Mexican Nachos
An ideal snack to accompany a movie night (or a side). The salad is great to have on it’s own and if you have any left over, pop it in a lunchbox to have the next day in a pitta bread.
MEXICAN NACHOS
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 6 spring onions sliced
- 150 g frozen sweetcorn cooked
- 100 g black olives sliced
- 400 g can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 avocados peeled and chopped
- Handful coriander chopped
- Dressing
- Zest and juice of 1 lime approx. 30ml
- 60 ml unrefined rapeseed oil
- 1 garlic clove crushed (or 1 tsp. minced garlic)
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp minced chilli/chilli flakes
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Nachos
- 6 wholewheat tortillas
- 1/2 tbsp. rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 100 g cheese grated (use whichever you prefer)
Instructions
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients (I find this easier to use a small jar and give it a good shake) and pour over the salad. Set aside
- Stack the tortillas then cut them in half. Cut again into quarters then eighths making triangle shapes. Pop in a bowl, drizzle with the oil and using your hands, toss to coat. Sprinkle the paprika and salt a little at a time so as to distribute well.
- Pop on a greased baking tray and bake at 180c for 5 mins. Remove from the oven, spoon over some of the salad (about half), sprinkle with the cheese then return to the oven to warm through the salad and melt the cheese (5 - 10 mins). Serve with soured cream and salsa if wished.
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Nutritional Benefits
Tomatoes contain vitamins C and E, anticancer properties and may ease symptoms of asthma. Adding fat (as in olive or vegetable oil) boosts the absorption of the valuable antioxidant lycopene and vitamins further as well as cooking.
Peppers are a rich source of vitamin C (for healthy cells and to absorb iron), E (for healthy cells and circulation) and B6 and again have anti-cancer properties.
Kidney beans (like all pulses) offer energy giving carbohydrates, protein, soluble fibre, vitamin B1, folate, phosphorous, potassium and iron. Kidney beans also contain a mineral (molybdenum) which destroys sulphites. Sulphites are used as a preservative in many foods and many individuals, especially asthmatics are sensitive to them.
As sweetcorn is a wholegrain, it has similar benefits to other wholegrain foods with additional antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and phytonutrients all which work together to prevent disease. Eating more wholegrains helps to prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
The sulphur compounds in garlic which create its odour also offer many health benefits from minimising the risk of heart disease, certain cancers (colon, stomach and prostrate), can help to prevent stomach ulcers and is a natural antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal food.
Cumin like most spices is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, may help digestion and contain valuable antioxidants that are cancer preventative.
Chilli is another native and traditional ingredient and have high levels of antioxidants, may help to relieve pain and joint problems and rich in vitamin C.
Cheese is an excellent source of protein, vitamin D, calcium (needed for strong bones) as well as other various vitamins and minerals. There is still a lot of conflicting advice on eating saturated fats in dairy foods but recent research has shown that they have little effect on the heart or risks of strokes. Like many foods, they should not be eaten in vast amounts but certainly as part of a healthy diet.