Comilona Mexicana

After having a food inspired evening last night in front of the telly watching Masterchef, I was very glad that come tea time today I only had to cook for four people! The mass catering tasks that they have to endure look so stressful, and for me, cooking should be something you can do at leisure and with ease, hence me cooking fajitas today! For those of you wondering, 'comilona mexicana' means 'mexican spread' or 'feast' (I'm a French and Spanish student at university in Nottingham so take any chance I can to learn some new vocab!). I first found this recipe in Jamie Oliver's book, 'Ministry of Food', but since then have adapted it slightly. It's one of those meals that I don't even need the recipe for anymore, I just need the ingredients and off I go - it's that simple!

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4)

Filling

2 large/3 medium chicken breasts
1 large red onion
1 large red pepper/2 small red peppers

Marinade
2 tsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika for a sweeter, less smoky taste
1tsp chilli cayenne pepper (add more for a spicier marinade)
1 tsp cumin

a couple of lugs of olive oil

1 lemon

Extras
8 tortilla wraps
guacamole
salsa
sour cream
cheese

Sweet vs Smoked Paprika - which do you
prefer?

Finely slice your onion like this

jalapenos 

METHOD

• Halve and deseed your pepper(s) and chop into strips. Peel, halve and finely slice your onion, then slice your chicken breasts into thin strips.
• Put your peppers, onion and chicken into a bowl (I use a square dish but you can use anything as long as it holds the ingredients really!) and sprinkle on evenly the paprika, cayenne pepper and cumin. Add a couple of lugs of olive oil and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Mix together and season well with salt and pepper. Leave to marinade for 5 minutes.
• Put a griddle pan on a high heat.
• Place the marinated peppers, onions and chicken into your griddle pan - you should hear a sizzling sound as soon as the ingredients hit the pan. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the onions have softened. As the pan is quite hot you will need to stir the chicken and vegetables every so often so that they don't burn.
• Heat the tortilla wraps in a microwave for about 20 seconds.
• When the chicken is cooked, bring the griddle pan to the table and serve straight away. 
• For the proper Mexican experience, serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, jalapenos and cheese. If you are feeling creative you can make your own salsa and guacamole, but if you're looking for a cheap and easy alternative, buy a tex mex dip selection from your local supermarket!

Marinated chicken, peppers and onions 

Once you have this recipe remembered, it is so simple and quick to make. The spice combination gives a slight kick to the chicken and vegetables, as well as a fresher and less concentrated taste than any packet mix you'll find in the shops. In the long run it will be cheaper to buy the spices rather than packets of fajita flavour mix each time you want to make this meal too. 

I would say this recipe is perfect for students as it isn't time consuming and if you have the spices, the other ingredients are easily obtainable. Parents who are looking to feed their 

children a no-hassle, healthy meal 

may also enjoy making these fajitas.

¡La Comilona Mexicana!

For those who are spice lovers, 

the quantities of spice are changeable 

so the marinade can be made to your 

liking. However, if you are anything 

like my stepdad I would stick to the 

quantities given or you may end up 

experiencing a hot flush! 

I would encourage anyone to try making this meal as even complete beginners should find it a breeze.