Summer Recipes: Easy Mexican-Inspired Dishes To Make Again & Again

A shared feast is a happy one, especially when it’s inspired by the zingy deliciousness of Mexican cuisine. Whip up some margaritas and say hola to good times.

Barbecue pork belly tortilla

Makes 10-12

Pork belly

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red chilli, chopped finely

½ tsp cumin

1 Tbsp oil

½ tsp salt

750g piece pork belly

To serve

1 packet Tio Pablo corn tortillas

Extra coriander to garnish

Tomato salsa

2 chopped tomatoes

¼ red onion sliced

2 Tbsp coriander

½ tsp sugar

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado

2 cloves garlic

½ chopped green chilli

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl combine garlic, chilli, cumin, oil, salt and lemon juice. Remove skin from the pork belly. Rub the meat with marinade and leave for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat barbecue to low. Remove the pork, reserving the marinade for basting. Cook pork, covered, on hot plate for 2 hours, turning once every 30 minutes. If you find it getting too dark, place it on a sheet of tinfoil.

3. While it is cooking, make the tomato salsa and guacamole. For the salsa, combine tomatoes, red onion, coriander, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. For the guacamole, mash avocado, garlic, green chilli and lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste. When the pork is cooked and tender let it sit for 10 minutes.

4. Heat tortilla on barbecue for 30 seconds each side.

5. Serve the pork sliced on the tortilla with a dollop of tomato salsa and guacamole. Garnish with coriander.

Recipe by Angela Casley

Mexican tomato and tortilla soup

This flavoursome Mexican tomato and tortilla soup, sopa azteca, is traditionally made with a dried pasilla chilli pepper and epazote (a medicinally pungent Mexican herb). We have substituted with readily available chipotle peppers and fresh coriander but you could also use oregano or lemon mint.

Serves 4

1 onion, finely chopped

1 bunch coriander, stalks used for soup, leaves reserved to sprinkle over to serve

3 cloves garlic, use up to 5 cloves, according to preference

1 can chipotle in adobo sauce, use 1-3 peppers, depending on taste

1 drizzle olive oil, for frying

400g canned tomatoes

2 cups hot chicken stock

1 chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 packet corn chips, use as many as needed

2 handfuls colby cheese, as much as needed to cover corn chips

1 pottle sour cream, for serving

1 avocado, or more, cut into chunks for serving

1 lime, you may require 2, cut into wedges for serving

1. Gently fry onion, coriander stalks, 3-5 garlic cloves and 1-3 canned chipotle peppers in a glug of olive oil to form a soft fragrant paste.

2. Add chopped tomatoes, approximately 2 cups hot chicken stock and simmer gently to reduce and flavour, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Cool, blitz to just smooth, return to heat, add thinly sliced chicken breast and reheat until chicken is cooked through. Season to taste.

4. Spread corn chips on a baking tray, cover with grated colby cheese and grill to melt. Distribute chips into soup bowls, add soup, garnish with sour cream, avocado chunks and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges.

Recipe by Warren Elwin

Churros

You can use a deep frying pan if you don’t have a deep fryer, just turn the churros halfway through to ensure even cooking. This is a finger-licking fun dessert.

Makes 20

1 cup water

80g butter, cubed

1 cup flour

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Sauce

100g chocolate, broken into pieces

150ml cream

1. Place water and butter in a pot and bring to the boil. Add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until the dough sticks together, forming a ball. Stir in the pot for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.

2. Place the dough in a bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

3. Using a piping bag with a shaped nozzle, pipe 8cm lengths of dough on to a piece of baking paper. Place in the freezer until ready to cook.

4. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

5. Make the chocolate sauce by combining chocolate and cream in a bowl over simmering water until smooth and delicious. Remove from heat.

6. To cook the churros, heat a deep fryer to a medium heat. Carefully drop the churros in, a few at a time, and fry for 3 or 4 minutes until cooked through and golden. Shake off excess oil and toss in cinnamon mixture.

7. Eat the churros while warm, dipped into the chocolate sauce.

Recipe by Angela Casley