RICE CHILLI TACOS

This recipe came from a glut of leftover wild rice. It turned out to be a good meat replacement for chilli to go with tacos. It’s very easy to get all sorts of ready-cooked rice in little pouches these days.

FOR 4

2 tbsp light olive oil 2 large onions, halved and finely sliced

1 red or orange pepper, cut in half, deseeded and sliced

2 green jalapeños or other green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 heaped tsp dried oregano

pinch of cayenne pepper

½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

2 tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 500ml vegetable stock 400g tin chopped tomatoes

400g cooked wild or wholegrain rice or a mix of the two (or any other combination of cooked rice and grains you like)

198g tin sweetcorn or 180g frozen sweetcorn

generous handful of coriander, chopped, stalks and all

sea salt

TO SERVE

8-12 flour or soft corn tortillas, depending on size

120g soured cream or greek-style yogurt

100g grated strong cheese of choice

juice of 1 lime, or to taste

pickled or fresh chillies or chilli sauce

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onions, pepper and chillies with a good pinch of salt for 10 minutes, or until soft, stirring frequently.

Turn down the heat and add a splash of water if they’re sticking or getting too brown, but a bit of colour is good. Add the garlic, oregano and spices, turn up the heat and cook for about 1 ½ minutes. Add the vinegar, which will evaporate immediately, then the stock and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add the rice and sweetcorn, stir well and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick.

Heat the tortillas according to the packet instructions.

Stir most of the coriander through the chilli and season to taste with salt. Serve the chilli with the tortillas, soured cream, cheese, lime juice, remaining coriander and chillies of choice, and let people build their own.

LEFTOVERS If you find fresh chillies on offer or reduced, snap them up to make a simple chilli sauce. Season the chillies, toss them in some light olive oil and roast them whole (when the oven is on for something else) until just soft and a little bit brown, then throw them in a blender or use a stick blender to whiz to a paste with some garlic, cumin, vinegar, more oil and perhaps a touch of sugar or honey. Store in a very clean jar or bottle in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.