Knowing where to start can sometimes be the hardest part of feeding your family well. Every week we are bombarded with conflicting information and new findings of scientific food studies.

To add to the confusion you just have to look at the health and fitness frenzy over on Instagram.

My own Instagram feed is filled with food fads and fashions that are just plain unrealistic. This can be so off-putting to the everyday cook! 

As a home cook and an advocate of getting kids into the kitchen, I believe the key to better family health and well-being is as simple as a good old-fashioned, home-cooked meal. Real food with simple ingredients that the whole family can sit around the table to enjoy – put away the screens and get sociable with each other

Cooking with kids can be so much more than just making cupcakes and licking the bowl. Getting them involved in the food prep of everyday meals from a young age not only teaches them about ingredients and where our food comes from, it also gives them life skills that they will have forever.

Entrusting our kids with little cooking tasks gives them freedom of self-expression, a sense of responsibility and self-worth. 

As part of our Family Cooking Club, We run kids cooking classes every Tuesday at 5 pm via Zoom.

Tray Bake Chicken Fajita” is one of our most popular kids in the kitchen classes.

In our experience, children will try more new foods when they have had a hand in making them.

Our mini chefs feel such a sense of empowerment and pride when they cook for their family, it makes the recipe taste that little bit tastier.

Chicken fajita Tray Bake

Ingredients

• 3 sliced free-range chicken breast
• 3 mixed peppers
• A good glug of rapeseed oil
• 1 red onion
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• A pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoon’s crème fraiche / sour cream
• Hand full of snipped fresh chives

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c fan

Mix the fajita spices together in a small bowl with your rapeseed oil

With clean sharp scissors Cut the chicken breasts into 2cm wide strips

Peel your onion and get an Adult to help cut it into wedges

Prepare your peppers by pushing the stalk into the pepper and pulling it out, removing the seeds and chopping with clean scissors.

Add to a large roasting tray –don’t overcrowd the tray.

Spoon over the tomato puree and add a little pinch of sugar

Add the spice mixed with oil and some salt and pepper.

Mix everything together well with your hands (the messy bit!)

Roast at the top of the oven for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the peppers and onions are soft.

Wrap the tortillas in foil or greaseproof paper and put them in the oven under the traybake for the last 5 minutes to warm through.

Serve everything together with the sour cream, chives and grated cheddar, in the middle of the table for everyone to tuck in.