Quick Simple Fajitas

I grew up in Southern California where there is a great Mexican restaurant on every corner. Now that we live in the Midwest I've traded great Mexican for great steak, and that is just fine. :) We have however spent countless hours studying the spices and techniques of Mexican cooking and come up with a few wonderful meals. Chicken Fajitas is a dish we make often, mainly because they are healthy, quick and easy clean up. There is also a good deal of chopping which my husband loves. (Get a good set of knives and keep them sharp... you'll start looking for recipes that let you use them more too :) )


Ingredients: 
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
2-3 medium bell peppers (we normally use a red, yellow and green but I had some extra green in the fridge so I just used two green this time)

1 large white onion 
Mexican Spice blend (see below) 
Salt and pepper 


Mexican Spice blend: 
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Lime Powder 
1/2 teaspoon Thyme (I know not very traditional, but we like it) 

Step 1: Place your chicken on a cutting board. We use Norpro Flexible Cutting Boards because they were $8 and they make it so that we can prep our meat on something non-porous that can be washed with hot soapy water. What I like about these particular ones is that they have symbols for meat, fish, and veggies on them so you don't mix them up.

Tip: Defrosting chicken is one of those things everyone assumes you know how to do. When I first started out, I wasn't really sure, so I used common sense... the best way to unfreeze something, is hot water, right? WRONG. Thankfully the smell that ensued after trying this once was so awful that I decided to look up the correct way to do it. There are two ways to properly (and safely) defrost chicken: 1. leave it in the refrigerator over night or 2. place them either in their original packaging or a zip lock backing in a sink filled with cold water and ice. While you can defrost in the microwave, in my experience this method is messy and always causes cooked or dried out spots. If you can plan ahead the refrigerator method is really best. 

Step 2: Trim away any fat. Remember to cut a lip into the fat and pull up on it so that you remove just the fat and very little of the actual chicken.

Tip: When I was first getting started I hated the feeling of raw chicken or meat, so I had a special set of yellow rubber gloves that I wore when dealing with those items and I washed them thoroughly after. I'm much more of a hands on cook now, but it was a great way to get around that inhibition at first. 


Step 3: Dry your chicken with a paper towel thoroughly. This is amazingly important. Go ahead and splurge on that second or third paper towel if you need it, you will be rewarded with a delicious golden brown crust on your chicken.

Step 4: Season your chicken with salt, pepper, and the spice blend. Get a good even coat on both sides.

Note: The following step only applies to cooking in stainless steel so if you are cooking in non-stick go ahead and add your olive oil to your pan and turn your burner to medium heat then skip down to step 6.

Step 5: "The Water Test" Put your stainless steel saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Every 15 seconds add 1/8 a teaspoon of water. 

 At first the water will sizzle and steam

Soon the water will start to shoot out small balls of water

After a while the water will form a ball but the small balls will still be present

When the water forms a single ball with no or very little small balls it is ready for the oil. Be sure to wipe the water ball out with a paper towel before adding the olive oil. 

Note: I don't do the water test every time I pan fry chicken but I know that it takes me approximately 2 minutes to get my pan hot enough. I do often toss an 1/8 teaspoon of water in my pan to double check before adding the oil. There is a video demonstration of the water test in the related video links below. :)

Step 6: When the olive oil runs freely in the pan and shimmers add the chicken presentation side down. You should hear a good sizzle.

Step 7: Once the chicken is cooked about half way through and developed a nice crust flip it and cook through. A good rule of thumb is about 5-7 minutes on each side.

Tip: Pan cooking chicken is something I struggled with at first. I'd always flip too soon and end up with underdone chicken in the middle. Be patient and only flip when you see that the chicken is cooked half way through. Also, chicken that is too cold will have a hard time cooking through, so make sure the chicken has been properly thawed before putting it in the skillet. If you want an extra check insert a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and be sure it reads 165 degrees. 

Step 8: While the chicken is cooking slice the bell peppers and onions. 

Tip: Cut the onion in half and then put it cut side down to slice it into strips. For the bell peppers: this video does a good job of demonstrating. Sorry about the advertisement.


Step 9: Add a bit more olive oil to the pan and toss the bell peppers and onions in. Don't wash or wipe out the pan. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and mix so that all the browned bits of chicken (sucs) become incorporated.

Tip: The first time you make this cook the bell peppers and onions separately and time them. You might need to cook the onions for a few minutes before adding the bell peppers or vice versa. 

Step 10: Once the veggies are slightly soft and browned take them off the heat. 

Step 11: Slice the chicken. The really crusty end bit is for the cook ;) 

Step 12: Warm tortillas and plate up with some of the veggie mixture and chicken. We like making some plain white rice and refried beans to go with this. In fact, we like both of those things on the tortillas.

