I love ordering chicken fajitas and being presented with a sizzling plate while everyone in the restaurant looks on in envy. Ever since our neighborhood Mexican place feel prey to a luxury condo building we have been sorely in need of some at-home fajitas. I’ve been making this recipe, adapted from Weight Watchers, for over a decade. They lack the presentation drama of restaurant fajitas, but they are just as good, and I bet this is a meal that kids would love.
Chicken Fajitas
2 TB. fresh lime juice
1 TB. soy sauce
1/2 ts. chili powder
1/4 ts. ground cumin
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 TB. vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
tortillas
In a quart-sized sealable plastic bag, combine lime juice, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin and pepper flakes; add the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat the chicken. Refrigerate, turning bag occasionally, at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain the chicken and set aside; discard the marinade.
In a large skillet, heat 1 TB. of vegetable oil. Saute the peppers and onions until softened, about 8-10 minutes, adding a bit of water if the mixture gets too dry. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Saute the chicken until cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Add the pepper and onion mixture to the skillet to re-heat.
Soften tortillas according to the package directions. Serve fajitas with whatever condiments you desire – I like guacamole and sour cream (you can use plain, greek yogurt to keep it healthy).
Black Bean and Corn Salad
This is very much a mix and taste kind of salad. I never measure the salsa or oil and vinegar – I just add a little at a time and taste it until I am happy with the end result.
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can or bag of corn, rinsed and drained (defrosted if frozen)
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
salsa
olive oil
red wine vinegar
Toss the first four ingredients in a bowl. Add salsa (maybe 1/4 cup?), oil and vinegar (1 TB each?) and mix. Taste and adjust to your liking.
