Fajitas-A Free Meal (Well, Almost)

 

 



 



I love when I can make a free meal.  What does that mean?  It's when I can make a meal, and all the ingredients are free or almost free! So now you are asking, "Where the heck does she get free food?"  Leftovers!  Last week I made a huge London Broil on the grill.  I knew it was too much for us, but that was ok.  I froze the half we didn't eat.  Yesterday I defrosted the meat for last night's dinner.  The peppers were from my garden, so they were free. I did buy the onions and the tortillas.  The seasoning mix was made from spices I had on hand.  If you remember way back when, I talked about the importance of having a well stocked pantry.  The other two ingredients, olive oil and garlic, I always have on hand.  So here is a recipe for a quick meal.  If you want to be really organized, double the recipe and freeze half, and then you will have dinner for one of those nights when you think you're too busy to cook. You can substitute cooked chicken for the beef.  If you don't have leftover meat, just cook the beef or chicken on the grill while you cut up all your vegetables, which is undoubtedly the most time consuming part of this meal.  OK, here goes.

Fajitas

1 pound cooked beef (or chicken)
1 large green pepper
1 large red pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 medium onion
2 - 3 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Seasoning mix

1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you like it really spicy)

1 package flour tortillas
sour cream
guacamole (optional)

Slice the beef on the crosswise grain as thinly as you possibly can. If using chicken, shred or slice thinly. A very sharp chef's knife does a great job.  Slice onions and peppers into long thin slices. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic which you have finely chopped, or run through a garlic press. When the garlic begins to soften, add the peppers and onions.  Cook for about eight minutes, stirring often. While the vegetables are cooking, combine the ingredients for the seasoning mix in a small bowl, stir to combine and set aside. When the vegetables have softened, add the seasoning mix and 1 cup of water.  Stir to mix the seasoning mix into the vegetables.  If the sauce seems too thick, you can add more water.  Add the meat, and cook till it is heated through.  Use a skillet or griddle to heat the tortillas till they are softened.  I usually put them in a covered pan in a 350 degree oven until they are all heated.  To serve, spread, sour cream and guacamole on the tortilla, top with meat and vegetable mixture wrap and enjoy.  This is a huge favorite in my family.  If you don't have a variety of peppers, you can certainly use all green, red, or what ever you have.  As I said before, this is a very easy recipe to double and freeze half.  Think of the money you will save, by serving the fajitas from your freezer instead of getting take out on those busy nights!!

Try it out, let me know how you did, and as always, please feel free to leave feedback, questions or comments.  Also, please share this blog with your friends.  The more the merrier!

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a Nonnie