Fajitas

Another Budget Bytes winner.  I serve these in medium sized flour tortillas, with sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and cubed avocado, tossed in lime juice and salt.  Amazingly, just two tortillas will feed an adult for dinner.  This recipe tends to make about 10 tortillas worth of filling.

Fajitas in the Oven
serves 5

Preheat oven to 400.
 
Combine seasoning mix in a small bowl:
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or just use 1.5 tsp sweet paprika)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp corn starch

Slice and combine in a large 9x13 glass casserole dish:
1 onion, diced
3 bell peppers (pref. a mix of green, red, and yellow)
1 can tomatoes, drained
1 lb. uncooked chicken, cubed
2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Stir to coat with oil, then sprinkle seasoning mix over casserole dish and mix to coat.

Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half way through.

Finish with 2 tbsp. of lime juice. and 2 tbsp. garlic olive oil.


Shopping list
1 lb. chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion
3 bell peppers
10-pack of medium tortillas
toppings (if desired): salsa, avocado, sour cream/plain Greek yogurt

Check the pantry
corn starch
spices
vegetable oil

Chicken & Lime Soup

This is a wonderful recipe taken straight from Budget Bytes.  It looks like a typical tomato-based soup, but its flavor profile is completely different.

Chicken & Lime Soup
serves 6

Dice, then saute for 5 minutes:
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium jalapeno (seeds removed)
3 stalks celery
2 tbsp. olive oil

0.5 tsp salt

Add and bloom for about 1 minute:

1 tsp. dried oregano
0.5 tsp. ground cumin

Add and stir in, then saute 1 minute more:
14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
8-oz. can diced mild green chilies, drained

Add and simmer, covered, for 1 hour:

6 cups chicken stock

2 raw chicken breasts, whole
1 tsp. salt (if using low sodium products)

While the soup is cooking, separately cook 1 cup dry pasta (if desired).

After soup has simmered for 1 hour, remove the whole chicken breasts and shred them.

Add to the pot to finish the dish:
shredded chicken breasts

1 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. lime juice (or juice of 1 lime)
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

salt to taste

two cups cooked pasta (if desired)

Guacamole

This recipe is unabashedly stolen from Alton Brown, rather than a true Latin cuisine authority.  I made it for a party because it was the first thing to come up when I searched for a guacamole recipe, and it got rave reviews; the cumin is especially nice.  I've modified it slightly to suit my preferences.


Guacamole
6 cups, serves up to 10 guests

Toss in bowl:
3 Haas avocadoes, sliced and scooped
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Use a potato masher to macerate the avocadoes with the seasoning, but leave it relatively chunky.

Add:
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Corn & Black Bean Salad

This is a simple, refreshing side dish.  It's great for summer pot-lucks and barbeques.  This version calls for frozen corn, but of course you can also boil fresh corn for a few minutes, then slice it off the cob.

Corn & Black Bean Salad

serves 8

Combine in an acid-proof dish:

1 lb. frozen corn, microwaved for about 5 minutes to thaw

1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 diced cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 diced red bell pepper

1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced

Whisk together and use to marinate vegetables for at least 1 hour:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 tsp. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinian condiment for beef.  This version comes from Epicurious, whose comment section indicates that this isn't a super authentic version and contains too much vinegar for the average person.  For me, it's perfect.  We consume this in vast quantities on top of ribeye steaks.

Chimichurri
makes 1 cup

Puree in a food processor until smooth:
1 c. (packed) fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
1/4 c. (packed) fresh cilantro
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt

Shrimp & Lime Pasta

The first time I made this recipe, I misread "teaspoon" for "tablespoon" and accidentally tripled the amount of lime juice it called for.  Honestly, I think it came out better that way - and so the change has stayed.

Shrimp & Lime Pasta 

serves 4

Saute in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft:

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Add and saute until shrimp is cooked:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and heat through:

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 jar chunky salsa

Toss with 3/4 lb. cooked long pasta.

This is very much a "semi-homemade" recipe: store-bought salsa provides the bulk of the sauce, with fresh vegetables added for flavor and crispness.  Everyone say hi to Aunt Sandy!

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice

One of the few recipes I have that calls for chicken thighs, rather than breasts. 

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice 

serves 4-6

Season 1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes until one side is nicely browned.  Set aside.

Saute in the now-empty skillet for 5 min:

1 white onion, chopped fine

2 poblano peppers (or other mild green peppers), seeded and chopped

Add and bring to a boil:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

14 oz. can green enchilada sauce

1 c. long-grain white rice, raw

Nestle chicken into rice, browned side up.  Cover and cook on low heat for 20 min., stirring every 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve at least two thighs per person.

Green enchilada sauce is typically sold in a can, not a jar.  This threw me off the first time I went hunting for it, and I ended up bringing home some sort of salsa verde instead.  (I think it still lurks in the back of my pantry, waiting for a use.)

Pork Chops with Peach Chutney

Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.  As a proper Southern girl, I love my peaches.  And don't talk to me about Georgia: nothing but Chilton County's finest will do.  Obviously, this puts me in a bit of a pickle now that I live in California.  All we have available are white peaches, which even when ripe are more like softballs than a fruit.  For that reason, I've embraced the nectarine as a base for this recipe.  It takes a lot longer to cook down than a ripe yellow peach - on the order of 8 minutes versus 2 or 3 - so be prepared if you make the substitution.

Pork Chops with Peach Chutney
serves 4

Season 4 pork chops with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium high for 4-5 minutes per side.  While chops are cooking, make chutney.

Cook over medium until soft:
1 red onion, chopped fine
4 large yellow peaches or nectarines, chopped

Add and cook 4 minutes, until syrupy:
2 jalapenos, seeds removed and chopped very fine
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
salt and pepper to taste

Serve chops with chutney.

Shopping list:
4 pork chops
4 large nectarines
2 jalapenos
2 inches fresh ginger

Check pantry:
brown sugar
apple cider vinegar
cardamom

Lime-marinated Pork with Salsa

Salsa and soy sauce? I know, I know, it sounds crazy. But trust me on this one.  The marinade is simple, but the resulting flavors are big.

Most tenderloin recipes will call for you to remove the silverskin.  However, it's quite difficult - and I've found it isn't really necessary.  Once the pork is cooked, it's indistinguishable from the rest of the tasty pig.

Lime-marinated Pork with Salsa

serves 4

Marinate 1-2 days:

1 or 2 pork tenderloins

1/3 c. lime juice

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. thyme

Broil tenderloins for about 20 minutes, flipping them over with tongs half way through.

Serve topped with the tomato-based salsa of your choice.  (Salsa fresca is delicious, but so is the jarred stuff.)  Cous cous makes a great starch accompaniment.

Recommended products: 

• Kikoman's less sodium soy sauce
• Tostitos chunky salsa, medium spicy

When I talk about pork tenderloins, I'm referring to the small, forearm sized packages found in the meat section of the grocery.  These typically include two tenderloins per package and look something like this:

You're not after a WHOLE pork loin - these are considerably larger (around the size of your calf).  And under no circumstances should you purchase any of Hormel's per-marinated pork tenderloins.  These taste terrible, have a mealy texture, and are probably loaded with sodium and preservatives.