This Spicy Mexican Lasagna has quite a tale behind it and I am afraid that I am going to bore you all with a few holiday snaps, but I had such a wonderful time that I just want to share it with you all.
A few weeks ago I went on a little road trip, the first trip of this sort that I have planned and organised and the first where I did all the driving, I was never allowed to organise anything, let alone drive anywhere, so having the freedom of being able to go where I want, do what I want is a very positive side effect of what I went through last year, I aways was a very strong woman, but it had been squashed away, but now I am back and loving every minute of being the new me. I have done so many new things, so many firsts and ticked lots off of my bucket list, go Me !!! I wasn’t sure if my little car would be Ok for such a long trip (Newquay is next, so fingers crossed for that trip), but she was as good as gold, also I am determined that Rosie explores as much of her own country before she goes off travelling next year, starting in New Zealand ! I love having her back at home and will miss her so much, but you have to let them spread their wings and explore.
So I decided to book a Chapel on the Brecon Beacons in Wales through AirBnB…
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/12179715?location=Abergavenny&s=6Rk3FGR4
It turns out that it had a rather famous previous owner, Hugh from ELO, now if your are of a certain generation you may not know who ELO are, they were a band formed in the 1970’s. The Chapel still reflects the previous owner with a gorgeous piano centred in the main living area. Our host, Ivan, was just so lovely and welcoming, his knowledge and guidance for trips around the area meant that we got the most out of our time there, the little touches like being welcomed with homemade bread baking, fresh eggs from his chickens and a visit one evening with sticks & marshmallows to toast on the fire was just so thoughtful, we will definitely be going back soon.
It was my first time in Wales and it completely took my breath away and stole a piece of my heart, on the day that I cooked the Spicy Mexican Lasagna we had visited the Four Waterfalls at Ystradfellte, exhausting, but a day that I will never forget, the waterfalls are amazing, we even managed to walk behind one, the noise was incredible.
Anyway, onto the Spicy Mexican Lasagna, this dish is a little fiddly, there is a lot of prepping, but it is wholesome and hearty and just what we needed after a full day of hiking and a lot of climbing, Luca went for a dip in the fresh water pools near the Chapel that day and it was just what he needed to warm him up on his return. I had lit the fire and we spent the evening relaxing, listening to music and toasting marshmallows, it was just so perfect.
I named this dish Spicy Mexican Lasagna because of the layers of tortillas reminded me of layering pasta sheets, plus you can make this as spicy as you dare, I toned mine down a bit but you can add as much spice as you can handle. Its extremely filling, especially when you have the size portions that we did, but you can make it serve more by dishing out more appropriate portions sizes, served with a few sides as suggested in the recipe below and a nice crisp side salad. I had a rather gorgeous fruity citrus dressed salad at Chiquito’s last night which would work perfectly with this dish.
I would love to add more photos to this post, but to be honest they just do not do Wales justice or convey just how much we enjoyed our stay, but I am so looking forward to my next adventure.
Buon appetito
Recipe says serves 12 ?? They would be very small portions, I would say 6 if eating by itself.
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
1 jalapeno or 2 chipotle peppers (optional – just for more kick)
½ red onion
2 cups frozen sweetcorn (I used 2 326g tins)
2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon is a good ballpark measure)
2 cups Mexican cheese (I used a mixture of Mexican & Manchego)
18-20 corn tortillas
1 can refried beans (available on Ocado, don’t let the look of them put you off, yes they look like cat food but they are delicious)
2 cups red enchilada sauce
coriander, guacamole, or sour cream for topping
Dice the peppers and mince the onions. Heat a large nonstick pan with a little bit of oil over high heat. Add the onion and peppers, sprinkle with chilli and cumin, and stir, rest, stir, rest until you get a nice browning on the outside of the peppers.
Remove and set aside.
Repeat the roasting process with the sweetcorn, sprinkling with chilli and cumin, removing from the heat when browned and roasted on the outside.
Sprinkle the roasted veggies with a little bit of salt and toss to coat.
Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C. Cut the tortillas into thin strips. Put the refried beans in a bowl and mix with a little bit of water to make them easier to spread.
Spread a little bit of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer in order: half of the tortilla strips, ALL the beans, half of the veggies, half of the sauce, half of the cheese. Cover with the other half of the tortilla strips, veggies, sauce, and cheese.
Cover with foil (I sprayed mine with cooking spray) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Serve with guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, or anything in the world that you want.
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