Guacamole

People put all kinds of things in their guacamole. My mum puts fresh basil and tomatoes in. I've heard that certain Central American countries put celery in. I like it with lots of garlic and lemon juice. But this is just a quick note to say that the other day we accidentally chucked a whole bunch of dried sage into our guac instead of black pepper. And actually, it was very tasty. Something to try if you want something savoury and unusual. I think we ate it with some kind of Oaxacan mole. That is all.

Nachos

We don't have nachos often, but these are excellent for a quick heartening dinner for a cold rainy Monday night. These were kind of improvised, but turned out so delicious that it was hard to stop eating them. This makes enough to feed a crowd, like 6-8 hungry people.

For the bean stew:

- 2 cans kidney beans, drained
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 can refried black beans
- 2 ribs celery, chopped thinly
- one big onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp paprika (smoked preferably)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp sugar (if desired)
- chilli flakes (if desired)
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Fry the onion and celery till soft, add garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander and chilli and a little salt. Fry a minute more. Add beans, tomatoes, and yeast and cook until thick and reduced (about 10 mins). I like to add a little sugar with the tomatoes, but it's up to you.

Serve with any or all of the following:

- nacho chips (or tortillas or rice)
- guacamole (however you like it! I like mashed avocado with crushed garlic, lemon juice, fresh coriander, salt, and some finely sliced jalapenos.)
- Isa's divine queso sauce (which I adore as a quesadilla filling for leftover tortillas or a cheezy accompaniment to the bean stew)
- sliced red onion
- sliced roasted red peppers
- sliced jalapenos