Moreton Bay bug tacos & steak fajitas

28th December 2020 | Eativity editors

Mexican food has soared in popularity in Australia over the past decade. According to Google Trends data, Mexican is now the sixth most popular cuisine here. It comes in just after Thai, Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Indian. And while many people associate Mexican food with cheesy nachos, sour cream and margaritas, it can actually be a pretty healthy way to eat. Lean proteins, fresh vegies and herbs, zingy salsa and hot peppers can all bring plenty of authentic Mexican flavour, with nary a corn chip in sight. If you’d like to add a little healthy Mexican-style deliciousness to your summer entertaining, try these buenísima recipes for Moreton Bay bug tacos and steak fajitas. They’re courtesy of La Banderita Tortillas and cook, author and Everyday Gourmet TV personality Justine Schofield.

Justine Schofield shares her recipe for Moreton Bay bug tacos and steak fajitas
Schofield has made a series of videos to show Aussies how to make authentic Mexican food at home.

Meals worth sharing

“Fresh, simple, colourful ingredients are what summer in Australia is all about,” Schofield says. “From party starters to sit down dinners, the versatility of La Banderita Tortillas makes them perfect to have on hand as we come into our favourite season of entertaining. They can turn any number of seasonal ingredients into a delicious meal worth sharing.”

In addition to deliciously soft flour tortillas, La Banderita has introduced two new products to Australia just in time for summer. Authentic Totopos (tortillla chips) are made from nixtamalised corn (a process where the corn is soaked, cooked, dried and then hulled) and sea salt; and La Casera yellow corn tortillas are perfect for tacos or taquitos.

For more of Justine Schofield’s go-to summer recipes, visit labanderita.tv or follow La Banderita on Instagram.

Moreton Bay bug tacos and steak fajitas

Moreton Bay bug tacos

Serves 6
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes

You’ll need:

6 La Banderita flour street tacos
6 Moreton Bay bugs, raw meat removed from shells
Zest and juice of 1 lime plus extra to serve
¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 sprigs of coriander, finely chopped

For the sauce

4 small red chillies, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 x 3cm pieces of ginger chopped
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp caster sugar
½ tbsp white vinegar
80ml olive oil plus a little extra
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. To make the sauce, place all of the ingredients into a small pot over a low heat and gently cook for 15-20 minutes, ensuring it does not boil. Cool to room temperature then pour into a small food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This can be made up to week in advance and stored in an airtight container.

2. Drizzle a little oil over Moreton Bay bug meat. Season with salt and pepper. Grill on each side for 1-2 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from heat, sprinkle with zest of lime.

3. Warm the street tacos in a dry pan over a medium heat for one minute on each side until soft. Keep warm in a clean tea towel.

4. To serve, portion lettuce between each taco then place Moreton Bay bug meat on top. Squeeze over lime juice and then drizzle over chilli sauce. Garnish with coriander.

Moreton Bay bug tacos and steak fajitas

Steak fajitas

Serves 4
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes

You’ll need:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 red capsicum and 1 green capsicum, sliced
2 x 300g rump steaks
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper
4 x La Banderita flour fajita 6-inch tortilla
Guacamole and pico de gallo, to serve
Tabasco, to serve
Lime, serve

Method:

1. Remove steak from fridge at least 30-60 minutes before cooking.

2. Heat a BBQ or grill pan over a high heat. Place the onion, capsicum, oregano, coriander, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat vegies well. Put on grill and cook for 5-6 minutes or until slightly charred. Place in a bowl and keep warm.

3. Oil the steaks and season with salt and pepper. Cook on for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on how you like you steak cooked. Rest for 3-4 minutes.

4. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan over a medium heat for 1 minute for each side. Keep warm in a clean towel.

5. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Serve with the charred vegetables, a good squeeze of lime and an extra splash of olive oil, along with guacamole, pico de gallo, Tabasco and warm tortillas.