I've missed you.
Actually, I've been really busy, but I've missed blogging all the same. Though the 45 minute commute down a winding two lane highway into Anchorage morning and evening is a little longer than I remembered, it's been nice to stay with my parents. It's been nice to see them and visit, and it's been nice to have four people trading off cooking.
That said, I can't wait to get into our new house next week. NEXT WEEK! Yup -- all signs point to yes. And YES, I will post pictures! There will be lots of homey-type projects inside and out, and I can't wait.
Though cooking has been shared, Dad and I discovered a fantastic dish in the a Taste of the Caribbean cookbook by Angela Spenceley. We've made it twice in the last week, with a few variations, of course. I highly recommend it.... and yes, if you guessed correctly from the title, it's fajitas - with an island twist. MMMMMM. Makes you forget a little of the 5 inches of snow that fell today. HA!
modified from a Taste of the Caribbean cookbook by Angela Spenceley
*note* though the original recipe calls for pork, we've used chicken and shrimp and both are FANTASTIC. It is best to have all of your prep work done first, except for the avocado, which should be done last. This recipe goes fast once you start.
Fajitas
1 pound chicken or shrimp tails, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil (if using shrimp, you'll need an additional 1-2 tbsp)
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 small yellow onion, sliced in strips
zest of one lime (reserve lime to juice for salsa)
1 bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 tsp chili powder
4 tbsp hot water
8 (7-inch) flour tortillas
1 recipe Orange Avocado salsa (recipe below)
sour cream
For chicken or pork, broil meat at 500 degrees until 160 degrees in center. Remove from oven and set aside
For shrimp, saute shrimp in 1-2 tbsp olive oil and a dash of ground black pepper until cooked and tender.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil, adding the garlic, onion, lime zest, and bell pepper. Mix the bouillon and chili powder into the hot water and add to the skillet with vegetables. Once almost done, add the shrimp to coat with the chili mixtures.
Heat tortillas using a small amount of cooking spray and a cast iron pan until warm.
Serve.
We set this up at the table as a build-your-own deal, and in addition to the sour cream and Orange-Avocado salsa, filled ramekins with homemade guacamole and salsa. I made a special salsa and will post the recipe soon, but in the meantime, here's another great salsa recipe.
Tortillas should be topped with your protein, then the Orange-Avocado salsa and whichever additional toppings you like.
Orange-Avocado Salsaalso modified from a Taste of the Caribbean
2 medium oranges, peeled, sectioned and chopped
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup ripe tomato, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (use the lime you reserved for the fajitas
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp your favorite fiery hot sauce
Toss all ingredients together and mix well.
I'm taking this for lunch tomorrow with some chicken breast and chips. MMM.
I'm linking this to:
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum
Friday Potluck, right here at EKat's Kitchen
