Chicken fajitas

While we’re on the Mexican train, fajitas are a close second to the Chicken and Rice Burritos in our house.

It’s pretty simple – for those new to cooking Mexican from scratch, some of the ingredients might sound a bit weird, but just go with it! 

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

Grated rind and juice of two limes

2 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (skip this if you don’t want it too spicy)

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 onions, diced

3 capsicums of varying colour, sliced

Eight tortillas

To serve with:

Guacamole

Tomato, onion, basil salsa to serve

Sour cream

Method:

Slice the chicken breasts into strips

Mix up the lime, oregano, caster sugar, cayenne and cinnamon – put the chicken in here and mix well. Leave to marinate for half an hour.

If you’re planning to heat up the tortillas in the oven, preheat the oven now, and wrap the tortillas in foil. Pop them in when you start cooking the chicken. If you prefer to use the microwave, you can wit until the chicken mix is nearly done.

After the half an hour of marinating, heat a frypan with a little oil and cook the chicken for about five minutes, then add the onions and capsicums. Cook for another four or so minutes until chicken and veges are all cooked.

It’s ready to serve – the chicken mix in the tortillas with sour cream, guacamole and salsa – any combination of these, as simple or as complex as you like.

Mexican-inspired peanut chicken and potatoes

I came across this recipe in my go-to Mexican cookbook. But, as usual, I didn't have all the ingredients so I adapted it to suit my pantry. It didn't require a lot of altering, and it was still damn delicious, so I thought I would post the recipe, with my alterations, so you can see how you go. 


Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
4 potatoes, sliced 
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup peanuts OR 1/4 cup peanut butter
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
2.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to season
rice with or without veges to serve

(The recipe also called for 2 boiled eggs, sliced to serve, as well as 2 pork loins chopped into chunks, cooked the same as the chicken, and added the same time as the chicken. On this thinking, you could also have this as a pork-based dish, or have both the chicken and pork in there together.)

Brown the chicken in a heavy-based frypan. Once cooked through, set aside in a bowl. (if using pork as well, do the same)
cook the onions in the same frypan for about five minutes. 
add the potatoes, stirring for about two minutes.
add the paprika, garlic and cumin, stir and mix through for about a minute. 
add the stock and peanuts or peanut butter
stir it all through well. bring to the boil and let it gently simmer for about 10 minutes. 
Add the chicken and/or pork - allow to simmer for another five to ten minutes. 
whille that's all happening, cook your rice. 
I added some steamed finely diced carrot, capsicum and spring onion to my rice - but I think anything like that would work - beans, peas, brocolli, caulifower, asparagus etc - nothing too overpowering. 
Spoon the rice into your bowls and then spoon the delicious chicken mixture and sauce over the top. 
I topped mine with a freshly chopped chilli just to give it a bit of a kick