My go-to is Mexican, and it always has been.
Lisa says…
I was always able to eat whatever I wanted because I trained so hard, for so many hours a day, for so many years of my life. In 2007, I had to stop exercising as hard because of myocarditis. Training was everything to me, it’s what made my heart sing, so when I had to scale back, it was a huge blow to my lifestyle. Not long after that I slowly started to put on weight, and I realised I was still eating the same and not exercising as much – if at all, sometimes.
I used to think of food as only fuel for what I wanted to achieve in an active life. I was paddling long-distance in team and solo races, so it was an important part of my endurance and recovery.
Now I know that the race of life is critical and what goes in our mouths daily can have an enormous impact on our health, and mental and physical wellbeing. I’ve worked out the 80/20 rule is really the best way to go. It’s what you eat “most of the time” that makes a difference. So, at home we eat lots of salads, veggies and quality protein. When we go out, we eat whatever we like.
I love spicy food, tasty food, creamy food – in fact, I now truly love any food! My go-to is Mexican, and it always has been. The kids had birthday parties at our local Mexican restaurant – it just conjures up so many family memories. Dishes like this delicious Mexican stack incorporate so many vegetables and proteins that are beneficial for my health – and I can change it up to suit whatever we have available or is fresh at the time. It’s a meal of utter enjoyment, and it also happens to be good for the entire family!
LISA CURRY IS A TRIPLE OLYMPIAN AND CO-AUTHOR OF HAPPY HEALTHY YOU WITH JEFF BUTTERWORTH. THEIR COOKBOOK IS OUT NOW.
Mexican Stack
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 large avocado
Lemon juice, to taste
250g packet natural corn chips
1 quantity Mexican Beans
½ cup (140g) Greek-style or natural yoghurt
3 cups mixed salad (see note)
½ cup Salsa
Fresh coriander leaves, to serve
Mexican Beans
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
½ cup (110g) canned diced tomatoes or passata
1 cup vegetables (you can use chopped mushroom, finely chopped capsicum, grated carrot or grated zucchini)
400g canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (150g) cooked brown rice
Salsa
500g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
½ red onion, roughly chopped
4 large garlic cloves
½ green capsicum, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon caster sugar
Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper
Method
For the Mexican Beans: Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until almost soft. Add the curry powder and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes or passata and stir until well combined. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until the consistency of curry paste.
Add the vegetables and cook for 5–10 minutes or until tender (add a little water if the mixture gets too dry). Add the beans and rice. Stir, mashing the beans a little, until combined and heated through.
For the Salsa: Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Pulse for a few seconds until well chopped. (Do not over‑process, as it can get too mushy.) Season with salt and pepper. Add some chopped fresh chilli, if you like it hot.
To assemble: Mash the avocado and add a dash of lemon juice.
Divide the corn chips among serving plates. Spread them out, leaving an empty space in the centre of each pile. Spoon the Mexican Beans into the centre of each plate. Drizzle with yoghurt. Top with the salad, then the salsa. Top with the avocado mixture and coriander to serve.
Note The mixed salad can include anything: tomato, carrot, shredded red or white cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, capsicum, bean sprouts, onion and soft herbs, such as parsley or coriander.
Published in ed#711