If you’re anything like us, some kind of Mexican-inspired cuisine is likely already part of your weekly repertoire of tasty meals. Whether it’s fajitas on a Friday night, washed down with a celebratory Mezcal Paloma, or zingy fish tacos, there’s a reason why we return to those smoky/sweet flavours time and time again for dinner. But what about when it comes to brunch?

As celebrated chef and restaurateur Adriana Cavita’s new cookbook proves, Mexico’s culinary offering isn’t to be overlooked when it comes to daytime dining. Cocina Mexicana features more than enough fresh and vibrant recipes for authentic Mexican food to inspire you for every meal of the day. 

From traditional breakfast dishes popular all over the world to simple grab-and-go eats, if you spend your weekend making anything, it should be these delicious recipes. 

Farmer’s Eggs aka Huevos Rancheros

Adriana says: “This is one of the most popular Mexican breakfasts all over the world and can usually be found in any Mexican restaurant serving breakfast. The tostada (crunchy fried tortilla) on the bottom and saucy egg on top definitely makes it a very tasty and unique dish.”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 250ml vegetable oil
• 4 tortillas
• 500ml Red Sauce
• 500ml Green Sauce
• 4 eggs
• sea salt

To serve

• Pot Beans, warmed (see Huevos A La Mexicana recipe below)
• grated cheese (your favourite kind) (optional)
• chopped fresh coriander

Method

Add the oil to a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the tortillas – they should be crunchy but not too crunchy. Transfer them to a bowl lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Meanwhile, gently warm up the red and green sauces in separate saucepans. The sauces need to be runny – if they are a bit dry, add a little water, chicken stock or vegetable stock if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

In the same pan you used to cook the tortillas, fry the eggs over a medium heat until they are cooked to your liking.

Place 2 tortillas on each plate, side by side. Add a serving spoonful of the red sauce to one of the tortillas and of the green sauce to the other. Arrange 2 fried eggs on top and spoon the beans on the side of the eggs.

Add some grated cheese on top, if using (this is optional, but I recommend it), and some chopped coriander leaves before serving.

To make the Green Sauce, aka Salsa De Tomatillos Asados

Makes about 400-500g

• 14 tomatillos, husks removed, skins peeled and washed
• ½ small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 or 2 fresh jalapeños, stems removed and cut into 3 pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 20 g finely chopped fresh coriander (or pinch of cumin seeds)

Heat a heavy-based frying pan or comal over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, turning frequently, until soft and lightly charred all over. Remove the garlic and set aside. Turn the heat up to medium–high, add the tomatillos and onion and cook until slightly charred all over. The trick is to turn the tomatillos every two minutes, otherwise you will end up with a tomatillo purée.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor or blender, along with the jalapeños, oil and salt and blend until mixed. Alternatively, use a handheld stick blender. If you are using cumin seeds instead of coriander, add these to the blender too. Transfer to a bowl, taste and add more salt if needed. Stir through the coriander to finish. Serve the same day preferably or store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within three days.

To make the Red Sauce, aka Salsa De Jitomate Cocida

Makes about 1l

• 8 tomatoes, skins peeled and washed
• ¼ small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 or 2 fresh jalapeños, 2 morita chillies or your favourite chilli, seeds removed (or seeds left in, if you like more of a kick)
• 20g roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tablespoon salt

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan with 480ml water and cook over a medium–high heat for 15–20 minutes. Leave to cool down slightly.

Transfer to a blender and blend to a smooth sauce. Alternatively, use a handheld stick blender. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 3 days.

Note: Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve for an even smoother finish, if liked.

Chilaquiles

Adriana says: “This is one of the most traditional breakfasts in Mexico. Usually we add epazote, a Mexican herb, but as it is very difficult to find outside of Mexico, you can use hoja santa powder or fresh coriander instead.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 litre rapeseed oil, for frying
• 30 tortillas, cut into triangles

For the sauce

• 8–10 dried morita chillies, seeds and veins removed
• 1 kg ripe tomatoes, asados (see Note below)
• ½ large white onion, asada
• 5 garlic cloves, asado
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 150 ml olive oil
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

To serve

• 250g sour cream
• 300g feta cheese (or use Parmesan for a stronger flavour)
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and roughly chopped
• 40g chopped fresh coriander (or 1 teaspoon hoja santa powder)

Method

First, make the sauce. Put the dried chillies in a bowl of warm water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Drain and discard the soaking water (or reserve the soaking liquid and use to loosen the sauce when it is blended if you like more spice).

Add the asados vegetables to a food processor with the soaked chillies and salt, then blend together until combined. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to create a smoother mixture if liked.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the strained sauce and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the stock (or chilli soaking water) and coriander and cook for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep the sauce simmering over a low heat while you cook the tortillas. The sauce needs to be quite liquid, otherwise the chilaquiles will be too dry – you can add more of the chilli soaking water if needed.

Preheat the oil in a deep saucepan to 170°C/325°F on a cooking thermometer. Deep-fry the tortillas in the hot oil for 4–5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Place the fried tortillas (totopos) on a baking sheet lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Increase the heat under the sauce – it needs to be very hot when you add the totopos. Add the totopos to the sauce and gently mix everything together.

As soon as the totopos are well coated, immediately pour the chilaquiles onto a serving platter – you need to do this quickly and then serve them straight away in order to enjoy the chilaquiles while they are still crunchy. Top the chilaquiles with the sour cream, feta, red onion, avocado and coriander.

Note: Asado or asada means that a vegetable has been cooked over hot coals or in a hot pan before use. 

Mexican-Style Eggs, aka Huevos A La Mexicana

Adriana says: “I love this recipe. It is very simple, so it is perfect when you are in a hurry but still want something tasty to eat. It makes a nice start to the day.”

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ white onion, finely chopped
• 200g tomatoes, seeds removed and flesh cubed
• 4 eggs
• 10g finely chopped
• fresh coriander
• salt and black pepper

To serve

• warm tortillas
• Pot Beans, warmed
• grated cheese (your favourite type)

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook for about 2 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl, add some salt and pepper and beat vigorously with a fork. Add the beaten eggs to the pan and cook, stirring continuously to keep moving the eggs, until they are cooked to your liking. Add the coriander at the end and mix through.

Serve the scrambled eggs immediately with warm tortillas, the warmed beans and a handful of cheese.

For the Pot Beans aka Frijoles De La Olla

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 250g dried beans
• ½ white onion, peeled and left whole
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried hoja santa or a bunch of fresh coriander

Method

Soak the beans in a bowl of water overnight. The next day, drain the beans and cook in a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients following the packet instructions until they are soft. Taste and add more salt if needed. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 3 days.

Note: There are over 70 varieties of beans in Mexico, and any will work with this recipe. Use your favourite kind or experiment with different varieties to find the best flavour to suit your taste.

Cocina Mexicana by Adriana Cavita (£22, Ryland Peters & Small) is out now

Photography: Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small