VEGETABLE AND BEAN NACHOS WITH CHIPOLTE SOUR CREAM

I'm not the biggest fan of beans (except Heinz Baked Beans, yum) but this vegetarian mix is really nice. Nice with nachos but also great in tacos. Serves 4

SAUCE


1 red onion, finely diced
1capsicum, core removed, finely diced
2 carrots, grated
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can mild chilli beans
1 1/2 tablespoons nacho spice mix*
400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
1 cup grated cheese

TO SERVE

1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
2-3 teaspoons chipotle sauce (Mexican/International section in supermarket)
1 lettuce
corn chips or taco shells
1/4 cup chopped coriander (if you want)
any other veges you want, tomatoes etc

NACHO SPICE MIX *

Mix together 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon onion powder (I couldn't find this so used onion salt), 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander.
If you want a bit of spice, add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground chilli or cayenne.

Heat a drizzle of oil in pan, cook onion and capsicum for about 4 minutes until softened. Add carrots and spice mix and cook for another few minutes. Add tomatoes, chilli beans, kidney beans, chilli sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste.
Mix sour cream and chipolte sauce and tomato sauce  together,put in to a small bowl. Finely slice lettuce and prepare other vegetables. If using for nachos, transfer bean mix to oven proof dish, sprinkle with cheese and grill till melted.

POTATO TACOS

Having a group over for an impromptu casual meal can sometime be a bit stressful if there's a vegetarian in  the mix. These would be ideal for just that situation, with the potato replacing the meat, and everything else is just the usual taco fixings.

Firstly,preheat oven to 220c, peel a whole head of garlic, 10-12 cloves, place on a piece of foil, season with salt and pepper and a tablespoon of oil and wrap tightly. Cook for 25-30 minutes.

Peel 1 1/2 kilos or there abouts mashing potatoes, cut up and cover with cold salted water. Bring to boil and cook until tender. Drain, return to pot. Add about 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup sour cream, roasted garlic, salt and pepper, 1/2 small grated onion and 1 grated clove of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Mash until smooth, adding more milk if needed. Add 1/4 cup chopped spring onions. 

And that is it. Now just assemble your usual taco bits

4-6 servings

• 8 to 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 kilos potatoes peeled and cubed
• 4 tablespoons  butter
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 grated small onion
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ cup sliced spring onions
• taco shells
• 2 avocados mashed with the juice of 1 lime
•  tomatoes, diced
• iceberg lettuce, shredded
• cheddar cheese, shredded
• salsa