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If you’re looking to change the dinner menu, these recipes inspired by Mexican flavours and Tex-Mex cuisine are for you.

Tex-Mex Rice is a great way to freshen and use up leftover rice, while fajita and salsa recipes are big on flavour without much effort required on your part. If you have all the ingredients on hand, you could be enjoying a Mexican-inspired feast in less than an hour.

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

Fajita seasoning mix

Garlic powder 2 tsp

Dried oregano 2 tsp

Paprika 2 tsp

Red chilli powder ½ tsp

Ground cumin 2 tsp

For chicken fajitas

Cooking oil 2 to 4 tbs

Boneless chicken breast 400 to 500g, cut into strips

Garlic 1 tsp crushed

Onion 1 finely sliced

Tomato 1 finely sliced

Bell peppers 3 thinly sliced

Salt 1 tsp, or to taste

Lemon juice 2 tbs

Method

In a small bowl, add all the spices for seasoning and mix well. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a large pan. Add chicken and garlic, and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add one tablespoon of the fajita seasoning and a ¼ teaspoon of salt and mix well.

Add onions and tomatoes, and another tablespoon of the prepared seasoning. Cook for one minute.

Add peppers, remaining fajita seasoning and salt. Cook for a few minutes until peppers and tender.

When fajitas are cooked, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

Tomatoes 2 finely diced

Onion 1 finely diced

Jalapeno pepper, 1 large, seeded and diced

A handful of (coriander), chopped

Lemon juice 1 tbs

Ground cumin 1 tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Method

In a bowl, add all ingredients and mix well.

Tex-Mex Rice

Ingredients

Cooking oil 2 tbs

Onion 1 finely diced

Garlic 1 tsp crushed

Ground cumin 1 tsp

Tomato paste 1 tbs

Water ¼ cup

Rice 3 cups cooked

Sweet corn ½ can

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pan. Add onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for a few seconds. Add tomato paste and water, and stir to mix. When tomato mixture starts to bubble, add rice and salt and mix well. Cook until rice is heated through and excess liquid is absorbed.

Mix in sweet corn and serve.

Originally published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 18th, 2016