  

Rouxbe Afflilation

Great news! Pint Sized Foodie has been selected as a Rouxbe.com affiliate. This means a few pretty neat things for you as readers and me as a blogger. Rouxbe is an online video cooking school that I am a member of. They currently have 74 video lessons that range from knife skills to plating techniques. I am both in love with and addicted to this website. While I enjoy learning about cooking, a traditional culinary arts program was just too expensive, luckily the on-line version isn't. A month of access is $29.95 and a year is $239.95.

I have honestly learned more about cooking in the past few weeks with Rouxbe than I have through years of self study and practice. For example did you know there is a "water method" for testing a pan's heat? Were you aware that sauteed potatoes shouldn't be salted until the end of the cooking process? How about all the tips and tricks for making a perfect restaurant quality omelette, roux or stock?

Because I'm an affiliate Rouxbe.com is giving my readers a free 14 day trial where you have unlimited access to all the video lessons and recipes. Just visit Rouxbe Cooking School using any link on my page. In addition to the free trial, Rouxbe.com has allowed me to add relevant video lessons beneath each of my blog posts. Even without a membership or free trial status you will be able to watch 5 videos. Finally and probably the most fun of all the perks is the Cooking School Quiz. The quiz question changes daily and will always be shown in the sidebar on the right. Feel free to stop by and test your cooking knowledge anytime :)

If you have any questions about rouxbe.com or my experiences with it, feel free to comment on this post and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Meatloaf- Wisdom Teeth Removal Friendly Meal :)

Last week I had my wisdom teeth removed and after one or two meals I was already ready for something besides mashed potatoes. So I googled "wisdom teeth extraction food." I was pretty disappointed to find very little in the way of yummy soft foods. So I decided to dig through some of our old favorites for some flavor variety. This recipe is based off of my husband's grandmother's and mother's meatloaf. It is moist, delicious and flavorful. I also love that the clean up for the entire meal involves a single bowl and loaf pan.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup ketchup

1 cup plain bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 onion 

2 tbsp mustard 

3 tsp Worcestershire Sauce 

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper 

Glaze INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 balsamic vinegar 
  

Step1: Rough Chop an onion. The original recipe uses 1/4 a cup, but we love onion so we throw a full medium onion which is about a 1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped. 

 Step 2: Add the onion to the ground beef in a large bowl. 

Step 3: Add in the bread crumbs 

Step 4: Add one cup of Ketchup to the mixture.  

Step 5: Add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and mix everything up. (Yep that is a hand and that is the proper way to mix this lovely gooey, meaty mess.) Have some fun with it. When mixing I will normally use one hand to mix and keep the other clean.   

Step 6: Beat two eggs in a small bowl. 

 Step 7: Pour the eggs into the meat mixture and mix well. 

 Step 8: Press your meatloaf firmly into an ungreased loaf pan.

Step 9: Mix the remaining ketchup and the balsamic vinegar together and spread over the top of your meatloaf.

Step 10: Bake the meatloaf at 350 degrees or until the internal temperature of 155 degrees. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.  

Garlic Lime Pita Chips- Easy Homemade Snack

Whenever the craving hits for a quick snack these pita chips are one of our favorite choices. Pita bread lasts several weeks if you keep it in the refrigerator and I've used this on more than one occasion for a last minute appetizer. These take less than 15 minutes from start to finish and it is the perfect little bite right before dinner or as an afternoon snack. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 Pita Bread Loaves

Olive Oil Pam 

Kosher Salt

Garlic Powder

True Lime Powder

Step1: Insert a paring knife into the edge of the pita bread and make a shallow cut all the way around. As the pita comes apart you can pull up on the top layer to make the job a bit easier.

Step 2: Pull the pita halves completely apart. Be gentle but if you get small tears don't stress. The less than perfect shaped chips are for the chef ;) 

Step 3: Cut the pita bread halves into 8 triangles each. 

Step 4: Lay the pita chips over a silpat on a cookie sheet. I like to lay mine in opposite directions so I can get as many as possible on the cookie sheet.  

Step 5: Spray the pita chips with the Olive Oil Pam and sprinkle salt, garlic powder, and true lime.

Tip: The first time I made these I carefully brushed each chip with olive oil before seasoning. Over time I've learned a quick spray of Olive Oil Pam actually works better because it evenly and quickly coats every last chip. When I don't have Olive Oil Pam on hand regular Pam will work in a pinch. 
,
Step 6:  Bake chips at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Once the chips dry the difference between lightly browned and burned is approximately 30 seconds so I suggest setting your kitchen timer to five minutes then turn your oven light on and watch them for the remaining two minutes to make sure they don't over brown. 

