Black Pepper Chicken

Homemade chicken fajitas with homemade guacamole and salsa is one of my most favourite suppers! Lots of different textures, flavours and colour - super easy and quick to make too! Most people flavour their chicken with paprika and cumin, but when I make fajitas, I always make my black pepper chicken. Hot and spicy, it complements the cooling sour cream, salsa and creamy guacamole perfectly. Of course, you can enjoy this chicken dish with brown rice or a big bowl of salad - whatever you fancy really!

Chicken is a great source of protein, and provides B vitamins such as niacin - this helps your body access the energy in foods. B vitamins also help to keep your food healthy and reduce tiredness and fatigue. When cooking chicken, I tend to opt for organic, free-range, wherever possible.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500g skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
8cm (3 inch) piece of ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tsp. ground black pepper (freshly ground if possible)
1/2 tsp. salt
Rapeseed oil
Knob of butter
2 bay leaves
2 green cardamom pods
3 cm (1.25 inch) cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
5 garlic cloves, crushed
Rapeseed oil
1 large onion, sliced
Large handful of chopped fresh coriander

Method:

Grab a large bowl. Add half the grated ginger, lemon juice, turmeric, 1 tsp of the black pepper and the salt - give this all a good mix to make a thin paste.
Then add your chicken strips, bit by bit, to the large bowl and rub the paste all over the surface of the chicken. Cover with cling film, and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or more.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, grab a large non-stick pan. Add a glug of rapeseed oil and the butter and heat over a medium heat. When hot, add the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds and remaining black pepper and fry for 30 seconds. (If you want the chicken slightly milder, only add 1 tsp of the ground black pepper).
Add the sliced onion, crushed garlic and remaining ginger and saute on a medium heat until the onion has softened and is translucent.
Stir in the marinated chicken including all the juices. Mix well to combine all the ingredients, Cover and cook for 20mins over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink.
Just before serving, mix through half the chopped coriander. Plate up and finish with the remaining coriander sprinkled on top with chopped fresh red chilli.