Well, since moving to SwitzerFrance, one of the things that I crave most is mexican food. While it is possible to get "Old El Paso" out here, everything that you can buy is expensive and...well, just wrong. For example, a pack of 8 flour tortillas will run you about 4-5chf (about $5). And, they taste kind of sweet. I found corn tortillas and they had the texture of cardboard and a mild cornbread taste. Very, very disappointing. One of my friends even said that she found guacamole in a can with the second ingredient being PEAS.
So, if we want mexican, we've got to make it ourselves. And what a surprise I had for my husband tonight: French Nachos.
Recipe:
- 1 bag of tortilla chips (yes, you can find these in SwitzerFrance)
- 1 small wedge of brie*
- Taco Seasoned Hamburger which includes
- ground beef
- half an onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- Taco Seasoning (aka, 1/2 to 1tsp of chili powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper)
- Homemade Salsa (since you can't find good salsa here) which includes
- three fresh tomatoes
- a handful of chopped corriander
- diced hot pepper
- juice from 1 lemon or lime
- salt, pepper, a touch of olive oil and more chopped garlic if you like.
- Sour cream, creme freche, or plain yogurt is optional
1. For hamburger, mince onions and garlic and fry on medium heat until the onions are golden, about 5-8 minutes
2. Add your "seasoning" mix on the onions, stir and cook for just a minute
3. Add hamburger and cook until hamburger and onions are well cooked.
4. Chop/Mince all ingredients for Salsa and combine in a separate bowl.
5. Layer tortilla chips on a plate, slice brie and put on top of chips
6. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until brie is nice and melty
7. Remove from microwave, add hamburger on top and salsa. (And sour cream if you wish)
8. Eat! Enjoy! Savor the fact that YOU ARE EATING FRENCH NACHOS!
* The brie makes it French. Clearly, you can sub cheddar if you live in a country where cheddar is not a luxury item. Or you can take this entire recipe and make tacos if you have better tortillas than I do.
