Cookbook Review ~ Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasina Miers

I received Mexican Food Made Simple just over a year ago after reading my Sister-in-laws copy and loving it! Since I'm not particularly familiar with Mexican cooking this definitely looked like a great book to get me started. I know a lot of Mexican cookbooks can be off-putting due to long lists of hard to find ingredients and complicated, time consuming recipes, but this one really did look straightforward so it was time to put the book to the test.

For those of you unfamiliar with Thomasina Miers she was the winner of Masterchef (UK) in 2005. Her first book 'Cook' was published in 2006 but her true calling definitely pointed towards Mexican food after spending a lot of time living in Mexico and even opening a cocktail bar there. Her time in the country allowed her to explore the regions of Mexico learning about culture and of course food and even the opportunity to cook with some of Mexico's top chefs. Returning to live in the UK she since opened the cantina Wahaca (in various locations) which focuses on Mexican street food and has published Mexican Food Made Simple (2010) followed by Wahaca: Mexican Food at Home, in 2012.

Mexican Food Made Simple is packed full of recipes that are divided up into Chapters including Salsas, sauces & relishes (a favourite of mine!), Soups, Street food, Cheesy things, From the grill and Soul food. The chapter on 'Basics' is a great guide for introducing you to the way Mexican's eat, but more so is incredibly informative on classic Mexican ingredients you will use throughout the book and on ingredients you can substitute if you can't fend the authentic ingredient suggested. In the introduction Miers states that she can show how “easy, healthy and exciting Mexican food really is” using ingredients that are easy to source so baring that in mind it was time to put the book to the test!

Grilled Fish Tacos

After making my Fiery Roasted Red Pepper Salsa the other day I couldn't resist making another favourite – Grilled Fish Tacos. They are so light and refreshing and perfect for a sunny day. They are also great for serving to friends as you can just put everything on the table and let everyone help themselves. Even my 2 year old loves them as he can just pick at what he likes and it's fun to assemble the tacos - I just miss out the spicy salsa for him!! This recipe serves 4 but is easily doubled so serve with some ice cold beer or a nice chilled white wine and you have the perfect Friday night meal to enjoy in the garden!

Huevos Rancheros

On Sunday morning hubby got up bright and early (by which I mean 6.30am!) to go and play golf, so it was just Wee One and I relaxing and enjoying the sun streaming through the windows. Generally I'm not a breakfast person....during the week I have a quick bowl of cereal, bircher or grab a slice of toast but things change on the weekend which is when I really enjoy breakfast. Normally on a Sunday we always have a brunch but since it was just the 2 of us (and Wee One had already had his usual feast of cereal, yogurt and a ton of fruit!) it didn't seem right but then I remembered a recipe I had seen in Thomasina Miers book Mexican Food Made Simple for what she calls “The Great Mexican Breakfast”. It looked amazing and the only reason I hadn't made it before was because of Mr. Vanilla's fussiness for tomatoes and the fact that there can't be any “chunks” whatsoever! It was the perfect time to make it.....a little self-indulgence and a yummy breakfast for myself while he was enjoying himself on the golf course. This isn't a breakfast for when you are in a rush as it takes 30 minutes for the sauce to cook and reduce but it is so worth it...(and lets be honest, how long does it take to cook some bacon or sausages?!) All I can say when I ate it was “Wow!” and then wanted to rewind time and eat it all over again! The crisp and golden tortilla with the spicy tomato sauce, and perfectly fried egg with the runny yolk was the ultimate combination and is quite possibly my new favourite breakfast! Actually it is my new favourite breakfast and therefore I thought the perfect recipe to post just in time for mother's day because if your mum (or yourself!) likes spicy Mexican food then this is the ultimate breakfast to treat her to....you won't be disappointed and neither will she. And of course so that I could share this recipe with you, I had to have it again on Monday so I could snap a quick pic before devouring it again.....it's a tough job!