Mexican green chicken

Difficulty:  Easy

Serves:  4 at home or 24 tastes in the classroom

Fresh from the garden:  onion, garlic, green chillies, red chillies, tomatoes, coriander,  thyme

At school, one class cooks this recipe for the next class to share and enjoy because the chicken takes 1 hour to cook.  This chicken is delicious served with Mexican Green Sauce.

• metric measuring spoons and cups
• chopping boards & non-slip mats
• 1 medium knife
• plastic gloves
• medium saucepan with lid
• wooden spoon
• serving bowls
• serving spoons

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½  green chilli
• ½  red chilli
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp white peppercorns
• ½ cinnamon stick
• 1 whole star anise
• 2 whole cloves
• 750 g skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 250 mL chicken stock
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• ½  tsp sea salt
• a few sprigs of thyme
• 1 400 g tin of kidney beans
• ½ cup roughly chopped coriander
• ½ cup roughly chopped parsley

• Set out your ingredients.

Prepare the vegetables and chicken

• Peel and finely chop the garlic.
• Peel and finely chop the onion.
• Wearing plastic gloves, deseed and finely chop the chillies.
• Chop the tomatoes.
• Roughly chop the coriander and parsley leaves.
• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Cook the vegetables and chicken

• Heat the olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5–6 minutes, or until softened.
• Add both the chillies, the oregano and all the spices except the paprika. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to release the flavours.
• Add the chicken and paprika, turn to coat in the flavours, and cook for a few minutes on each side.
• Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, salt and thyme.
• Rinse the beans and add them to the saucepan.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover with lid cook and for up to 1 hour.
• Stir through the coriander and parsley and taste for seasoning before serving with Mexican Green Sauce.