint, coriander) with fish sauce/palm sugar/lemon or lime dressing plus a can of tuna.

If you are looking for a recipe, here’s a similar salad, made this time with smoked tofu.

Notes: warm night, shockingly tired at the end of the busiest week of the year – I haven’t made this salad with tuna for years. The balmy weather reminded me.


Stir fry
Tofu, carrots, zucchini, asparagus, ginger, garlic, rice noodles (again!) and a beaten egg ‘omelette’. Flavoured with fish sauce and roasted sesame oil.

Notes: I can’t count the number of stir fries I’ve made in this wok alone (I bought it in 1988 from memory) and every one of them is different, such as this one with seaweed or my favourite with prawns (made in someone else’s wok).

Potato and salmon salad
Potato, blanched asparagus, red onion, cornichons, sun dried tomatoes and capers plus a can of red salmon. Dressing 1/2 vinaigrette with mustard, lemon, garlic, olive oil and 1/2 Thomy mayo carefully combined.

Note: I couldn’t have more noodles – no no no.! The spuds were tasty and emotionally satisfying.

Kedgeree
A quick an easy one with spices, vegetables, basmati rice and smoked trout.

Notes: I don’t usually make this for one but had picked up one of those skinned and boned smoked trout fillets from the supermarket.

More on kedgeree making here.

Pasta with Zucchini
Gluten-free pasta with red onion, garlic, ribbons of zucchini, cherry tomatoes, olives and preserved lemons.

Notes: YUM! I had an overpriced zucchini, tomato and lemon pasta at the local pub recently and it seemed a good use for the preserved lemons. I reckon my version, which wasn’t swimming in an excessive amount of olive oil, plus the addition of olives was much better. And of course, it was gluten free and dramatically cheaper than their measly serving for $19.99.

This meal featured fewer vegetables than I’d usually have but I’d eaten Sri Lankan curries for lunch – dhal and two other veggie curries, so amply met my quota.

Egg salad
Boiled eggs, parsley (used lavishly like a green vegetable), gherkins, sun dried tomatoes, red onion and mayo.

Notes: Vegetables, tofu and rice for lunch, so felt I’d had my "dinner". I’d not usually make egg salad as a stand alone meal but it made a simple supper (as the Brits would say)

Vegetarian red curry
Five vegetables plus tofu made with a freshly opened packet of mae ploy curry paste and coconut milk aka curry in a hurry.

Notes: A no-brainer dish this one. It uses up end of the week vegetables admirably and there’s always enough for at least two nights. Curry is about the only meal I can face having two days in a row. Night two I cooked up some of the wholemeal type grain and bean mix from the Asian grocery, interesting combo but it went fine with the curry.

Simple thoughts

No howlers please (well not this time). I was in melt down mode last night and it occurred to me that working every day without a break is not the makings of a simple life. Self-imposed deadlines can be unrealistic if a little downtime is not woven in. Having more than a week working without a break is not good for the creative juices.

Today I took myself on an artist’s date to the Sisters Market in Brunswick to look at some local craft. I can see I am going to be hopelessly out of fashion this season, not having a baby as an accessory (unless such things can be ecologically rented like the local flexicar service, for when you don’t want to own a vehicle but just want use of one by the hour every now and then). Then coffee with a friend and a wander down Gertrude Street soaking up more art.

Request

Speaking of simple, in lieu of howlers I would like some help. If you’ve got a minute, could you tell me in comments (or email if you’d prefer) what would make your life more simple? I’m loving asking this question of total strangers. I’ve noticed women tend to ask for small things, like having someone do their ironing. No matter how big or small, what would make life easier and less complicated for you?

Thanks.

I’ll be back next time I’ve earned a break.


Princess Prissy Paws doing a spot of gardening