Well this summer's not panning out quite like we expected is it? This time a few weeks about we had visualisations of sunning ourselves on park benches whilst kind friends dropped grapes into our mouth and fanned the hot air away from our faces. Instead, it's been bloody miserable. Summer is probably never going to happen properly. Let's all make a collective agreement and give up on it now. Hey, it's a lesson we learned early on; if you're a glass-half-empty kinda gal then you can never be disappointed.
Instead, hole up in your house and get going with our next World Food Sunday challenge. This week, we're heading to Mexico, mainly because it's probably hot there and that might help us get over all the sadness at the demise of our summer. Here's how to do it.
The Drink
You've had a margarita before. You've had all the margaritas before and quite frankly there's not many more different 'takes' on it that we're up for trying. Except for this one. Because it's excellent. In fact, take it as a general rule that pomegranate just makes everything excellent.
Pomegranate Margarita
Ingredients
1 ½ Parts Corzo Reposado Tequila
½ part Cointreau Liqueur
½ Part Lime Juice
Splash of grapefruit juice
1 part pomegranate juice
Salt
Method
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Put lots of ice and all of the ingredients into a shaker.
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Then shake hard for about 30 seconds to chill the liquid really well.
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Run a lime wedge around the outside of the rim of your glass before rolling the rim in salt.
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Strain the mix into the glass over fresh ice.
The Food
It's not all about fajitas and tacos in Mexico you know. Check out this one pot stew from BBC Good Food. It's dead easy to make and you cna make it stretch to as many people as needed. As long as you're stingy on the portions.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped into largish chunks
3 tbsp chipotle paste
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
4 skinless chicken breasts
140g quinoa
2 chicken stock cubes
1 x 400g can pinto beans, drained
Small bunch coriander, most chopped, a few leaves left whole
juice 1 lime
1 tbsp sugar
natural yogurt, to serve
Method
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Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the onions and peppers for a few mins until softened. Stir in the chipotle paste for a minute, followed by the tomatoes. Add up to a tomato can-full of water to cover the chicken and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the chicken breasts and gently simmer, turning the chicken occasionally, for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through.
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Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with the stock cubes. Add the quinoa and cook for 15 mins until tender, adding the beans for the final min. Drain well and stir in the coriander and lime juice, then check for seasoning before covering to keep warm.
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Lift the chicken out onto a board and shred each breast using two forks. Stir back into the tomato sauce with the sugar and season. Serve with the quinoa, scattering the stew with some coriander leaves just before dishing up and eating with a dollop of yogurt on the side.
The Game
Slightly extravagant here but you've not got anything else to do so make yourself and your guests a pinata, then fill it with weird shit from your room that you don't really know where to keep. Everyone will have fun AND you'll clear a space on your shelf. Even if you fail spectacularly in the creation process (which you will), at least you'll have fun. Follow these instructions from WikiHow. In all fairness theirs doesn't look all that either so you're in good company.
Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.