Welcome to my kitchen: Chicken Fajitas
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BY PATTY BEUTLER/Lincoln Journal Star
Susan Ferris doesn’t pretend that as a cook of Dutch descent she’ll be offering up an authentic Mexican dish.
But she’ll promise that you won’t be disappointed with the ease of preparation or the flavor of the finished food.
Ferris’ Chicken Fajitas are a colorful concoction that sizzles with just the right amount of heat.
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Welcome to my kitchen: easy fajitas
Susan Ferris demonstrates her family recipee for easy fajitas. (Patty Beutler and Anthony Roberts / JournalStar.com)...
“Many beginning cooks may be tempted to make fajitas using a prepared seasoning mix in a package,” said Ferris. “After tasting today’s recipe, chicken cooked with that mix will taste like a mouthful of salt.”
The combination of lime, balsamic vinegar and chilies is a winning one. The garlic, salt and pepper are important additions as well.
For those who like a little more heat in their fajitas, Ferris suggests adding some fresh or pickled jalapeno pepper slices along with the peppers and onions. Mushrooms are a great addition here, too, for those who like them.
She adds: “If there are leftovers, we like to serve this a second time as a main-dish salad. The dressing can be quickly prepared by stirring together sour cream and salsa in equal amounts.”
No matter your ethnic food expectations, these chicken fajitas make for a quick family dinner on an activity-filled night.
“I make no claims that this might be called ‘real Mexican food,’” says Ferris. “Those who know what authentic fajitas are hopefully will give this a try and find it to their liking. This recipe is my own, adapted from several recipes in hopes that this Dutch girl might make something appealing to all that come to her kitchen hungry.”
Chicken Fajitas
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1 green pepper
1 red, yellow or orange pepper
1 yellow onion
1 red onion
2-3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
For serving:
Tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa
Shredded mild yellow cheese
Slice the chicken into ¼-inch strips or small, bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and stir in the diced green chilies. Set aside to “marinate.”
Slice the peppers and onions thinly. Heat a large skillet over high to medium-high heat, pour in the olive oil, allow to warm. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds.
Add the peppers and onions and stir to coat lightly with the olive oil. Allow to cook until the peppers and onions are wilted and crisp tender, stirring occasionally.
Remove the peppers and onions to the serving bowl or platter and add the chicken and chilies to the empty skillet. If using a nonstick skillet, no additional oil is needed. Otherwise, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan lightly. Stir occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and browned lightly. Keep the heat on high to do this, especially if there is water in the chicken that needs evaporating.
When the chicken is lightly browned, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir through.
Next add the juice of a lime and the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook over high heat to begin to evaporate these liquids into a semi-syrup consistency. Add the peppers and onions toward the end of this step, so that they can also be coated with the lime and balsamic vinegar mixture. Transfer to the serving plate or bowl.
To serve: Place a generous amount of the chicken, peppers and onions down the center of a tortilla. Top this with sour cream, salsa and shredded mild yellow cheese. Fold the tortilla sides over the filling and enjoy!
Reach Patty Beutler at 473-7307 or pbeutler@journalstar.com.
Audio Slideshow: Watch Susan Ferris make her Chicken Fajitas at media.journalstar.com/interactive.
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