Fajitas - a little bit of this and a little bit of that

Everyone has a fajita recipe. This delicious Tex-Mex dish can be found in cookbooks everywhere, so I'm going to encourage you to find your own Kitchen Crush and follow their recipe.

Here is what I made last night, but I am not 100% sure on the quantities, so I am also going to encourage you to follow the scents and tastes to guide you.

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds of chicken thawed and cut into strips
1 tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/2 banana pepper diced (you can use green pepper for a milder taste)
1 tsp BBQ 3000 spice from Penzey's
1 tsp Taco Seasoning from Wildtree
1 tsp Garlic Galore from Wildtree (you could use two garlic cloves, crushed)
1-2 tsp hot sauce
1 medium onion cut into slices
1/2 cup water
1/2 lemon or whole lime
1-2 tbsp tequila (optional)
flour tortillas-any size you like
your favorite toppings - we used salsa, cheese and sour cream (I didn't have any guacamole on hand)

Makes about 4 servings

Heat the oil in a skillet on Medium-High and spread the oil around by rolling the skillet in the air (make figure eights with your hand). Put the chicken in the pan and make sure that the bottom cooks. I try to not have to flip meat more than once on each side, but sometimes that doesn't work. I look to make sure that the edges of the chicken turn white so you know it is pretty done. Flip the chicken. In a bowl or cup, mix the water, seasonings and hot sauce (and optional tequila). When the chicken has cooked on both sides, add in the spicy mixture and let simmer on a lower heat. Add onions and peppers. Squeeze the half lemon over everything. Limes would work, too.

HINT - in order to avoid putting lemon seeds in the pan and accidentally eating them later, squeeze the juice in a cup first and take out the seeds. Or you can squeeze it over a strainer, but I couldn't find mine until after I had cleaned up dinner and was putting away the dishes.

While the chicken is simmering (about 5-7 minutes), you have time to set the table and put out all the extras like shredded cheese, sour cream or salsa. We also made red beans and rice as a side dish.

Now if you're my husband and your mouth is made of asbestos here is his serving suggestion:
Put lots of chicken on the tortilla and cover in cheese and hot salsa - sour cream is for wimps. Either eat the rice on the side or put some right on top of the cheese. If you are sweating while you eat, it's just right. This is when I tease him and call him "hot stuff".

My serving suggestion:
Put chicken (equal in size/portion to a deck of cards) in the tortilla. Add cheese and a bit of sour cream to fight the heat. Eat the rice on the side.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you have a favorite fajita recipe, please let me know. I'd be glad to try it out. I'm always open to suggestions.

Coming soon: pork roast, beer brats, shrimp pasta and my husband's sloppy sandwiches. We'll see which ones make the blog!