Lime Chicken Fajitas

I LOVE fajitas!!  A good friend of mine recently gave me a bunch of bell peppers from her garden to slice and freezer for future fajita goodness :)

I found this recipe over at Dana's blog, Made.  This recipe is easy and there is no need to buy a package of fajita seasoning to make it.  Dana said that she adds cucumbers to her toppings...I've never tried that before, but I LOVED it!!  They add a nice, fresh crispness.  I also served with limes on the side(didn't make the picture) for an extra shot of lime.  We all really loved this recipe!!

Lime Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

Marinade:Juice of 2 Limes
2 Tbl Rice Vinegar (substitute Apple cider vinegar if you’re out)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Cumin
optional:
1-2 Tbl finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1-2 Tbl finely chopped cilantro

Fajitas:
Serves approx 4 people
Approx 8 boneless chicken tenders or 4 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into bite-size pieces.
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 onion (or less if preferred), cut into rings/strips

Toppings:
Cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce or cabbage, salsa, cilantro

Directions:   Prepare your vegetables, chicken, and marinade. Cut up one onion and two bell peppers into strips.  You need approximately 8 chicken tenders or 4 breasts, cut into small strip-like pieces.

Place the peppers and onions in one bag together and the chicken in another bag. Leave those aside and prepare the simple marinade.  Squeeze the juice from two limes.  Mix the lime juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin.  For added flavor and heat, add 1-2 Tbl of finely chopped fresh jalapeno and 1-2 Tbl of finely chopped cilantro(if desired).  Mix everything together and pour half the marinade over the pepper/onion mix, and the other half over the chicken.  Fill each bag with air and shake it all around to make sure everything is coated. Do this over your kitchen sink in case anything leaks or pops.  And place both bags in in a bowl to marinate for 30 minutes or longer. If you’re going to cook them soon, they can be left on the counter top otherwise place them in the refrigerator.

Using a large frying pan, heat a small amount of cooking oil. Pour in the contents of the pepper bag (it’s okay if the liquid goes in too) and let everything cook for about 5 minutes. If there are too many peppers, do it in two batches. You can let the liquid help steam the veggies for a few minutes and then drain the liquid off in the sink so the veggies will brown in the pan. The key is to cook them enough that they’re not raw, but not too much so they still have bite. Similar to al dente. Put the cooked peppers and onions aside on a plate. And clean your pan slightly with water in the sink to remove any black residue from cooking the peppers.  Just as you cooked the peppers, heat a bit of oil in the pan and then add the chicken. Try not to let the marinade liquid get into the pan because the chicken tends to release it’s own liquids. But no big deal if some slips in.  Let it all cook for a few minutes.  Then drain off any liquids in the sink and add a bit more oil (if needed) so the chicken can brown in the pan.

Finally, add the peppers and onions back into the mix and warm for a minute.  Serve with warm tortillas and toppings of your choice.

Lime Chicken Tacos

My neighbor gave me this recipe and my family LOVED it!! In fact I made this chicken twice the first week I had the recipe, because my 10 year old was BEGGING for it. The picture I took of the tacos was really bad, so I'm just posting a picture of the chicken.

Chicken Lime Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast - cubed
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 t. white sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. dried oregano

Directions: Saute chicken in medium sauce pan over medium high heat until no longer pink(I poached mine and then shredded it). Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic, and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Place in tortillas, top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and salsa. I like to squeeze a little more lime juice into my taco.

Cilantro lime tomatillo ranch dressing

Long title, oh my!! This dressing is my version of the Cafe Rio creamy dressing. I love this dressing!! It is so good on a salad, but also very yummy to dip chips or tortillas into....mmmm!!! This dressing has a very strong flavor. If it is too strong for you, adjust the sour cream and buttermilk to your taste.

I love garden fresh cilantro!!

Cilantro Lime Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 tomatillos(husks removed)
• 1 large clove of garlic
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• large bunch of cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper(more or less depending on the heat level you like)

Directions: Put all ingredients into food processor or blender and blend away until smooth and creamy. I usually don't have buttermilk, so I put 1 T vinegar into measuring cup and add milk to the 1/2 cup mark.