Taco Legend Hidden Highlights- Staff Home Testing!

While we could never get enough of warming, hearty chillies and cheesy nachos smothered in mashed avocado, Spicery staff have decided to delve into the glimmering cenotes of the Taco Legend book and shine a spotlight on the hidden gems you may not have made yet!

To dig a bit deeper and unearth the hidden deliciousness, a few lucky Spicerers were each given a recipe from the treasure trove of lesser known Taco Legend recipes, to make at home and pass on their new found expertise(!) so keep reading for some seriously spec-TACO-ular inspiration and creations to make the most of your Taco Legend status...  

Jess' TL Club Recipe - Picaditas (fried corn cakes - page 128) with Carne Asada (page 61, vegan), Roast Sweet Potato (page 98), Mexican Veg (page 192) , Mayocrema (page 170), Essential Guacamole (page 152) and Charro Beans (page 196, vegan)

I made these vegan by using vegan mayo and sour cream, vegan pea protein strips and vegan bacon. Overall they were great - my photos don't do them justice! 

         

We even stuffed chocolate buttons in a couple for pudding! I did have to dismantle them for the kids, as it's not the easiest thing to eat, but they were happy (and quiet for once!) whilst they ate their deconstructed versions!

 

Buñuelos (crispy, fried cinnamon dough - page 214)

Georgia: These reminded us of the hot sugary doughnuts that you get in a paper bag at the seaside or funfair, but with a delicious Mexican twist! The sour cream and sugar dip really grew on us too - once you get used to the slightly tangy and savoury taste of it, it's so enjoyable and tastes a lot like cream cheese frosting that you'd get on a cake! 

I think we made ours a bit too thick but they still turned out really well. If you were having friends or family round for a Mexican feast, this would be the perfect dessert to finish it off - it looks impressive when you lay them out on a plate with the dip in the middle, and would make a fun communal thing to share together!

We didn't eat them all in one go... they were great heated up in the microwave the next day, and dipped in a pot of melted Nutella!

Tommy and Nick: Easy to prepare and quick to cook, they were good - looked really tasty, puffed up well and were nice and golden! Crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside, we were pleasantly surprised by the texture when we cooked the first one. The sugar coating was great of course. We used a gluten free flour, but I think it would have been much better with wheat!

 

Ailbhe's Taco Legend tasting menu:

Chilaquiles (fried pieces of tortilla drenched in salsa - page 42)

They were delicious, the sauce was really tasty and made a nice change to a salsa-type sauce that we would usually have. The colour of the sauce contrasted nicely against the tortilla chips and my boyfriend said another cheese like cheddar would have also worked nicely on top! 

 

Elote (cob of corn smothered in cheese - page 48)

Yum, we really liked this one - the spice blend tastes amazing on the corn!

Top tip: rolling the corn in the grated cheese kind of made the cheese very clumpy and didn't stick that well, so it was better to sprinkle it on.

 

Mexican Spring Greens - Acelgas Guisadas (page 91)

Prep time was only about 10 minutes, so it was a pretty quick and simple dish to cook up. It tasted really nice, and looked striking as a side dish with the strong green colour - a great way to add some nutrition to your taco spread!

 

Pambazos (crusty salsa-soaked bread roll - page 124) with chicken adobo filling (page 52)

Robyn: I would never have thought that in order to create the most delicious sandwich you’d need to soak the roll in a sea of salsa, but you do! The kitchen paper definitely came in handy as it can get pretty messy, especially if you stuff in all the salsas and filling like I did, but that's part of the fun!

The roll looked pretty cool - crispy and red with lots of colourful fillings, which made for a really vibrant and interesting dinner. I ended up spooning a bit extra on top when frying in the pan, just to be sure that they were really soaked enough!

 

Adam: They were really appetising! It made my taste buds dance with delight. It was one of those plates of food you know you're going to enjoy before you've even tasted it, because what's not to love about a crusty roll soaked in delicious salsa and fried?

Everything tasted great! There was a good balance of flavours and the textures were nice. Each element worked well together, and the the lime juice takes salad to the next level. It was really enjoyable - I would definitely recommend to a friend!    

 

Quesadillas (tortillas stuffed with cheese, meat or vegetables then griddled - page 120) with fillings: Essential Papas a la Mexicana (crispy, fried potatoes - page 58), Roasted Tomato Salsa (page 176) and Refried Beans (blended beans and cheese - page 198)

Rhys: Everything tasted superb! My brother and sister thought the Refried Beans looked purple which was interesting, and added some colour to our dinner! The Quesadillas needed a bit of water to stick when folded, but the method was clear and easy to follow.

 

 

Café De Olla Panna Cotta (coffee, cinnamon, allspice and clove panna cotta - page 216)

Nick - 10/10 on taste! Silky, creamy, and a really good balance of sweet and spice! 

Tommy - Really tasty with the perfect level of sweetness and spice. The coffee punch was really great, and makes this a really sophisticated dessert - perfect if you've got guests over for a Mexican dinner party. If we'd left it to set a little bit more it would have been spot on. We’d definitely make it again! 

 

Enchiladas (tortillas coated in chilli sauce then griddled - page 116) 

Kelly: Everything came together really great - we used a wholewheat tortilla to help make this quite a healthy dish. Super easy to make and lots of fun picking our fillings and salads, of which there are plenty to choose from! 

Just great - we couldn’t wait to get stuck in once it came out of the oven! 

We hope this has inspired you to experiment and explore the plethora of exciting Taco Legend recipes just waiting to be discovered - don't forget to post your creations to our Wall of Fame for the chance to win a prize and have your masterpieces featured on our delivery boxes!