Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Chicken Fajitas!

I'm working on writing a cookbook, but I continually run out of time to write, and then I misplace my file, and then I can't find my recipes...etc, etc, etc.

I'm going to start posting random recipes here as I think of them, so that I can organize them later.

So, without further ado, Chicken Fajitas.

2-3 lbs boneless chicken breast or thigh meat
At least 1/4 cup of olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, diced or sliced into very thin strips
1-3 green, yellow, or red peppers, diced or sliced into very thin strips (optional)
2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic (however many cloves that ends up being)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried cilantro, or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder (the kind that is ground chilis--check the label for salt and other crap before using)
1 fresh lime
1/2 cup tequila
Salt, pepper, and Cayenne pepper to taste

If you have them, I like to add chopped ancho chilis in adobo paste, but that gives it a completely different flavor.

1. Slice chicken into thin strips--I like them about the size of french fries
2. Heat your pan. Cast iron or a good quality nonstick skillet works best.
3. Add the oil. Let the oil heat up almost to smoking; you want the vegetables to sizzle when they hit the pan.
4. Add the garlic and fry it for about a minute.
5. Add the onions and keep everything moving until the onions start to brown.
6. Add the cumin, oregano, cilantro, and chili powder and let it coat the onions and heat up in the oil.
7. Add the chicken. Personally, I like to cook it at this point until the chicken starts to form a brown, spicy crust on the outside--that means heat and lots of it, and maybe a little more oil if the pan has gone dry. This is also the point where you'd add the ancho chilis, if you like.
8. Add the peppers if you have them.
9. After the chicken is cooked to your liking, squeeze the lime into it and add the tequila. Cover the pan immediately and shake it around to deglaze it a little. Simmer this down to a thick sauce.

Serve with tortillas; I like the following sides with this dish:

Salsa
Sour cream
Guacamole
Shredded lettuce
Diced peppers (sweet and hot)
Rice with cumin and garlic (yeah, that's another recipe)
Black beans (and another)
Panfried kale
Fried plantains, if you have the time or energy. I'll post all of these over the coming days, I promise.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good words.

TheWalkingKnight said...

Thanks. I keep meaning to carve out some time to update this thing...