Homemade Healthy Mince Tacos (with all the trimmings)

Mexican food is one of my all-time favourites. Unfortunately, many places that serve Mexican cuisine offer food that is high in fat, dairy and gluten.  These fresh tacos are made from masa harina, a traditional flour used in Mexican cooking. This recipe has many components, but none are tricky, and it is well worth the effort! Many of the components can be made in batches and kept in your fridge for snacks at a later date.

Ingredients

Tacos

• Masa Harina flour (I use the Bob's Red Mill brand - you can find this in most supermarkets and health food stores)
• Hot water
• Sea salt

Mince filling

• 500 grams of lean, organic (if possible) beef, lamb or turkey mince
• A good handful of coriander
• One small chilli
• Olive oil
• One small onion
• 1/2 Capsicum
• One tomato
• 2 cups water

Note: For a vegan option, use a bean-based 'mince' recipe, like this one.

Gaucamole

• Avocado
• Lemon juice
• Sea salt

Salsa

• Sweetcorn kernels
• One medium tomato
• One small cucumber
• 1/2 Capsicum
• Lemon juice
• Sea Salt

Extras

• Grated carrot
• Shredded lettuce

Recipe

Begin by making your tortilla batter - For 2 cups of masa harina flour, use 1 - 1.5 cups of hot water. Follow the instructions on the packet, cover, and let sit for at least an hour

Brown off the mince on a medium-high heat - add a splash of oil to stop it sticking.

Finely chop your onion, capsicum, tomato and chilli, and throw it into your saucepan.

Roughly chop herbs, add in.

Once everything has fried off, add 2 cups of water, cover, and simmer for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, make your salsa by chopping all the vegetables (except the corn) finely, adding the juice of one lemon, a pinch of salt, and placing the mixture into the fridge, covered.

Whip up a simple guacamole - one soft avocado, the juice of one lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash with a fork.

Shred/grate any additional vegetables. This is a great way to amp up your vegetable intake - try adding kale, spinach, or any other dark leafy greens. Grated carrots are also delicious.

Once your flour has sat, you will notice it will have soaked up a lot of liquid. If you need to, wet your hands and knead the flour to make it a bit more doughy. Divide the mixture into equal portions. For 1.5 cups of flour (and 1 cup of water) I managed to get 8 tacos. Play around with the sizes.

Preheat a saucepan with some coconut oil on a medium/low heat.

Get one sheet of baking paper, and lay your ball of dough onto it. Flatten it slightly into a roughly rounded shape. Cover with another sheet of baking paper, and use a rolling pin to roll it out into an even(ish) round shape.

Place the tortilla in the pan. When the top starts to lift up (almost like pancake bubbles), flip it. It will hold it shape very well. Cook for about 30-45 seconds on each side, then transfer onto some aluminium foil to keep them warm.

Finish cooking all the tortillas, and check on your mince (season accordingly).

Serve and enjoy!