My Favorite Fajitas From Home Food

FAJITAS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Place steak in a shallow container, and pour marinade over it. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight to tenderize meat.
• Drain the marinade from the meat. Grill the steak in a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat for 4 minutes each side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let stand.
• In the same pan with the steak juices, add the bell peppers and onions. Saute the mixture for 3 minutes until the vegetables are limp. Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.
• Spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions and salsa fresca. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.
• May also serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.

MY FAVORITE FAJITAS

Steps:

• Smoke the skirt steak according to the directions below.
• To make the marinade: while the steak is cooling, toast the cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the constantly so they don't burn or stick, just until they are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let them cool, Squeeze the juice from the limes into 1-gallon heavy plastic resealable bag. Add the cumin seeds, garlic, salt, and the pepper flakes and swish the marinade around to dissolve the salt. Slip the cooled steaks into the marinade, press out most of the air from the bag, and seal the bag very tightly. Refrigerate the beef for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day, turning the bag several times.
• To prepare the accompaniments, heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep, skillet over medium heat. Stir in the red onions and cook, stirring often, until they are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the green peppers and cook until they are wilted enough t make room for the red peppers. Add the red peppers, season the vegetables lightly with salt and adjust the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 20 minutes. The vegetables can be prepared several hours in advance. Reheat them over low heat just before serving.
• To prepare the fajitas indoors: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil. Reheat the vegetables if necessary. Drain the steak well and discard the marinade. Heat a lightly oiled large grill pan or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Cook the steak, turning once, just until seared on both sides, about 5 minutes. At this point the steak will be about medium-rare. Turn off the heat and continue cook in the hot pan for a more well-done steak. Remove the steak from the skillet to a carving board and let it rest about 5 minutes. Pop the tortillas into the oven and let them warm while the steak is resting.
• To prepare the fajitas on a charcoal or gas grill: Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil. Reheat the vegetables if necessary, using a corner of the grill if there is room. Drain the steak well and discard the marinade. Cook the steak on the hottest part of the grill until both sides are well browned, about 6 minutes. The steak at this point will be about medium-rare, move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and continue to cook it for a more well-done steak. Remove the steak to a carving board and let it rest about 5 minutes. Set the tortilla on a moderately hot part of the grill and let them warm, turning once or twice, while the steak rests.
• To serve: Cut the steak crosswise into thin slices and pile the slices on a serving plate. Serve the vegetables directly from the skillet or scoop them into a serving bowl. Pass the tortillas, salsa, sour cream, steak, and vegetables around the table and let everyone dress their own fajitas as they like.
• Prepare stovetop smoker with soaked wood chips according to manufacturers' instructions.
• Trim any excess fat from the surface of the steak and cut the steak in half crosswise.
• Season the skirt steak with a generous rubbing of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or Southwestern rub.
• One end of the steak will be considerably thinner and cook faster than the other half. If you would like to cook both halves to the same doneness, add the thinner pieces to the smoker after the thicker pieces have been smoking for about 8 minutes. If you are not planning to finish the steak on the grill as described above, smoke the halves until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each half registers 125 degrees F. for a medium-rare steak, about 24 minutes after closing the smoker lid, longer for more well done steaks. (Skirt steaks are a little tricky to check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Poke the thickest part of the steak with the thermometer in a few places, aiming for the center of the steak.) If you do plan to grill the steak after smoking, cook the steaks to a temperature of 100 to 105 degrees F, which will take about 18 minutes. The steaks can be smoked up to 2 days before grilling them.
• Smoke the tomatoes according to the directions below. Cool them to room temperature.
• Peel off as much of the skins as will come off easily. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and toss them together with the chiles, red onion and cilantro in a bowl. Season with salt to taste. The salsa improves if it stands at room temperature for about half an hour before serving. You can refrigerate the salsa for up to one day. Bring it to room temperature and drain off any liquid before serving.
• Prepare stovetop smoker with soaked wood chips according to manufacturers¿ instructions.
• Cut the cored from the tomatoes with a paring knife then cut the tomatoes in half through the core end. Squeeze out the seeds and juice. Line the tomato halves side by side and cut side up on the smoking rack.
• Season the cut side of the tomatoes with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Smoke until the tomatoes are softened, but not mushy; 10 minutes over the heat after closing the smoker lid and about 20 minutes off the heat with the smoker lid closed.
• Check the tomatoes for doneness after they've been standing off the heat for 10 minutes.
• Serve smoked tomatoes as a side dish with just about any grilled or roasted meat, or seafood dish.
• Snap the stems off the dried peppers, if using them. For a milder rub, tap out and discard the seeds. Crumble all the peppers into a small saucepan and add the coriander and cumin seeds. Toast the mix over low heat, stirring constantly, until the seeds are lightly browned and little wisps of smoke rise from the pan. Pour the spices onto a plate and cool them to room temperature. Grind them to a powder in a spice mill. Store the rub in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks.

FABULOUS FAJITAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown steak in oil over medium heat. Place steak and drippings in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder and red pepper flakes. , Cover and cook on high until meat is almost tender, 2 hours. Add red pepper and onion; cover and cook until meat and vegetables are tender, 1 hour. , Warm tortillas according to package directions; spoon beef and vegetables down the center. Top as desired.

EASY CHICKEN FAJITAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and wrap 6 medium tortillas in foil.
• Mix 1 heaped tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp ground coriander, a pinch of ground cumin, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 4 tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1 lime and 4-5 drops Tabasco together in a bowl with a big pinch each of salt and pepper.
• Stir 2 finely sliced chicken breasts, 1 finely sliced red onion, 1 sliced red pepper and 1 finely sliced red chilli, if using, into the marinade.
• Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot and add the chicken and marinade to the pan.
• Keep everything moving over a high heat for about 5 mins using tongs until you get a nice charred effect. If your griddle pan is small you may need to do this in two batches.
• To check the chicken is cooked, find the thickest part and tear in half - if any part is still raw cook until done.
• Put the tortillas in the oven to heat up and serve with the cooked chicken, a bag of mixed salad and one 230g tub of fresh salsa.

FAJITA-STYLE SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Sprinkle shrimp with fajita seasoning; toss to coat. Set aside., Slowly stir grits into boiling water. Reduce heat to medium; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted; stir in milk. Keep warm., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onion; cook and stir until tender and pepper edges are slightly charred. Add salsa, orange juice and shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, until shrimp turn pink, 4-6 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup cilantro. Remove from heat., Spoon grits into serving bowls; top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.