Chipotle Beef Tacos with Cabbage and Radish Slaw

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This recipe is dedicated to my dear sister, Bel, who, after returning from a recent trip to the US, is lamenting the absence of good Mexican food in Australia. Unfortunately we don't have very authentic Hispanic food Down Under. Our version is piled with cheese and tomato, which is a far cry from the real stuff which is packed with spices, lime and fresh herbs. Such a shame. To fill the void give this recipe a go. The meat is slow-cooked for up to 8 hours, so after a long day at work you can arrive home to the most amazing aroma. My husband said it tasted very authentic and declared it a 'winner'.

Chipotle Beef Tacos with Cabbage and Radish Slaw
From Real Simple

3 pounds (1.3kg) beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotles in adobo sauce*
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
kosher salt
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 1⁄3 medium cabbage)
4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
12 6-inch corn tortillas
sour cream, pickled jalapeño peppers and hot sauce, for serving

1. In a 4- to 6-quart (approx 4-6L) slow cooker, toss together the beef, onion, garlic, chipotles, oregano, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 ½ to 4 hours ( I went for long and slow.)
3. Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 180°C (350°F). In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, radishes, cilantro, lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
4. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake until warm, 5 to 10 minutes. If you're feeling lazy, it works just fine to zap them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
5. While the tortillas are heating, transfer the beef to a medium bowl (reserve the cooking liquid) and shred, using 2 forks. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl with the beef and toss to combine.
6. Fill the tortillas with the beef and slaw. Serve with the sour cream, jalapeños, hot sauce, and lime wedges.

* I'm not sure if cans of chipotle in adobo sauce are widely available in Australia. If you find some, let me know where you made the discovery so I can spread the word. The adobo sauce is key so it really is worth searching for to make this recipe! The chipotles (which are smoked jalepeno chillis) give the dish a delicious smoky flavour. If you can't find it, I found a recipe here that you could use instead to make your own.

Pasta Night

I think most families have a quick and easy pasta dish that regularly features on their weekly menu. Pasta always makes a satisfying meal after a long day of work. This pasta dish is one of our regulars. It has all of our favourite flavours - basil, garlic, lemon and chilli - and can be pulled together in under 30 mins. Win! What are some of your favourite ways to do pasta?

We've recently been trying out a gluten-free diet, so this week we prepared this dish with rice penne. We couldn't even taste the difference, so if you're gluten intolerant give this recipe a go!

Chicken Pasta with Rocket and Lemon

250g pasta (penne or fusilli work well)
1 chicken breast, cut in small chunks
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 tablespoons basil pesto
2 cups of fresh baby rocket (arugula)
grated parmesan, to serve

1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.
2. Meanwhile, fry up the chicken pieces in a little oil over medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until browned.
3. Add the garlic, chilli and lemon zest, and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the chicken has cooked through.
4. Drain the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
5. Add the pasta and reserved liquid to the frypan with the lemon juice and pesto. Stir to evenly combine.
6. Season with salt and pepper, and add the rocket. Stir over medium heat until rocket has just started to wilt.
7. Serve into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Serves 2