Tip: These will last several days in a zip lock bag with as much air pressed out as possible. We've doubled and tripled the recipe for just the two of us and somehow we never end up bagging these :) We often change up the seasonings. We've used everything from paprika to chili powder to cumin. The garlic/lime mix is our favorite, but feel free to change it up and food adventure yourself ;)

Jalapeno Bites

Inspired by the Perini Steak House jalapenio bites. We make these for company pretty regularly and they are always the first to go. As far as the heat level is concerned, these are the most mild jalapeno bites I've ever had. Removing the ribs and seeds keeps them tame, in addition to the time the peppers spend baking in the oven. At the end of the day can anything wrapped in bacon really be bad? :)

These are very "make ahead" friendly. We will often get them prepped a few hours before we have guests and put them in the oven as people arrive. 

INGREDIENTS:

12 jalapenos

1 pound hickory smoked bacon sliced in half

8 oz cream cheese

Round toothpicks

Step 1: Cut off the stem and tip of the jalapenos then slice them in 1/2 to 3/4 inch rounds. 

Step 2: Cut out the seeds and ribs (the more you leave the spicier it will be)

Step 3: Use a small spoon to fill each jalapeno slice with cream cheese.

Step 4: Slice the bacon in half. Wrap each jalapeno with bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Step 5: Line a cookie sheet with a silpat and place a rack over the silpat. Arrange the jalapeno bites in a single layer so that they aren't touching. 

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 375. Bake the jalapeno bites for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.

Baking the bites on the rack allows the bacon to crisp up on all sides. The silpat catches all the bacon drippings leaving for much easier clean up. Try these next time you have company coming over, you won't be disappointed. 

Oreo Chunk Cookies

I recently saw these: http://veryculinary.com/2011/03/22/oreo-stuffed-chocolate-chip-cookies/ while clicking through some of my favorite blogs. I have to confess, I don't have the guts to make that cookie. There is just too much sweet for me to handle and calories to boot. It did, however, spark an idea and I decided to run with it. This week I made Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, but instead of mixing in chocolate chips I opted for Oreo pieces instead. Have you ever baked something so delicious that you danced around your kitchen in pure culinary ecstasy? I can now say that I have :) Make these. You won't be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 12 ounces bread flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (fine or crushed)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ounces granulated sugar
• 8 ounces light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 ounce whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 ounces Oreo Cookies 

Specialty Items (aside from the cookie sheet and a sauce pan none of these are essential to the recipe, just helpful)

Cookie Sheet(s)

2 quart sauce pan 

1 1/2 Ounce Cookie Scoop

Stand Mixer

Silpat or Parchment paper

Digital Scale

Step 1: Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Pour it into your stand mixer and set aside to cool slightly. 

Step 2:  Fill the bowl on your scale with 12 ounces of flour. (I was doubling the recipe which is why the scale shows 23.98 ounces.) Attempt to get as close to 12 ounces as possible. 

Tip: Baking is a science, as such you want to make your measurements as precise as possible. A digital scale is inexpensive an extremely useful. Turn on your digital scale. Place a bowl on top and use the "tare" feature so that it shows a 0.0 weight before you add your flour.

Step 3: Sift flour, baking soda and salt together.

Tip: Kosher salt is coarse, as such it will end up being "sifted out" instead of incorporated in your dry ingredients. You can either crush your kosher salt, buy a fine kosher salt or use table salt. Any one of these methods is fine. 

Step 4: Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer to blend the granulated sugar and brown sugar into the butter. Use medium speed for 2 minutes.

Step 5: whisk together the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. 

Tip: The best way I've found to separate egg yolks is to gently break the egg in half. Then pour the egg over your fingers so that you catch the yolk gingerly in your hand. 

Step 6: Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Tip: The mixture should resemble a velvety caramel sauce at this point
 
Step 7: Place the Oreos in a plastic bag and press out as much air as possible. Seal the bag.  

Step 8: Use a meat mallet, rolling pin, hammer, brick, mug, wine bottle, really really stale bread, or basically anything flat that will smash cookies to break them into smaller chunks. I would say breaking each cookies to 6 pieces is a good measure of size. They will continue to break down a bit in the mixer, and you don't want the Oreos to turn into powder. 

Step 9: Gradually integrate the dry ingredients, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Step 10: Once the dry ingredients are worked in, drop the speed to "stir" and add the Oreo pieces.

Step 11: Chill the dough for 1 hour. 

Step 12: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-ounce portions onto a cookie sheet covered in a silpat, 6 cookies per sheet. 

Tip: Silpats are amazing for baking. They can withstand extreme oven temperatures, never stick and make buttering and more importantly scrubbing your cookie sheets a thing of the past.

Step 13: Bake 2 sheets at a time for 13 minutes, rotating the pans at 6 minutes.

Tip: Make sure you stay close to your oven and set a timer. Rotating the cookies half-way through is crucial to evenly baked chewy cookies. 

Step 14: Remove from the oven, slide the silpat with the cookies onto a cooling rack.

  
Step 15: Let cookies cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy with a big glass of milk :)