A gorgeous little caravan kept appearing on my Instagram feed and I wanted to know where it was. Wanaka! Yippeee I shouted as I got in my car. I absolutely love Mexican food and I know you do too. Now you can make your very own in your own kitchen. Bazinga!!
Burt. Ritos is burritos (of course), tacos, drinks and delights all contained in this gorgeous caravan!
You can find them on:
51 Browston Street, Wanaka.
They are on FB, Instagram and their website
and of course the good ol’ telephone (021 202 3871)
Thank you Burt.Ritos Enjoy!
Mexican Ancho- Pumpkin Soup with Crema, Spiced Seeds and Tortilla Crisps
1 medium Crown or Butternut Pumpkin
2 Ancho Chillies. Stemmed and Seeded
1 medium Onion. Roughly Chopped
1 Red Apple. Roughly Chopped
4 Garlic cloves. 3 Diced, 1 Smashed
1 ½ Litres Vegetable Stock
250 ml Cream
75 ml Buttermilk
100 g Pumpkin Seeds
75 g Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Ancho Chilli Powder
Pinch of ground Cumin
Pinch ground Coriander
½ tsp Mexican Oregano
3 each Corn Tortillas
½ Tbsp Canola Oil
Mexican Crema.
3 Days ahead, mix cream and buttermilk and store covered at warm room temp. When the crema has formed a thick layer on top and mixture has slightly thickened, season with a pinch of salt and whisk together. Store in the fridge to set and ready for use. Using store bought Crème Fraiche is fine too, just add a squeeze of lemon and season with salt.
Ancho-Pumpkin Soup.
Quarter pumpkin, then skin and gut. Cut into 1 inch chunks. Over a medium-low heat place a pot large enough to fit everything in. Add 50 ml of the canola oil. Tear the Ancho chillies into pieces and toss into the pot. Allow them to toast and become fragrant. Add onions and cook for a few minutes letting them slightly brown. Add garlic and allow to become fragrant for a minute, careful not burn. Add apple, pumpkin and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until pumpkin has softened enough to be blended. Transfer cooked ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add water to ease the process and bring to a medium consistency. Strain soup back into the pot through a fine mesh strainer and season with salt to taste. Keep warm or store in fridge until ready to be used.
Spiced Seeds.
Over a medium low heat toast pumpkin seeds with ½ TBSP of Oil and the smashed garlic clove. Because the pumpkin seeds are bigger, add the sesame seeds halfway through. Take off heat and toss in the cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano and ancho or mild chilli powder. Season with salt and allow to cool.
Tortilla Crisps.
If you have a fryer great, otherwise bring 500 ml of the oil to 175 C in a medium pot. Cut the tortillas in half, then stack on top of each other. Cut tortillas into fine strips. In two batches fry the tortilla strips until lightly golden, drain over a paper towel and season with salt. You can buy good corn chips and crush them over if you prefer.
To Serve.
Heat soup and pour into serving bowls. Garnish with the crema, spiced seeds, and tortilla crisps. A fine dice of onion and fresh coriander for a nice bit of freshness.
