Leftover roast chicken: mexican chicken and cheese tortillas

Last weekend I did a roast chicken (courtesy of Delia’s fast roast chicken – a seriously good recipe there!).  It was exceedingly good (like Mr. Kipling, but less cake involved) and the chicken was a good quality one (which is a little surprising as it came from Aldi!).  It was free range, and they always tend to be on the small side.  This one wasn’t big, but there was lots of meat on it.  More than I expected.  If you’re on a budget, a whole chicken is one of the best things you can buy in terms of value for money.  We got 5 meals out that one (roasted, paella, fried rice, tortillas, and soup).

So I was looking for something to use the chicken up in that was different from the usual curry or rice dish (risotto, fried rice, paella are all good for leftover chicken), or pasta) and so I looked on the BBC good food and came across this http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9787/salsa-chicken-and-cheese-tortillas

It seemed very simple and quick to make (and I was starving!).  I’ve actually made this twice now, and altered it slightly the second time – I added onions and peppers and some fajita spice.  Plus, I didn’t have any kidney beans that time so I used baked beans and just rinsed off the tomato sauce – I didn’t do this thoroughly, just got rid of most of it by tipping them in a seive and rinsing under the tap for a bit.  When I did the onions and peppers, I fried them in some oil on a medium heat and added several shakes of fajita spice mix.  You could just add some cayenne or chilli pepper and paprika if you don’t have the pre-prepared mix, and some ground cumin and coriander if you’re feeling adventurous! 

Hubby very much approves of this recipe and as it’s so quick and easy, the next time I do a roast chicken, I’ll definitely be making this.  And the great thing about this recipe is, you could just as easily use left over roast pork, beef or turkey instead. 

The only thing I found about this recipe is, the amounts in it, are no way near enough for 4 people, if it’s a full meal.  I did one per person for dinner.  There’s about 600 calories in the serving size I did, which isn’t unreasonable for dinner.

Mexican chicken and cheese tortillas

Serves 2

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 pepper, finely sliced
• 1 tsp fajita spice mix
• 4 flour tortillas
• 4 tbsp salsa from a jar
• 100g roast chicken, shredded
• 1 tin kidney beans
• 50g cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1. Heat the oil in the pan and add the onion and peppers over a medium heat.  cook for a few minutes until softened, then add the chicken in and stir well to heat through.  Remove from the pan and set aside. 
2. Get 1 tortilla and spread a couple of tablespoons of ready-made salsa all over it.  Top with chicken & vege mix, beans, coriander and cheese.  Sandwich another tortilla on top of it all. 
3. Using the same pan as before, heat on a medium heat.  Carefully transfer the tortilla sandwich to the pan.  Cook until browned on one side.  Then get a large plate and put it face down on top of the tortilla.  Holding the plate tight, tip the tortilla sandwich upside down onto the plate.  And return to the pan to cook the other side.
4. When it’s cooked, carefully slide out of the pan onto a plate and cut into quarters.
5. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
6. Serve immediately and tuck in

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