When I arrived at the kitchen I helped prepare each participants ingredients tray which is put on their bench ready for when they arrive.
There were 10 people taking part that evening, all of whom differed in age and ability, the youngest being 17 years old. They pay £5 each week to cover the cost of the ingredients and each week they cook a different recipe. They were making chicken fajitas with fresh tomato salsa and home-made guacamole that night. The week before they'd made a pea and mint soup.
The class was taken by Katie who has a degree in nutrition. She demonstrates each step of the method from the front of the class and then the class go off and do it before coming back to watch her demonstrate the next step. Katie makes the classes fun and interesting by educating the class about the ingredients they're using, for example that avocados contain 'healthy' fat. We had an amusing conversation about coriander tasting like soap to some people and Katie explained that by using a more mature cheddar you can use less without losing flavour therefore, saving on the calories. As can you use wholemeal tortillas instead.
First the class were shown how to cut their chicken into suitable sized strips, then they washed their hands and changed their chopping boards. Next they were shown how to cut the peppers and onion and then marinate it with the chicken in paprika and cumin. Then they were shown how to make their fresh tomato salsa. Finally they were shown how to cook their fajita mix.
Katie showed the class how to make guacamole, this was the only thing they didn't then go off and do themselves. However, they got to try it in the fajita she made for everybody to have a little taste of. Everyone seemed to like it. They then went back to their benches to assemble their own fajitas.
The class was an hour and a half long and each person's ingredients made enough for them to take at least two, if not three, fajitas home. They also take a printed copy of the recipe home with them.
I had a wander round the kitchen whilst the class were busy cooking and asked them all why they had decided to participate in the classes. Most people had similar reasons; they loved food, they wanted to learn to cook healthier dishes, they wanted to learn the basics, they wanted to learn to cook new dishes rather than the same old thing, they wanted to broaden their range of skills, they enjoyed the social element of the class and the fact that they were learning as part of a group and they enjoyed it because it was hands on and easier than watching cookery demonstrations on the television.
A couple of reasons that stood out for me were two of the younger members of the group, one girl and one boy both in their 20's, who said they were taking part in order to be able to cook for their partners. I also had quite a long chat with a mother who is taking part in the class with two of her children. She saw the classes as something they could do together as a family and said she wished she'd found them before her eldest son went off to university as it would have been helpful for him to have learnt to cook before he left home.
Whatever their reasons it was lovely to see so many people passionate about learning to cook proper food. If you're interested in taking part in the classes then you can find out more about them here - http://www.foodnation.org/cooking-skills.
I went home and tried the recipe myself and I have to say it was so much nicer to make fajitas from scratch rather than using an Old El Paso kit. Also, home-made salsa and guacamole is so much nicer than shop brought. It's a really fresh and flavoursome recipe that's simple, quick, cheap, healthy and tasty. All the things you could want out of a dinner.
This recipe serves 2.
Ingredients:
1 x red pepper (I used half a red pepper and half a yellow pepper to add extra colour)
1 x medium red onion
1 x skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 x tsp smoked paprika
1 x small pinch of ground cumin
2 x limes
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 x small or 2 large flour tortillas
1 x 150ml tub of low-fat natural yoghurt
50g grated cheddar cheese
For the salsa:
1 x fresh red chilli
15 x ripe cherry tomatoes
A small bunch or coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x lime
Olive oil
For the guacamole:
1 x ripe avocado
A small handful of cherry tomatoes (mixed-colours if possible)
1 x fresh red chilli
A few springs of fresh coriander
1 x lime
Method:
1. Slice your chicken lengthways into long, thin strips.
2. Halve and deseed your pepper and cut into strips roughly the same size as the chicken.
3. Peel, halve and finely slice your onion.
4. Put the chicken, peppers and onion into a bowl with the paprika and cumin.
5. Squeeze over the juice of half a lime, drizzle over a little olive oil and season with a good pinch of pepper before mixing well. Put to one side to marinate while you make your salsa.
6. To make the salsa, finely chop your chilli and roughly chop your tomatoes and coriander (including the stalks). Put the chilli and tomatoes into a bowl with the salt and pepper and the juice of one lime and then stir in the coriander.
7. To make the guacamole, squeeze a handful of cherry tomatoes on to a board. Finely chop up the flesh with the red chilli and a handful of coriander. Halve and stone the avocado, then squeeze it over a board so that the flesh comes out of the skin. Squeeze over the lime juice and chop everything together until fine.
8. Put a griddle pan on a high heat and wait until hot before adding the chicken, pepper and onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Keep the ingredients moving about so that they don't burn.
9. Warm your tortillas up in the microwave.
10. Build your fajitas - spoon the chicken, pepper and onion into the middle of your tortilla, top with salsa, guacamole, yoghurt and grated cheddar and wrap and enjoy! Be careful not to overfill your wrap else it could get messy!
This recipe serves 2.
Ingredients:
1 x red pepper (I used half a red pepper and half a yellow pepper to add extra colour)
1 x medium red onion
1 x skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 x tsp smoked paprika
1 x small pinch of ground cumin
2 x limes
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 x small or 2 large flour tortillas
1 x 150ml tub of low-fat natural yoghurt
50g grated cheddar cheese
For the salsa:
1 x fresh red chilli
15 x ripe cherry tomatoes
A small bunch or coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x lime
Olive oil
For the guacamole:
1 x ripe avocado
A small handful of cherry tomatoes (mixed-colours if possible)
1 x fresh red chilli
A few springs of fresh coriander
1 x lime
Method:
1. Slice your chicken lengthways into long, thin strips.
2. Halve and deseed your pepper and cut into strips roughly the same size as the chicken.
3. Peel, halve and finely slice your onion.
4. Put the chicken, peppers and onion into a bowl with the paprika and cumin.
5. Squeeze over the juice of half a lime, drizzle over a little olive oil and season with a good pinch of pepper before mixing well. Put to one side to marinate while you make your salsa.
6. To make the salsa, finely chop your chilli and roughly chop your tomatoes and coriander (including the stalks). Put the chilli and tomatoes into a bowl with the salt and pepper and the juice of one lime and then stir in the coriander.
7. To make the guacamole, squeeze a handful of cherry tomatoes on to a board. Finely chop up the flesh with the red chilli and a handful of coriander. Halve and stone the avocado, then squeeze it over a board so that the flesh comes out of the skin. Squeeze over the lime juice and chop everything together until fine.
8. Put a griddle pan on a high heat and wait until hot before adding the chicken, pepper and onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Keep the ingredients moving about so that they don't burn.
9. Warm your tortillas up in the microwave.
10. Build your fajitas - spoon the chicken, pepper and onion into the middle of your tortilla, top with salsa, guacamole, yoghurt and grated cheddar and wrap and enjoy! Be careful not to overfill your wrap else it could get messy!
