From My Kitchen

Or, as we like to call it, the Midweek Mexican. Leftover roast chicken works a treat here, and the rest pretty much comes out of your cupboard and fridge so this can be whipped up in a relative jiffy (assuming you have some limes in your fruit bowl) because the two things can be made alongside each other pretty easily. I’m not sure I’d recommend a Midweek Margarita to slurp alongside it, but hey, I’m not going to stop you. Serves 4.

Ingredients

Soup:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, small dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp cumin

Large pinch chilli flakes

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 litre chicken stock

As much leftover chicken as poss

2 limes, juiced

To serve:

Finely chopped red onion

Chopped coriander

Chunks of avocado

Dollops of soured cream

Quesadillas:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp cumin

Optional chilli flakes

400g tin black/any kind of beans

200g grated cheese

Handful chopped coriander

8 flour tortillas/wraps

Method – Soup:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for at least 5 minutes until it softens, then add in the garlic, cumin and chilli flakes and fry for a couple of minutes more (don’t let the garlic burn).
2. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and let it bubble away for 5-10 minutes.
3. Use a stick blender to whizz the whole lot until smooth, or do the same in batches in a blender.
4. Shred the chicken and stir in, then let it bubble away for a couple of minutes to heat through properly, then stir in the lime juice.
5. Serve with garnishes and dive in.

Method – Quesadillas:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan that’s big enough to hold a tortilla/wrap and fry the red onion, cumin, and chilli flakes for a few minutes until just starting to soften (a bit of bite is fine).
2. Tip in the drained beans, mix well and let it heat through completely, giving it an occasional stir. Season well.
3. Roughly mash with a fork or potato masher leaving plenty of lumps and texture, then tip into a bowl along with the grated cheese and mix.
4. Wipe out the frying pan and grab your tortillas/wraps.
5. Place one wrap into the pan, spoon over 1/4 of the beans/cheese mix, then place a second wrap on top.
6. Turn on the heat to medium/high and heat to melt the cheesy beans mix – I place my palm on top carefully, moving it about so I can feel when the cheese is melting, but a spatular is your friend here too.
7. When the underside starts to brown carefully flip over and cook the other side, then slide onto a board and cut into wedges.
8. Keep going until you run out of cheesy bean mix, and munch away.