Chicken Fajita Lettuce Cups with Homemade Fajita Seasoning

I know everything this week is meant to be about the Superbowl, but I can’t get on board that train, because it’s just not a big thing in Australia or the UK. Firstly, football (American football to us) doesn’t exist in either country. In the UK, football is soccer, and in Australia, depending on which Australian state you live in, or which you prefer, football is Aussie Rules, rugby league or rugby union. Secondly, the time difference makes it impossible to really get into the whole thing. It starts at 10:30am Monday morning Sydney time, when most of us are at work, and at 11:30pm Sunday night London time, when most of us are going to bed. Thirdly, most of us just don’t understand the rules and why four 15 minute quarters can actually take 3 hours or more to play. I’m so confused by that…!

Anyway! That’s the reason for no Superbowl-party-inspired recipes on the blog today. Instead you get Chicken Fajita Lettuce Cups with Homemade Fajita Seasoning. Though I guess this could be adapted into a bigger yield and smaller portions to be a party food recipe, but that is pure coincidence. This seasoning is mild, but you can adapt the heat to suit your tastes. It’s a tasty dinner with less carbs than your usual fajitas and the lettuce cups remind me of one of my favourite Asian dishes – San Choy Bow – all Tex-Mex’d up.

I’m also going to go completely off topic here and share a couple of photos I took while doing Sydney’s amazing coastal walk yesterday (click image for bigger view). They’re just too pretty not to share with you! If this doesn’t make you want to come to Australia (especially when it’s so cold in half the world right now), then I don’t know what will! The walk goes from the famous Bondi Beach to my favourite beach, Coogee Beach. It’s 6km (3.7 miles) and passes 5 amazingly beautiful, sandy beaches. It made me fall in love with my country all over again yesterday.

Chicken Fajita Lettuce Cups with Homemade Fajita Seasoning

Serves 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

FAJITA SEASONING:

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp caster sugar

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp garlic flakes

½ tsp Cajun seasoning

CHICKEN LETTUCE CUPS:

1 tbsp olive oil

300g chicken breast

Salt and pepper, to season

½ red capsicum (pepper), diced

¼ cup canned corn (or frozen, thawed)

2 tsp lemon or lime juice

4 iceberg lettuce leaves

Grated cheddar cheese, to serve

Chilli sauce, optional

Method:

1. Combine fajita ingredients in a small container or bowl and stir well or cover and shake to combine. Set aside. Rinse lettuce leaves and gently press dry on a tea towel or paper towel. Set aside.
2. In a medium frying pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then add to frying pan. Cook for approx. 5-7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove chicken from frying pan and allow chicken to cool on a chopping board for 5 minutes, then dice.
3. Meanwhile, add diced capsicum (pepper) and corn to the frying pan. Cook, stirring, for about two minutes, until softened, and add diced chicken, lemon or lime juice and fajita seasoning. Cook, stirring, for another two minutes, until seasoning has coated chicken and vegies.
4. Spoon into lettuce leaves and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese and a few drops of chilli sauce over the top.

Recipe adapted from Simply Scratch and Bev Cooks.

Tags: chicken, fajita, fajita seasoning, from scratch, homemade, lettuce cups, Recipe