Cheap Chicken Fajitas

We love a Mexican night in our house. It certainly helps with the decision of what to have for tea. As with my Banging Bargain Burritos, I wanted to show you with the same few spices you can make the fajitas without buying the kits. Don't forget to buy the wraps from the bread aisle, not the section near the Mexican food kits they do cost more. These are so tasty and can be altered to almost anybody's liking. Like B.B.Q fajitas? Use half B.B.Q sauce and half passata. Like them hot? Throw in some jalapenos or up the heat of the chilli powder. Play around with food and make it your own, experiment with flavours and involve the family. Have a themed night each week to help with tea ideas, we tried Mexican Monday, Meat free Wednesday and Fish Friday!

For the fajitas:

3 chicken fillets cut into strips

3 peppers sliced

2 red onions sliced

300ml passata 

3 tsp cumin

3 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp paprika

3 tsp mild chilli powder

Tbsp oil

Wraps

After you cut the chicken shake all the spices onto the meat to marinate for 30 minutes or more covered in the fridge.

In a frying pan with the oil fry off the chicken for 15 minutes.

Add the peppers, onions and passata and cook for a further 15 minutes until the sauce reduces.

Spoon the mixture into a warm serving dish and take to the table with the wraps, salad and trimmings for everyone to make their own.

Tea so easy the kids made it

I have to start by admitting this doesn't look the most appetising dish granted. But it's so tasty and you can run wild with this one using up whatever vegetables you have left and turning them into a tasty  treat that the kids can get involved in making. Letting the little ones help is the best thing you can do for them after all its one of the biggest skills they will need in life. So these tasty vegetable fritters are pretty much open to being played with as you see fit try adding spices or herbs anything you like.

Med. Potato grated
Onion sliced
Carrot cubed
Red pepper cubed
Spring onion sliced
2 med tomatoes skinned, deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp sweet corn
2 tbsp frozen peas
100g flour
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying

Put all the vegetables in a bowl
Add the eggs and flour and mix well and season
Heat a frying pan with some oil on a medium heat and preheat oven to 180
Fry a tablespoon of the mix for two mins each side until golden and finish off in the oven for 10 mins.

Meat free midweek meal

A simple but tasty and cheap tea we love in our house. Stuffed peppers with corn on the cob! Ok, granted, it's not a gourmet meal and doesn't look like a lot, but it's very filling and tasty too, You can add any filling you want, if there's some leftover chilli or bolognese stick that in instead of rice. So if you're looking for something new to try out fancy a change give it a go! I'll give you the recipe for 4 people.

4 large peppers                                             

2 packs of supermarkets own brand chicken/ veg flavour rice.                           

4 corn cobs

Grated cheese

Firstly cook your rice as stated on the packet (usually 425mls cold water and boil with rice until water has been absorbed).

Slice the top of the pepper off and put to one side.

Hollow out your pepper so it's like a bowl and if needed just slice a bit of the bottom so it stands up.

When rice is cooked fill your pepper bowls with rice and grated cheese (or optional fillings) and place pepper lid back on.

Cook in a preheated oven on 180 for 20-25 minutes.

Five minutes before they're cooked put the corn cobs into boiling water and they will be ready with the peppers.

Now, as this wasn't a great deal (filling as it is) we decided to have a crumble for dessert. We had some apples given so you can't get much cheaper and at this time of year there are plenty about! I had some frozen berries left which I bought from Lidl, but you could get out brambling with the kids. Tea tastes even better for free! 

6-8 med apples peeled and chopped into chunks (if using cooking apples add sugar when cooking)

Whatever other fruit you want to add

150g flour

75g butter cut into chunks

75g sugar (brown, white, whatever you want)

1-2 tsp mixed spice/ cinnamon (optional)

Add chopped fruit and mixed spice/cinnamon to a pan on medium heat and leave to stew for about 5-10 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile in a bowl pour in flour, sugar and chunks of butter and rub everything in until there are no big lumps of butter left.

When the fruits cooked pour into oven proof dish and top with crumble mix. 

Cook for 25-30 mins on 180

Serve with custard, cream or ice-cream.

Well that's it for now if anyone tries this I would love to know how you get on!