Wookiee Hut Cuisine presents:
 Buffet Mexicaine
by Hermi2, MadamePince, McGonagirl

Fleur de la Coeur was in love with Bill Weasley, the oldest son of Arthur and Molly, but alas, his family was not excitied about the French girl joining their family. For one, she was French, and as wonderful as the Weasleys are, they were English and they mistrusted the natives across the channel. The girl was one-quarter Veela, that race of female witches who charmed men with their beauty, often without trying. And the senior Weasleys worried that the young lovers were affected by the return of you-know-who, and were rushing into matrimony.

She came to stay with them and was apparently blithely ignorant of the animosity around her ... but in fact, she knew full well what her future in-laws thought of her. She wept a lot in secret over their non-acceptance, which broke Bill's heart; he really did want his family to embrace his intended bride. They talked long into the night about how to overcome the Weasley's feelings, but couldn't figure out an honest way to do it ...

Fleur welcomed Hermione Granger when Ron's friend came to stay before the start of Hogwart's fall term, and she noticed something — Hermione paid attention when Molly was showing her how to make a traditional Christmas cake. It seemed to delight Molly to have such an attentive audience ... and so after Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny left for school, Fleur waited for an opportunity to ask Molly what she was doing in the kitchen?

"Just chopping up some taco filling," Molly replied, not really paying attention.

"What eez thees feeleeng for takoss?" the beautiful blonde asked.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, dear," said Molly, automatically, "everyone knows what tacos are."

"Maman ... Muzzur," Fleur said slowly, "I do not know what eez takoss ... can you ... pleees? Teach me? Does Beeel like zees?"

Quesadillas
 "Let's start easy, dear," said Molly, warming up to her new audience, but still a bit wary of Fleur's sudden interest in her cooking. "This is simple, you take a flour tortilla shell and lay it out flat in a hot skillet ... don't worry dear, it won't burn you if you don't touch it! There you go, that's right ... now sprinkle on some grated cheese, don't get too close to the edge dear, you'll just make it ooze horribly. There, now put another tortilla on top of the whole thing, there you have a sandwich! Count a minute dear, 60 seconds, no more! Careful, careful, now flip it over — no not with your hands! Use the turner, my word did they not teach you anything at that school? Well, never mind, dear, now count to 60 again ..."
    Basics
  • large flour tortillas
  • cheese, grated (cheddar, monterey jack, pepperjack, or whatever you like ... even bleu or brie is good, but you might want to slice those)
Heat a skillet (non-stick is best) till it's pretty hot. Drop in a large flour tortilla. Keeping a one-inch edge, sprinkle on your cheese mixture liberally, but don't pack it solid ... then place another tortilla on top of that to sandwich the cheese. When the cheese starts to melt and the bottom tortilla starts to brown (you'll smell a toasty sort of aroma, too), use a spatula / pancake turner, and flip it over. Toast / grill and the cheese is melted oozingly. Remove to a board or serving plate. Let it cool a little, then use clean scissors, a pizza wheel, or sharp knife, cut the quesadilla into wedges.

    Add-ins
  • scallions, sliced thin
  • diced tomatoes
  • drained kernal corn
  • minced or sliced hot peppers, fresh or pickled
  • minced cooked chicken
  • minced cooked ham
  • scrambled eggs (for a breakfast burrito)
After sprinkling in the cheese, sprinkle over your favorite add-ins. Sprinkle in a bit more cheese, and continue the sandwiching and cooking.

Variation, good for buffet single serving
Lay down one tortilla, and sprinkle the cheese and add-ins over HALF the tortilla. Fold the unfilled half over the filled have and push down lightly till the cheese melts and starts to seal the two halves together, then flip it over to cook the other side. Place on a plate and cut into 3 or 4 wedges.

Back to the Menu: Buffet Mexicaine


Tacos
 "There, you did quite well, dear," said Molly. It seemed Fleur really was genuinely interested in what Molly was doing. "Now, let's try chopping, have you ever handled a knife?"

"At Beauxbatons, we were told zee knifes would hurt us," confessed Fleur. "But I do not sink zees ees true?"

"Well, they can, dear," agreed Molly, "but with proper technique, it's not dangerous. Even Ginny can handle a knife to help her poor old mother with feeding the Weasley men!"

"Zen, plees ... can you teach moi? I want to take good care of my ... non, YOUR Beele!"

The Veela was learning how to charm her fiancé's mother!
  • 1 lb / 450 g hamburger (ground beef) meat or ground chicken or ground pork or ground turkey
  • 2 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon powdered or dehydrated minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoon chili powder or paprika, as hot or sweet as you like
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • ½ teaspoon cornstarch
  • ¼ wedge lettuce, cored, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup grated cheese: cheddar or monterey jack
  • 1 or 2 tomatoes, seeded and juiced out, then chopped
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 12 or so corn tortillas
Cook the meat (or use leftovers and chop it up really fine). You can cook it in a skillet and drain off the fat. Or in the microwave, and again, drain off the fat. Add the dried onion, garlic, chili or paprika, cumin, oregano. Stir and cook over low heat. In a small bowl or cup, mix the cold water and cornstarch, then add to the meat and spices and cook till the mixture thickens. Place in a serving bowl and set aside which you cut up the lettuce and tomatoes, which should get placed in their own bowls. Grate the cheese into another bowl and put out a bowl of sour cream.

