Chicken Fajitas

I think one of my most favourite student food discoveries is the fajita. Before the first year I had never encountered this DIY supper. That is until my lovely first year housemate Emily and her boyfriend James bought an Old el Paso fajita kit, and the rest, as they say is history. These were the dark days when I didn’t know how to cook, and tended to make do with readymade pasta and curry sauces. Now don’t get me wrong, when you’re a student its kind of ok to cheat a bit, but the readymade varieties never do live up to their made from scratch counterparts. In the case of fajitas, there really is no need to buy a kit when all of the ingredients can be bought separately for a lot less money. I like to add homemade guacamole and tzatziki, tomato salsa and grated cheddar cheese to the spicy chicken and peppers, but if you're not feeling all that adventurous, or really don’t have the time, you can opt to buy readymade sauces.

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp of fajita mix (available in large jars at around £1.50)

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large red onion, thinly sliced into crescents

Packet of tortillas

1. Mix together 2 tbsp of the oil, the fajita mix and cumin in a bowl, and toss in the chicken. Set aside.
2. Heat a large pan on a high heat. Add the remaining oil and stirfry the peppers, garlic and onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat another pan until it is smoking hot. Drop in the chicken and fry until cooked through.
4. Mix everything together, season and serve with your preferred fillings, all wrapped up in a grilled tortilla.

Culinary Know How: FRESHER

Budget: UNDER £3

Kitchen Requirements: BOWL, TWO FRYING PANS.