Calabacitas

Step 1: Dice 1 ⅛ lb courgettes into even 1.5 cm cubes and pat them dry with a tea towel. Even pieces cook at the same rate, and dry surfaces brown instead of steaming.

Step 2: Heat 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil in your widest frying pan over a medium-high heat until it shimmers and a piece of onion sizzles on contact. A crowded small pan is the main reason calabacitas turn watery; use two pans if needed.

Step 3: Add ½ white onion and 1 poblano pepper and fry for 3 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion turns translucent and the chilli softens and smells peppery.

Step 4: Add 1 clove garlic and stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Any longer and it scorches and turns bitter.

Step 5: Turn the heat to high and add 1 ⅛ lb courgettes in a single layer. Leave them alone for 2 minutes; you should hear a steady sizzle, not a bubble, and see golden patches forming underneath.

Step 6: Toss and add 7 oz sweetcorn kernels. Cook for 2–3 minutes more, stirring once or twice, until the courgette is golden in spots and just tender at the edges but still firm in the middle. If liquid pools in the pan, the heat is too low or the pan too full: turn it up and spread things out.

Step 7: Add 1 ripe tomato, ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano (rubbed between your palms to wake it up) and ¾ tsp salt. Salting now, not earlier, keeps the courgette from weeping before it has browned.

Step 8: Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the tomato collapses into a light, juicy sauce that coats the vegetables. If the courgette still feels too firm, cover for 1 minute only.

Step 9: Taste and adjust the salt. Take the pan off the heat and scatter over 2 ⅛ oz queso fresco and 2 tbsp fresh coriander; the cheese should soften slightly in the warmth rather than melt.

Step 10: Serve warm with rice and beans or as a taco or quesadilla filling. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge; reheat quickly in a hot pan rather than the microwave so they don't go soggy, and add fresh cheese after reheating.