Chicken Fajitas

I have never made fajitas before.  Now I can cross that off my bucket list (although I'm not sure it was on it in the first place).  I'm not even sure if I've ever eaten fajitas before.  I want to say that  have, but I can't recall.  I love tacos, so when I eat Mexican food, it's usually tacos or taco salad.

I thought that these fajitas were really good, but I have nothing with which to compare them.  I say, "Try this recipe yourself and let me know what you think."

I did alter the recipe slightly, partially because I was strapped for time and partially because I'm lazy.

CHICKEN FAJITAS

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used 1/4 cup)
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (I used 1/2 teaspoon because I ran out of it)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, julienned  (I used 1 whole green, 1 whole red, and 1 whole yellow)
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned
4 green onions thinly sliced  (I omitted these)
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 (8 inch) low sodium flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese, taco sauce, salsa, guacamole, or sour cream (your choice of toppings)

Preparation:
In large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, and seasonings.  Add chicken.  Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.  I didn't have much time, so instead I combined the oil, lemon juice and seasonings in a small bowl.  Then I poured the sauce over the chicken while sauteing it.
In large skillet, saute peppers and onions in oil until crisp-tender. 

In separate skillet, saute chicken in sauce over medium-high heat about 5-6 minutes. 

Pour chicken over pepper skillet.  Combine and heat through.
Spoon filling down center of tortilla and fold in half.  Serve with choice of toppings.

Garlic Beef Enchiladas

Mexican food is so yummy.  Much of it can be high in fat and salt, but the recipes are fairly simple to alter so that they are healthy... or at least what I call healthy.  (For you grammarians, I do know that I actually should be writing that foods are healthful and people are healthy, but since no one uses the term healthful anymore, I'm going with the flow.)

Whenever I read a recipe, I look for a way to reduce the fat and sodium.  Sometimes the first time I make a new recipe, the results are not tasty.  The second time around, I make some adjustments and hopefully it tastes good.  By the third try, if it's still bad, I just move on to another recipe.  Three strikes and you're out.

Luckily, with Garlic Beef Enchiladas they turned out well the first time.  Next I can try making them with different kinds of meat.  Ground turkey or ground chicken sound like good ideas to me.  Let me know how they turn out if you try them. 

This isn't the easiest recipe to make, but it's not the most difficult either.  I'd say it's medium on the difficulty scale because you're cooking the beef and the sauce components simultaneously.  To make it easier, prepare one at a time.  It will just add about 15 minutes to overall preparation time.

GARLIC BEEF ENCHILADAS
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sage
1 can (14 ounces) low sodium diced tomatoes
Sauce:*
4 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1/2 cup flour
1 can (14 ounces) low sodium beef broth
1 can (15 ounces) low sodium tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sage
10 7-inch low sodium corn tortillas
2 cups low-fat shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preparation:
In a skillet, heat meat and onion and drain fat.  Add flour and seasonings and mix well.  Stir in tomatoes and bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile in sauce pan, saute garlic in butter/oil until tender.  Stir in flour.  Add broth and bring to boil.  Cook and stir 2 minutes. 

Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through. 

Pour 1-1/2 cups sauce into 13 x 9" baking dish.  Spread 1/4 cup meat mixture in each tortilla and top with 1 tablespoon cheese. 

Roll tightly and place in dish.  To make tortillas more pliable, spray lightly with cooking spray and microwave for 20 - 30 seconds before filling. 

Repeat until all tortillas are filled.  Pour remaining sauce over rolled tortillas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*Note: if your sauce tastes too bland (or not salty enough) add a tablespoon of vinegar.  That will add a little "bite" to the sauce.  You may also use vinegar powder.