I don’t shop well with others.
I love going to the grocery store without a plan, and that drives some people nuts. My sister, for instance, rarely enters a store without her groceries listed in impeccable order-following the natural flow of the aisles and shelves. I have a tendency to wander until some color catches my eye, or a scent grabs me by the nose. If we were competing onSupermarket Sweep, she’d win. And then she’d make me cook dinner for her with her winnings.
What others call aimless, I call improvisational. How can you plan to make pesto if you don’t know whether the basil at the market will be lush or limp? Granted, my shopping excursions can take the better part of an hour, but they aren’t without reward. I made this fajita dinner for a friend on a whim when we decided to stay in for the night. Eva wandered the aisles with me (fantastic grocery buddy) and it wasn’t until I spied a rack of fresh corn tortillas that I knew what we’d make for dinner.
During our stroll Eva remembered that she had some chicken breasts in the freezer, so that determined the protein in our fajitas. I bolted around the store gathering garlic, onions, peppers, cilantro and salsa (I’m quick once the scent is in the air). We jetted home, tuned the ipod to Crooked Stilland got busy. While Eva defrosted the chicken, I chopped the veggies and in no time we had a bubbling pot of chicken and peppers-perfect for piling onto those handmade corn tortillas. The only thing left to do? Slice up some avocado and crack open a few beers. Dinner for two and leftovers for days. Rachel Ray isn’t the only queen of the thirty minute meal.
;)
Free of Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn, Nuts, Tree Nuts, Eggs.
- 3 Boneless Chicken Breasts
- 2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Red Onion, sliced
- 7-8 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Serrano Chili, minced
- 1/2 cup minced Cilantro
- 2 Red Bell Peppers, sliced
- 1 Lime
- 1/3 cup Salsa (your fave brand)
- 1 15-ounce can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (yes, again)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Get Busy
- Season your chicken breasts with the cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet until it is almost smoking. Add the chicken breasts and sear them for 2-3 minutes per side, they should be wonderfully golden. Remove the chicken breasts and let them rest while you build the sauce.
- Throw in the sliced onion and cook it over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until it just starts to turn translucent. Add the garlic and Serrano chili and cook everything for another 2-3 minutes.
- It’s time to add the bell peppers. Toss them into the onions along with the chopped cilantro. your skillet should look like a carnival. Color=flavor+health.
- Squeeze the lime over the skillet and pour in the salsa (mild or wild, it’s up to you). Add the canned tomatoes and the extra cumin, salt and pepper and cook everything for 5 minutes.
- Push the chicken breasts into the carnival and cover the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook the dish for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
- You can eat the dish now, but the whole breasts will be hard to stuff into tortillas. So take the chicken out of the pan and slice it into strips. Mix the chicken strips back into the peppers and onions and you’re all set. Put up your feet, it’s been a long day.
Total Time: 30-40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings