Bite Me!

These hot days of summer always get me in the mood for some Mexican food (says she, staring mournfully out of the window at the rain), and there's nothing simpler than some homemade nachos if you're after a quick fix.  Basically, all you need is some tortilla chips, jalapeno chillies and cheddar cheese; assemble on a baking sheet, stick under the grill for a couple of minutes, bob's your uncle.

Of course, to elevate your nachos to truly ambrosial heights, you need some good accessories.  Sour cream is a must, as are guacamole and salsa.  And the guacamole MUST be home-made.  I promise you, it's really simple to make and tastes about a million times better than the insipid goop you'll find in the supermarket.  Again, no need for a proper recipe - just mash up a ripe avocado with the juice of a lime, some salt and a hefty handful of coriander, finely chopped.  If you're feeling like living on the edge, add some finely chopped green chilli for an extra kick. Nigella Lawson adds roquefort to her guacamole to make "roquemole" which is equally delicious although probably better eaten as a dip than added to your Mexican dish!

Home-made salsa is also worth the effort, as again it's much better than the stuff you'll find in jars, with a real zing to it.  Just finely chop some ripe tomatoes, onion and coriander and mix together with lime juice and salt to taste.  Unlike guacamole, this will taste better if you let it sit for a while so that the flavours can mingle.  For both the salsa and guacamole, make sure the avocadoes and tomatoes are really ripe and soft otherwise you'll just end up with a load of little hard chunks in a bowl, which is not the effect you're after.

Et voila!  How simple was that?