Meat mains
Beef and veg fajitas with re-fried beans and soured cream
Fajitas are a super-fast way to a tasty and veg-packed meal. They’re traditionally served with all the individual components at the table to stuff and make them as you go along. Mexican style re-fried beans are easy to make; use red kidney beans or black beans, or if you can find them, pinto beans. If you can’t find any soured cream just use a thick Greek style yoghurt.
Ingredients
- oil for frying, e.g. vegetable
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
- 1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ vegetable stock cube
- 4 wholemeal flour tortillas
- 200g beef strips (either strips of stir-fry beef, thinly sliced escalopes or steak if you're feeling wealthier)
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks or thin rounds
- 1 red pepper, chopped into 1cm strips
- 1 courgette, chopped into ½ moon shapes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp smoked sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 250ml soured cream
- bunch fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
Method
-
Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium to large saucepan. Add the brown onion and cook on a low heat, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water at any point if it looks like it might catch and burn.
-
Step 2
Add the ground cumin, ground coriander and garlic to the onion. Stir for 1 minute. Add the red kidney beans and crumble in the stock cube.
-
Step 3
Refill the kidney bean tin ⅔ with water and add that too. Bring the pan up to a low boil and cook for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the liquid level, top up with a splash more water if they dry out too much.
-
Step 4
Preheat oven to a 160°C/Gas 2. Get the tortillas ready on a baking tray.
-
Step 5
Once the kidney beans have cooked for 10 minutes, coarsely mash them in the pan. Reheat gently on a low heat, stirring now and then so the bottom doesn't catch, for about 2-5 minutes, just enough so they thicken up slightly.
-
Step 6
While the beans thicken, pop the tortillas in the oven to warm through. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the beef and all the veg – pepper, carrot, red onion, courgette, chilli, dried spices (thyme, paprikas, allspice) and a little salt and pepper. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.
-
Step 7
Once cooked, season the refried beans with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the beans between 2 serving plates. Fill the tortillas with the stir-fried veg, beef and top with a dollop of soured cream and some fresh coriander. Alternatively, serve all the components at the table to make them as you go.
