Homemade Chicken Fajitas Spiced Soup

Mexican fajitas spiced homemade chicken and bell pepper soup

I know this idea may sound a little bit strange and I can't even remember what led to me coming up with it but it was something I deliberately set out to make and was not just a spur of the moment idea for using up leftovers. What I decided to do in order to make this soup was to poach a small chicken, use half of it one night for a separate purpose and use the other half together with the broth and additional ingredients to prepare the soup on the second evening. This quantity of soup should serve four to six people.

Raw chicken and accompaniments ready for poaching

Ingredients (Day One)

1 small chicken (about 3 pounds)
1 medium carrot, washed, topped and roughly chopped
Half a large white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium strength red chilli pepper, topped and roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
Half teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients (Day Two)

3 pints fresh chicken stock
Meat from one chicken leg, one thigh and one breast fillet
2 small (4 ounce) packs of mixed sliced bell peppers
8 ounce can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
2 teaspoons fajitas spice
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander

Freshly poached chicken

Directions

Put the chicken in to a large soup or stock pot. Add the carrot, red chilli, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Pour in enough cold water to completely cover the chicken. Make sure to use at least five pints as you will need three pints of the reduced liquid content for the soup. Put the pot on to a high heat until the liquid reaches a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover and continue to simmer for one hour.

Straining chicken stock for making soup

Use a carving fork and a large spatula to carefully lift the chicken from the poaching solution to a large deep plate. Cover and leave for at least half an hour to part cool. Use half the chicken for any desired purpose. Remove the meat from the second leg, thigh and breast side, put in to a suitable dish and refrigerate overnight.

Allow the stock at least an hour to partly cool. Carefully strain through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper. Measure out three pints, add to a large dish and refrigerate overnight.

Mixed bell pepper slice packets

On the second day, pour the stock in to your clean soup or stock pot.

Leftover chicken pieces for making soup

Take a little time to make sure the chicken meat is all broken/chopped in to fairly small pieces.

Mexican fajitas spice

It's worth pointing out that I bought this fajitas spice in a small pack. I opened the pack and transferred the spice to a small plastic tub where it keeps in perfect condition for a couple of months or more.

Solid ingredients are added to strained stock

Add the chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes and fajitas spice to the stock. Stir very well and bring to a gentle simmer for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chopped coriander is added to soup

At the last minute, stir in the freshly chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Chicken fajitas soup is ready to serve

Chicken Fajitas Cornish Pasty and Chips

Created to Celebrate England v Mexico in Women's World Cup

Half a giant chicken fajitas pasty is served with homemade chips

England take on Mexico this coming Saturday in the 2015 Women's World Cup and I thought this fixture provided a great opportunity to create a dedicated English/Mexican fusion dish. I had quite a few ideas but finally settled on the concept of an English Cornish pasty filled with Mexican themed chicken fajitas, served with homemade chips. I've covered making chips many times before on this blog so the instructions which follow are for making the pasty only.

Diced chicken breast meat is combined with fajitas spices

Ingredients (Serves Two)

1 large skinless chicken breast fillet
1 teaspoon powdered Mexican fajitas spice
Handful mixed sliced bell peppers
1/2 pound premade puff pastry
1 beaten egg for glazing
Little vegetable oil for baking tray
Homemade chips/fries to serve

Mixed sliced bell peppers are stirred in to marinated chicken breast meat

Directions

Chop the chicken breast fillet in to approximately three-quarter inch chunks. Add them to a glass or stone bowl (never plastic - it will be stained forever) with the fajitas spice. Stir well to coat all the chicken in the spice mix, cover with clingfilm and leave for at least an hour to dry marinate. After this time, stir the pepper slices through the chicken.

A large dinner plate is used as a template to cut pastry circle for pasty

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Roll out the pastry on a dry, clean, floured surface to a square large enough that a circle can be cut from it using a thirteen inch dinner plate as a template.

Chicken fajitas pasty filling is added to one half of pastry circle

Arrange the chicken and peppers combination on one half of the cricle as shown above. Be sure to leave a border of at least an inch for folding over and crimping the pastry. Lightly brush this border with beaten egg.

Pastry is folded over to form basic pasty shape

Fold over the empty half of pastry, ensuring it fits smoothly over the filling.

Pastry is carefully crimped around open edge of pasty

Crimp the edges of the pasty and leave it to sit and rest for a few minutes while your oven gets up to the required temperature.

Chicken fajitas pasty is ready for the oven

Lightly oil a baking tray and use a large spatula to lift the pastry on to it. Glaze the pastry all over with beaten egg and cut a steam vent in the centre with a sharp knife.

Chicken fajitas pasty removed from the oven

Cook the pasty in the oven for half an hour, by which time the pastry should be beautifully risen, golden and crispy.

Chicken fajitas pasty is rested on a wire rack

Lift the pasty on to a wire rack and let it rest for ten minutes. You can use some of this time to give the chips their final fry.

Chicken fajitas pasty is halved to serve

Lift the pasty to a chopping board and cut it in half. Serve half the pasty per person with some chips.

Tucking in to chicken fajitas pasty and homemade chips

Valentines Day Recipe: Sizzling, Smoking, Spicy Chicken Fajitas

What are you doing this Valentines Day? Are you heading to your favourite restaurant for a meal? Are you preparing something special at home? If you're cooking at home on Valentines Day, you are not going to want to be spending a great deal of time in the kitchen at the last minute preparing your meal. This chicken fajitas recipe is perfect in that it is prepared with precooked chicken and takes minimal time to throw together, meaning you will have more time to spend with your spouse or special someone. So why not prepare roast chicken for dinner on Monday, ensure you have some leftovers and let this delicious dish put some heat and spice in to your Valentines celebrations?

Ingredients for Two People

2 small chicken leg and thigh portions (or equivalent amount of chicken meat)
1 red bell pepper
1 medium white onion
1 medium strength green chilli
Generous pinch of dried red chilli flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper
Freshly chopped coriander/cilantro to garnish
Vegetable oil for stir frying

To Serve:

6 tortilla wraps
2 small ramekins of homemade guacamole (prepared earlier or even the night before)
2 small ramekins of soured cream
2 small ramekins grated Cheddar cheese

Method

Put the serving dishes for the hot stir fry and two plates to serve the tortilla wraps in to a low oven to heat.

Remove the seeds from the red bell pepper and slice. Peel the onion, quarter it and separate the leaves. Discard the skin from the chicken and pull the meat from the bones in fairly large pieces. Half the green chilli, scrape out the seeds and membrane and moderately finely chop.

Bring your wok to a high heat and add about a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil. Add the peppers and onion and stir fry for about a minute before putting in the chicken and chilli flakes. Stir fry for a further minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Carefully spoon the stir fry in to the serving dishes and plate with the ramekins of guacamole, soured cream and cheese. Heat the tortilla wraps one at a time in a hot dry frying pan for about fifteen seconds (or follow the instructions on the pack) before transferring to the heated plates.

Below you will find a suggested way of assembling the wraps.

Add some guacamole along the diameter of a wrap, about two-thirds of its length. Top with soured cream.

Spoon on some of the chicken stir fry and finally add some cheese.

Fold the empty flap of the wrap over and one side over that before rolling and tucking in.

Whatever you are doing or eating on Valentines Day and whomever you are spending it with, I hope you have a wonderful time and to see you back here very soon.