Celebrating Cinco De Mayo with a twist - Cinco De Mayo Risotto in tortilla bowls

We love Mexican food so when we were offered some Discovery products to celebrate Cinco De Mayo on Sunday I was delighted! But that was not all, we were also challenged to create a recipe using the ingredients we were sent....

As you know I love a challenge, so while I thought about what to make, I got out the ingredients  which included; a 'perfect fajita kit', a jar of  Cajun season & sauce and a squeezy tub of Discovery's all new garlic and herb soured cream... Yum!

So what could I make? The obvious choice was fajitas, a quick, tasty and easy meal pefect for making both a vegetarian option for me and a meaty one for my other half. We've used the Discovery kits before and they  contain great tasting ingredients and easy to follow instructions. However, I'm never one for the obvious choice so I decided to be creative....

I routed though the cupboards and fridge and found some more ingredients...

What could I make from this?! Then I had an idea, last time we ate Mexican food out we we served in an edible bowl made from a baked tortilla wrap! I thought it was a fabulous concept and have been meaning to try it ever since. So here was my chance.


Making edible bowls...

What you need: some medium ovenproof bowls, flour tortillas and some spray oil.

What to do: spray the inside of the bowl with the oil then place the fajita wrap inside the bowl, lighty spray again and pop in the oven on a low heat for 15 minutes...

The result should look something like this, a solid bowl ready to fill with yummyness...

I decided to fill these tortilla bowls with a Mexican take on my favourite dish, risotto!

What I used for the Risotto

1 tablespoon of  Olive Oil
2 small peppers (1 red , 1 green)
1 medium butternut squash (peeled and chopped in small squareish pieces)
1 Large Onion (diced)
1 litre of vegetable stock (hot)
1 glass of  white wine (if making it for the whole family I use Shloer instead!)
400g of Arborio rice 

fajita spice mix
fresh corriander
salt and black pepper

What I did

Heat the Oil in a large pan and add the onion. Fry until softened and then add the the peppers, stir for a few minutes before adding the rice.

Fry for about a minute continuously stirring, add the fajita spice mix, stir again, then add the wine.

Once wine has been absorbed start adding the stock a little at a time, waiting until it has absorbed before adding the next amount.

After adding about half the stock add the butternut squash and fresh corriander, then continue to add the stock, remembering to keep stirring.

When all stock has absorbed remove from heat then season.

So I filled the tortilla bowls with the yummy smelling risotto and topped with a dollop of the garlic and herb soured cream, serving with salad and salsa!

Optional - Meat
For my other half I marinated some cubed braising steak in the cajun spices and lightly fried to seal it. After cooking for a few minutes I added the cajun sauce and stirred, 
I found the Cajun season and sauce to be a really easy way of adding meat to the meal without making too much more work! Ideal when cooking for a mixture of vegetarians and meat eaters!!

So there we have it, Cinco De Mayo Risotto in tortilla bowls, A Mexican take on an Italian classic!

I have to admit it was an experiment but one that turned out very well and was thoroughly enjoyed! The texture of the risotto really complemented the fajita spices and the garlic and herb soured cream on top gave it a fresh and creamy finish. This definitely be a meal that I will be cooking again, and not just for Cinco De Mayo!

As I mentioned we have used Discovery products before and have always been pleased with them, the Garlic and Herb Soured Cream is new so this was our first time of tasting it and I was really impressed. It has a strong but not overpowering flavour that really complements the rest of the range. I like the squeezy tub too, reduces mess and makes it easy to store!

Disclaimer: We were sent some of the Discovery range to try free of charge and this post will be entered in to a competition to win prizes including a centerparcs break all opinions and recipes are my own.