Heat the corn tortillas by stacking 6 of them and wrapping them or placing them in a heavy plastic bag. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds, then turn the stack over and microwave for 15 seconds. Or heat a skillet over high heat and drop a tortilla into it for 15 seconds, then flipping it over and heating on the other side. Repeat for all the tortillas.

Let each diner take a corn tortilla and layer in meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. Fold or roll up and eat.

Back to the Menu: Buffet Mexicaine


Burritos
 "Oh, but I forgot, we need flour tortillas for this too ... I'm sorry, I never explained, dear ... Bill being mine and Arthur's first child, we were in Mexico when he was conceived," Molly blushed with this confidence, suddenly realizing she'd missed having adult female company in the house. "We think that's why he loves these spicy concoctions. We'd often have a buffet and set out all the ingredients, so the boys and Ginny could choose what they wanted and assemble their own tacos. But bill, he really loved burritos — which is exactly what I ate when in Mexico! Oh dear, I positively craved them!"

"Zat ees so charming, maman!" declared Fleur, as they assembled the concoctions. "Let mee tell you ... ma mère, she craved eggrools when she was carrying moi ... so much like your Beele et hees burritoss!"

"Eggrolls! Oh my, yes, they are similar, aren't they, dear?" Molly was really feeling closer to Bill's girlfriend now.

"Off course, zee eggrools are crispee, but ziss burritoss, eet ees soft?"

"Yes, usually, dear ... but I had prepared some when Bill was ready to deliver! Can you imagine! And when Arthur came home, he found the burrito, but all cold. The poor man was so tired, and he just fired up the grill and heated it up just like this, and ... voilà! Crispy burrito with grillmarks, they're so appetizing looking, don't you know!"

"How clever, maman!" The veela smiled at Molly's very funnily accented French.

 If desired, mash up the beans with their canning water, to the texture you prefer. Place in a serving bowl. Place all the other ingredients into their own bowls, so that diners can take as much of each thing as they wish.

Heat the flour tortillas by stacking 6 of them and wrapping them or placing them in a heavy plastic bag. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds, then turn the stack over and microwave for 15 seconds. Or heat a skillet over high heat and drop a tortilla into it for 15 seconds, then flipping it over and heating on the other side. Repeat for all the tortillas.

Each diner places a tortilla on their plate, and places layers of meat, beans, peppers, cheese, tomatoes, off-center from the middle of the tortilla. Fold the short edge of the tortilla up over the pile of filling, then fold the flaps perpendicular to the first fold over the filling. Then roll it up toward the still-open end.

If you wish, heat up a barbecue or grillplate and sear the sealed up burrito till grill marks are charred and crisped into the tortilla. Flip over and repeat.

Back to the Menu: Buffet Mexicaine


Tortilla Chips
 The veela, still a bit afraid of the big, ancient knives Molly used for cooking, was daintily cutting tortillas into wedges with clean scissors. And rather than dipping each into some oil, she poured some olive oil, which she'd brought with her from France, into a spritzer and sprayed the chips laid out on an oven sheet. As she popped these into the oven, Molly was astonished that the Veela seemed to have some kitchen experience after all. "That's a good way to do it, dear," she complimented Fleur. "But, oh my, I doubt Arthur and I could partake. Our health, don't you know ..."

"Oh, Maman! So inconsiderate of me! Madame Maxime, the 'headmieestrees au Beauxbatons, she is watching her weight so closely, she taught me another way to make cheeps!" Molly had to admit that though the result was not as crispy, no one could fault the calories saved by not using oil on the chips. Perhaps this beautiful blonde could take care of her first-born, after all!
  • corn or flour tortillas
  • hot water or olive oil
  • salt
  • cayenne pepper
  • any other seasoning powder or salt you wish
Heat the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Line a baking tray with foil or parchment paper. If using warm water, place in the spray bottle in proportion of ½ tablespoon salt per cup of hot water. If you're using olive oil, you can use the oil sprays available in stores, or use a pressurized mister. (If you don't have a sprayer or mister, then mix the hot water with salt, cayenne, and other seasonings in a bowl, and use a pastry brush to coat the tortillas).

Using a clean pair of kitchen scissors or a knife, cut the tortillas int quarters or eighths, and place in a layer on the baking sheet. Alternating the points will get more onto the sheet. Then spray the water/salt or oil onto the tortillas, or brush onto the tortillas. If desired, sprinkle on additional seasonings.

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake till the chips are curled and crispy. It takes about 10 minutes if you are using oil, about twice as long for water. It will appear to not be doing very much, then suddenly burn! So be careful!

Delicious served with sauces, dips, salsas, and with soups.

Back to the Menu: Buffet Mexicaine


Salsa
 "Well! We ARE making quite the spread, dear," gushed Molly. "I do hope the men are hungry! The children have gone off to Hogwart's, I hope the others can do justice to all this food!"

"I remember ... George et Fred ... zey will come home tonight, too? Maybe ziss food, eet ees not enough?"

"Well, since you have such a tidy way with the chips, could you make extras, then? I'll show you how to make a salsa, they'll fill the gap for the boys, then. It's true, I don't know where they put all the food!" Molly sniffed a bit, thinking Fleur seemed to know a bit more about the boys' schedule than she did, and wondering if this was a good thing.

"So you will make zee buffet, like you said before, Maman? So everyone may take what eet ees zey plees? Weel Beele enjoy ziss? I haff so much to learn from you!" Fleur knew to put the focus of the meal back onto Molly! How did she know? Molly was chopping the vegetables for the salsa rather viciously!
  • 6 Roma or San Marzano Italian tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
  • 1 large sweet onion (like Vidalia or Maui or Walla Walla), chopped
  • 1 to 3 cloves garlic, to taste, crushed or minced
  • 1 to 4 Jalopeño or Serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro and/or parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • 1 lemon and/or 2 limes, to taste
Mix together the chopped vegetables and herbs. Squeeze the lemon and/or lime juice over it and sprinkle with salt and citrus juices, to taste. Cover and refrigerate an hour or so before serving.

Back to the Menu: Buffet Mexicaine


Nacho Queso
 "I haff had zee sauce mayde wiz cheese. Een France, we make it wizz zee sauce bechamel, zen we add concasse de tomate, zen ze cheese. Eet ees très delicieux, but so complicated. I weesh I know how to make zees, I sink eet will go well wees all of your wonderful food!" Fleur's description of the dish made it sound sensual as well as tasty.

"Why, that's a cheese sauce with chopped tomatoes, isn't it, dear," declared Molly. "Here, let me show you a recipe I learned from an American witch, it's so much simpler and so good ... don't make that face dear, it'll freeze like that!"
  • 1 lb / 450 g processed cheese, like Velveeta
  • 1 cup salsa (homemade or storebought)
Cut the processed cheese into cubes or grate it. Place in a large microwaveable bowl, dump the salsa into the middle of it all. Microwave on high power for three minutes and stir the mixture (be careful, the bowl and teh contents are very hot!), then microwave on high for another 2 or three minutes. Stir again before serving with chips, veggies, crackers, etc.

Back to the Menu: Buffet Mexicaine


Nachos
 Everyone came home and remarked at the bounty placed down the center of the table. And at Fleur's suggestion, rather than sitting formally at the table, the Weasleys hovered around the table, traveling to the bowls of ingredients they liked for their tacos, burritos and quesadillas. They sat anywhere they could find a seat at the table, so there was a lot of movement and jollyness at dinner that night.

There were almost no leftovers, but a few bowls were put away ... and later that night after everyone was asleep, Bill congratulated his fiancé on her success. She winked at him and explained she had had SOME cooking training — she was French, after all. But she enjoyed helping Molly prepare the buffet dinner and she'd learned a lot.

Hungry after a long night of discussion, they rummaged around in the kitchen for leftovers. Fleur found some chips, the nacho cheese sauce, some tomatoes, and sliced up jalopeñ and re-created a dish she and Bill had had on dates at the pub. With a beer, it was the ultimate late night meal for happy lovers!

  • about 1 lb / 450 g tortilla chips
  • sliced jalopeñno peppers, fresh or canned
  • about 2 cups Nacho Cheese dip OR 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, monteray jack, etc.)
  • assorted condiments:
    • sliced olives
    • chopped avocado or guacamole
    • chopped tomatoes
    • sour cream
    • refried beans
Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the chips on it. Sprinkle over with peppers, then with cheese or nacho dip, and bake the nachos till the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with condiments.

You can also heat these in a microwave on high power for about a minute.

Back to the Menu: Buffet Mexicaine
Disclaimer: All content is made up, and no profit or lucre is expected, solicited, advocated or paid. This is all just for fun. Any comments, please e-mail the author or WOOKIEEhut directly. Flames will be ignored. Characters and situations are based on those which are the property of LucasFilms Ltd., Bantam Publishing, Random House, Bloomberg, Scholastic, etc. and their respective original owners and developers. The rest is this story's author's own fault. This story may not be posted anywhere without the author's knowledge, consent, and permission.

These recipes are provided "as is," and neither Wookieehut nor any person associated with the website is responsible for any success or failure of the recipes, nor any implied effects. If there are questions, please email the author. This page is presented by Wookieehut.