and your family will think you are Flash Gordon-they are that fast
Happy Monday readers and for those of you in the back-to-school mode, welcome to the first full week of school.
Well, unless you’ve already been in school.
Or haven’t started yet.
But you get the picture, it’s the back to school time of year and it finds most of us on the struggle bus for a few weeks in a lot of different ways.
You know what I’m saying?
Particularly at mealtime because, if your house is anything like mine, everything has been pretty flexible and relaxed during the summer.
Think: cereal and toast.
But here we are on the cusp of the new school year and trying to get things back on schedule and getting our households in somewhat of a routine. Right?
If this is the case with you, then no worries readers, help is on the way.
FIRST, I am publishing a BONUS cookbook over the next few weeks titled “10 Meals that Will Simply Your Life” and it will be a FREE gift for anyone who signs up with their email to join my blog community.
You know, because I’m a problem solver.
Also, FREE is a word we like to hear at our house.
If you are already signed up, I will simply email you the book. For new subscribers, they will get it emailed to them as soon as they join.
Simple and FREE…Alphabet Mom is to the rescue.
The cookbook is designed to give you 10 delicious, easy meals to prepare when you are on the fly.
Like Marty McFly (think Back to the Future) except it’s Cindy McFly or Shelley McFly or Melissa McFly.
Wait, my friend Melissa doesn’t cook, so she won’t need it.
But for those of you out there who need a little something different to cook, without much thought or effort that tastes delicious, this book will be a great little resource for you.
Because sometimes you just get tired of trying to figure out what to cook, right? That’s why I am in culinary rescue mode and you will love this book.
You are welcome.
You can thank me by recommending your friends, Romans and Countrymen to my blog.
Today’s post however, isn’t in this cookbook, but it could be. Why? Because it’s an easy, delicious dinner that can literally be done in an hour.
That’s right, home at 5:30…dinner on table at 6:30. Or quicker with a tiny bit of prep the night before.
I loved experimenting with this dish because there are so many variations to the flavor and texture of this recipe. It was really fun to put my spin on it, because, well, I have Mexican roots.
You know, the blonde hair, blue-eyed Mexican ones.
Just kidding, I look I blasted straight out of Scandinavia.
That’s not really accurate, I think my kids think I blasted straight out of the moon. But that’s not what today’s post is about.
No, today’s blog post, is about the chicken and shrimp I used to make these super easy, super quick and super delicious fajitas.
First, let’s start with the chicken and shrimp. I always wash whatever meat/fish I’m cooking thoroughly, so I started with about 2 pounds of large shrimp and 2 pounds of chicken strips.
Next, you will want to admire all the lovely and colorful co-pilots in today’s dish.
They will take your breath!
Okay, next is gathering our ingredients, which I love because we should keep these basics in our pantry at all times.
Unless you are Melissa. In that case, you just have a juice box in your pantry.
And string cheese.
The basic ingredients for our marinade includes olive oil, taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, Kosher salt and the juice of a lime.
Easy? Why yes, yes it is. Just whisk these ingredients in a small bowl. If you are making both chicken and shrimp, like I did, you will need two bowls of marinade.
Next, slice up your veggies. I used two red peppers, a green pepper, an orange pepper and a purple onion for the chicken and then I sliced up the exact same veggies for the shrimp.
We are going to pour our marinade directly on top of the meat and vegetables, and then coat them real well. I used my salad tongs, because I don’t like to touch the meat.
Because I’m just weird that way.
The end is now in sight! Simply load the mixture on a jelly roll pan.
I just can’t talk about it.
Now, we want to cook them separately, because the shrimp need to cook on a higher temperature. So let’s start with the chicken and put them in a 375 degree pre-heated oven.
I cooked them exactly 25 minutes, and they came out perfect. Tender and juicy and simply perfect.
For the shrimp, I increased the temperature to 450 degrees and cooked them about 15 minutes, until the shrimp were pink.
And of course, I plated them up with all the fajita toppings we enjoy, homemade salsa, shredded cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, lettuce and tomato. Scott and I also love guacamole, so include that if you love it, too!
From start to finish, preparation and cooking time is about an hour. If you have some time the night before, slice up your veggies, whisk your marinade together and put it all in a Ziplock bag.
That way, when you get home, all you have to do is pop them in the oven.
Plus, I am certain if you marinade it overnight, it will be even better.
If that’s possible.
Chicken or Shrimp Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken strips or uncooked shrimp
- 1 red onion sliced
- 2 red bell peppers sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 purple onion sliced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- juice of a lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. If you are making shrimp, preheat to 450.
- Wash chicken or shrimp, pat dry and place in a large bowl.
- To make marinade, combine olive oil, taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and juice of the lime. Whisk well.
- Slice vegetables into thin slices and add to meat.
- Pour marinade over meat and vegetables and coat well.
- Spread mixture onto sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes or until meat is cooked through if you are making chicken. Bake for 15 minutes if you are making shrimp.
- Serve with warm tortillas, salsa, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.
Question: What Mexican dishes do you like to make your family?