I recently enjoyed my annual visit to Wellington's Food Show. I should have taken just a few dollars cash rather than my credit card because, typically, I ended up with some impulse buys that have already found the rubbish bin.
However, there are always a few gems that last the distance. This year's find was a mini tortilla baker set. These non-stick metal pans are similar in shape to fluted brioche moulds but are designed so bread wraps can be moulded against the sides and baked quickly until crisp. The resulting baskets are marvellous for serving rice and chilli dishes or salads.
I first admired tortilla baskets 25 years ago in the US and was delighted to find the moulds to make my own.
The moulds have more than one use: as tins to bake cakes or bread, or to mould desserts. The Farrah-brand wraps purchased with the tins are Wellington-made but available nationwide from supermarkets. They're yeast and dairy free and don't crack when they are rolled.
Wraps have become a popular everyday lunch treat. Pita bread pockets, mountain bread, Persian naan and Mexican-style flour tortillas all make good wraps. The secret is to warm the breads before wrapping or rolling.
Other Food Show gems: Previous finds that really take the cake include Ezi-Seal Discs and Magic Lock bag sealers. The flat silicone Ezi-Seal discs are of varying diameters that lie snugly over a microwave bowl, saucepan or casserole or for use as a pot stand. They're okay to use in the oven up to a temperature of 240C and they're a breeze to clean.
Magic Lock sliding bag sealers are another favourite. Instead of tying bags of frozen foods with wires that leave the food bunched up, the re-usable, stick-like sealers keep the bags flat, making them easier to store. Both are everyday winners.
RECIPES
TEX-MEX CHICKEN BASKET WITH KIWIFRUIT SALSA
4 round multigrain wraps
Filling: 1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
500g skinned and boned chicken, cubed
1 tsp diced chilli
420g can tomatoes with chilli
400g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup whole corn kernels
Chopped coriander or parsley to garnish
4 cups cooked long-grain rice
Kiwifruit salsa: 3 kiwifruit, peeled and diced
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp finely chopped mint
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 180C. Meanwhile, warm wraps in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until pliable.
Press into non-stick metal moulds to make baskets. Bake for about 10 minutes, until crisp. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add onion, chicken and diced chilli.
Saute until onion is limp. Add tomatoes, beans and corn. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked. Thicken, if preferred, with a little cornflour and water paste.
Place rice in the base of each basket then top with the chicken mixture. Garnish with coriander or parsley. Serve with the combined salsa ingredients. Serves 4.
CAFE-STYLE VEGETABLE TORTILLA STACK
500g each: kumara, pumpkin (seeded)
400g spinach, washed and chopped
3 courgettes, sliced into 1cm rounds
2 tsp canola oil
10-15 mushrooms, sliced
5 x 25cm flour tortillas
250g cream cheese
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
6 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 cups passata or good tomato pasta sauce
100g feta cheese
Peel kumara and pumpkin. Steam, until tender. Mash separately. Cool. Steam spinach, until wilted. Cool, then squeeze out excess moisture.
Lightly fry courgettes in the oil until crisp-tender. Remove. Fry mushrooms until lightly coloured.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C.
Place a tortilla in a well-greased 25cm springform cake pan. Spread with the mashed pumpkin. Dot with the cream cheese. Season.
Place another tortilla on top. Spread with the cooked kumara and drizzle with the sweet chilli sauce. Top with another tortilla. Cover with the spinach. Top with one cup of the tomato sauce. Top with the fourth tortilla. Add the courgettes and then the mushrooms.
Place the final tortilla on top. Spread with the remaining tomato pasta sauce. Crumble the feta on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 8.
EGG & VEGE LUNCH WRAP
2 large eggs, hard-boiled
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1 large round wrap
6 crisp lettuce leaves, sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 dill pickle, sliced into batons
Peel eggs. Mash together with the mayonnaise and mustard. To make the wrap pliable, heat briefly in the microwave or a sandwich maker, or wrap in foil and heat over steam. Place the bread on a flat surface on a sheet of waxed paper.
Spread the egg mixture over the first quarter of the wrap.
Lay the remaining fillings in lines parallel to the egg to just over halfway. Starting from the side closest to you, firmly roll it up. Spread mayo along the final edge to help it hold together. Cut the wrap in half through the middle to display the filling. Serves 1.
GREEK-STYLE CHICKEN WRAPS & TZATZIKI
Marinade: 1/2 cup plain, low-fat Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chilli pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chicken: 750g skinned and boned chicken breasts, cubed
Tzatziki: 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill or mint
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve: 4 tbsp olive oil
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
6 pita breads
Combine the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Combine the tzatziki ingredients. Cover and refrigerate, until required. To serve, heat the oil in a large heavy non-stick frying pan. Drain the chicken. Pan-fry in batches until cooked. Meanwhile, warm the pitas in the microwave, or wrapped in foil in the oven.
Halve the pitas. Fill with the tomato, onion, chicken and lashings of tzatziki. Serves 6.