I began cooking when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it was almost therapuetic, even then. After I got married, in 1982, I began really trying to come up with recipes and menus of my own.
I catered a few parties here and there, but I have no artistic abilities, so cake decorating wasn't my thing, and that limited my opportunities.
I do make a lovely display of food, and can, given time and space, make a lovely buffet or tablescape, but my food is what I focus on. After all, the beautiful cakes, etc. only look that way until they are cut... it is then that the true test of the cook begins. I'm not saying my food is ugly, because it isn't. You eat with your eyes first, so it has to be visually appealing.
I cook some really fancy things, and I will include those recipes here and there. But everyday food is where the majority of cooks need help. It is the newly married couple, or the beginning cook I want to reach; those struggling to come up with tasty dishes for the average Sunday meal or a dish they can make over the weekend and re heat or restyle during the week, to broaden their menu on a smaller budget.
I love to smoke foods, grill a steak, etc. But I am a southern "if it ain't fried, it ain't supper" kind of gal. Most of my dishes aren't typically low fat nor are they figure friendly. They are comfort food... pure and simple.
One of the hardest things I learned to make was a good mashed potato dish... sounds simple, but there are so many potatoes out there, and some are great for roasting, but few lend themselves to that creamy texture we love when sitting down to a true "Sunday supper at Grandma's" taste.
So it is the everyday cook who should most enjoy my dishes. I certainly don't advocate fried food everyday, but I truly enjoy my share of country fried steak and gravy, fried chicken, pot roast, pork shoulder, etc. I love to eat, I love to cook for others and my motto is "Never trust a skinny cook; if they don't eat their own food, why should I?'"
There are plenty of folks out there who can show you how to make a standing rib roast, and I may publish my own version, but I want you to be able to take that unexpected afternoon off or that lazy Saturday and turn it into something that takes you back to your childhood, or makes you think of your Grandma or Great Grandma when you eat it.
Please let me know how these recipes work for you and your family. Tell me and the followers if you put your own spin on a dish. I'd love to know if the tips, recipes, etc are helpful....comment on individual recipes or post as you like. I love to hear how someone has made a dish their very own.

The photos of recipes you will see here are pics of the actual dishes I have made and served my family... if you look closely, you may see a dirty dish or two, or a hand in the photos... I think you should only publish a recipe you have tried and tested on your own family. ENJOY!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Fajitas

One boneless, skinless chicken breast per person, OR  skirt steak, sliced into thin strips.
The rule is 4 ounces per person, more or less, depending on the appetites.

Sliced bell peppers, either green or a mixture of colors
Onion, cut into strips, to taste (I usually use three peppers to one onion)
Shredded cheese.. If you want to go strictly authentic, use queso blanco. I like shredded Monterrey Jack/Cheddar blend
Sour Cream
Homemade or bottled salsa
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Anything you put on them in a restaurant can be put on 'em at home.. I hate guacamole, but my family loves it, so... in it goes. You are going to put these out in jars, or in Ramekins, so get what your family likes...

Flour tortillas, wrapped in foil.
I put my cast iron fajita skillets into a 300 degree oven while I make the fajitas, so I wrap the tortillas in foil and put them in the oven as soon as I start cooking the chicken.


Marinade
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all these ingredients... the lime juice does NOT taste right if you use concentrated juice. It takes 1 to 1 1/2 limes to make that amount of juice, and is well worth it.
Slice one breast per person into strips, place in a gallon bag, pour marinade over this, and place in refrigerator for at least one hour, no more than four... overnight tends to turn this marinade into pure lime juice, and the chicken gets bitter.

Drain the marinade off the chicken, and saute the strips in a cast iron skillet. This just takes a few minutes. Take the chicken out of the pan and pour in the onions and peppers, stirring them until they get hot. Remember, your skillet is hot and will cook the peppers as you present the food, so don't get this part over done.

Once the pepper/onion medley is cooked, lightly salt it, put the chicken or steak on top, and serve on the heated fajita pans, OR serve family style right in the skillet you used to cook the food in.
If you do prep work ahead of time, this meal is less than 15 minutes from fridge to table..

Use any leftovers to make Fajita Chimichangas. The recipe for them, Pico de Gallo, and Homemade Salsa with chips are all on this blog.

This meal is filling, tasty, and everyone can make their fajitas the way THEY like them, with their favorite fillings.
If you wanna go all out, throw some re fried beans, lettuce, etc on a plate, add some Mexican or Spanish rice, and you may never eat Mexican anywhere but home after this.


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