Chicken Fajitas

One of my New Year's resolutions was to post more on my blog, sorry that hasn't been happening.  I've been very busy and I'm only going to get busier starting next week when I go back to college.  I'm going to try to blog at least one new recipe a week, whether it's dinner, a snack or even a smoothie.  Between school and my weekly skating/roller derby stuffs going on, my husband might be in charge of dinner most week nights.  I'll be here on the week ends though.

I forgot to mention that one of my holiday gifts that my mom and mother-in-law got me were some attachments to my Kitchen Aide stand mixer.  One is a pasta maker, another is a grinder.  The pasta maker is what I'm most excited about because my mom used to have one when I was a young kid.  She didn't have a stand mixer, but the one time she used her pasta maker, I just remember that being the best spaghetti I have ever eaten.

Now onto the chicken fajitas.  I made these last week for dinner, the recipe comes from one of my Cook This Not That! cookbooks.  I've made them before, they're simple and quick to make.  You just have to remember to marinate the chicken prior to putting it on your grill pan...which I kept forgetting to do.  So if you forget, you'll have to wait at least an hour before cooking it.

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle pepper
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 onions, sliced
8 small flour tortillas, warmed
Guacamole (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Shredded Jack or Cheddar cheese (optional)

First, combine the orange juice, chipotle, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper in a sealable plastic bag.  Add the chicken and marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat a grill or stovetop grill pan until hot.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard what's left in the bag.  Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until lightly charred and cooked all the way through.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

                                         (My husband handling the chicken.)

While the chicken cooks, heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat.  Cook the bell peppers and onions until charred and caramelized on the outside, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the chicken into thin pieces.  For a dramatic presentation, place the chicken on top of the hot peppers in the skillet and bring the skillet sizzling to the table.  Serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, salsa, and cheese.

Enjoy! :-)

Potage Parmentier (Leek or Onion and Potato Soup)

 Saturday night I decided to finally cook a recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  I've had this copy for a while now, and just have never cooked from it.  I got it from my mother-in-law who had an extra of this classic cook book.  Julia Child is one of the co-authors of the book, and a pioneer chef who taught Americans to cook.  I probably procrastinated cooking a recipe from this book because I was a little fearful of how advanced some of the recipes in this book are.  I've seen Julia Child's show, she makes everything look so easy, even though it isn't!  Turns out this recipe I made was easy enough to make, a little time consuming but easy.  I also got to use my new food mill from Sur La Table. 

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the recipe says you can use either leeks or onions, I chose onions.  It also says you can add other vegetables like, carrots, string beans, cauliflower, broccoli, or anything else you think might go with the soup.  I added one cup of carrots to the soup since I had carrots lying around.

Here's what you'll need for the soup:
a 3 to 4 quart saucepan or pressure cooker
food mill (optional)
3 to 4 cups or 1 lb. peeled potatoes, sliced or diced
3 cups or 1 lb. thinly sliced leeks including the tender green; or yellow onions
2 quarts of water
1 tablespoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons whipping cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter (I used butter, but I used the amount you'd use for whipping cream by mistake)
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or chives (or 2 to 3 teaspoons dry parsley or chives;  I used dried parsley)

Either simmer the vegetables, water, and salt together, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender;  or cook under 15 pounds pressure for 5 minutes, release pressure, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork , or pass the soup through a food mill.  Correct seasoning.  Set aside uncovered until just before serving, then reheat to the simmer.

Off heat and just before serving, stir in the cream or butter by spoonfuls.  Pour into a tureen or soup cups and decorate with the herbs.

Enjoy!  By the way not only did this taste delicious, it smelled incredible while simmering.  Add some shredded cheese for a bit more flavor.  :-)