Today's letter: F

F is for Fajitas 

Fajitas are a fun, do-it-yourself food that can be fun for the kids or fancy for the adults!


There are so many different types of fajitas:

• chicken, steak, beef, vegetable, tofu, shrimp, guacamole
• they can be served hot, cold, grilled, pre-made or do-it-yourself

Here are my favorite top 3 unique fajita recipes that are fun for any occasion!

1. Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas (andreasrecipes.com)

Ingredients

6 boneless chicken breasts

MARINADE
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (not the bottled stuff)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup gold tequila
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 or 4 grinds fresh black pepper

ACCOMPANIMENTS
refried beans
Mexican rice
sauteed or grilled onions and peppers
whole wheat flour tortillas
tomatoes or salsa
sour creamguacamole

Preparation

1. In the medium bowl, stir together the lime juice, orange juice, tequila, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper.

2. Put the chicken breasts into the freezer bags, 3 per bag, and pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn the bags over a couple times, then put them in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

3. Preheat the grill to medium heat, and brush the grill rack with oil. Grill the chicken 10 minutes on the first side, then turn and cook another 8 minutes.

4. Slice the chicken diagonally across the grain and serve with the fajita accompaniments.

2. Chipotle Shrimp Fajitas (www.bitchincamero.com)

1. 30 de-veined shrimp (sans tails)
   1/2 a thinly sliced red pepper
   1/2 a thinly sliced green pepper
   1/2 a thinly sliced yellow pepper
   1/2 a thinly sliced red onion
   1/2 can black beans
   1/2 small can of chipotle sauce (or 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce)
   1 tsp. cumin
   1 tsp. chili powder
   4 smallish whole wheat tortillas
   1/3 cup sour cream for garnish
   1/3 cup shredded light cheddar cheese
   1. Sautee the shrimp with the chipotle sauce til they get turn opaque (3-5 minutes), then put them in a bowl
   2. Sautee all the veggies with the spices
   3. Add the beans
   4. Add the shrimp back in with everything else
   5. Put the shrimp and veggies and beans in a bowl
   6. Warm the tortillas
   7. Build ‘em as you like ‘em
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   3. Gold Medal Sizzling Fajitas (foodnetwork.com - Paula Deen)
   • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
   • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
   • 1 garlic clove, minced
   • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
   • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
   • 1 teaspoon onion powder
   • Dash hot sauce
   • Salt
   • Freshly ground black pepper
   • 1 1/2 pounds meat (boneless, skinless chicken breast, skirt steak or peeled and deveined shrimp)
   • 1 medium onion, halved and sliced lengthwise
   • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
   • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
   • 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
   • 1 lime, juiced, for topping
   • Sour cream, for topping
   • Salsa, for topping
   • Guacamole, for topping
   • Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping

   Directions

   In a heavy duty resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, salt, pepper and your choice of meat. Seal and toss the bag around to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator. *Cook's Note: 15 minutes for shrimp, 20 minutes for chicken and 1 hour for skirt steak.

   Preheat your cast iron servers in a preheated 400 degree F oven for at least 20 minutes, to get a good sizzle when you plate the fajitas.

   Heat the outside grill or a large indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and place it on the hot grill, discard the marinade. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, skirt steak about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare and about 2 minutes for shrimp. Slice the chicken and steak into strips if you are using.

   In a large skillet heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and fry the onions and bell peppers until crisp-tender with some salt and pepper.

   Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven with the servers for 15 minutes.

   When you are ready to serve, remove the cast iron servers from the oven and quickly arrange the meat and peppers and onions on it. It will immediately start to sizzle from their fat and moisture. Serve sizzling immediately with the warm tortillas and other accompaniments.

   
   

   ENJOY! xo, Sierra