Tag Archives: jalapeno

Fried Fajitas

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It’s the New Year and everyone is making the resolution to eat healthy and lose weight, and I’m posting a recipe that is chicken, onions, and peppers, wrapped in a flour tortilla and deep-fried, then smothered in cheese sauce and topped with more cheese! (Sorry if you’re dieting!) 🙂 I’ve made a baked version of this too, and it’s just as tasty,but not as crispy!

For the fajitas:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  •  2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 lg onion, sliced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Fajita seasoning
  • 12 flour tortillas
  • 1 qt vegetable oil
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
For the cheese sauce:
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 2 cloves garlic

Prepare the cheese sauce first. In a food processor, chop jalapeno and garlic. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and half and half. Pulse until smooth and well blended. Place in the refrigerator while preparing fajitas.

To make strips with the chicken breasts, place the chicken breast on a cutting board. Place your palm flat on the chicken breast, and starting at the thick end, cut breast into two pieces by running a knife horizontally the whole length of the chicken breasts. You should have 2 cutlets.

Cut the cutlets into strips as shown. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

( This is a great way to make your own chicken breasts cutlets for other recipes, and it’s cheaper than buying them already cut! You pay more per pound for the extra processing!)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook and stir about 10 minutes. Add fajita seasoning and cook about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat while preparing fajitas.

To assemble, spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of fajita meat and veggies on to a flour tortilla and roll up as shown. Secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Fry rolled up tortillas, 2 at a time, until tortillas are golden, and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once cool enough to handle, remove toothpicks from the fajitas, and line up in a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Spoon cheese sauce evenly over the fajitas, then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered about 15 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to brown. Serve with black beans, and fresh pico de gallo.  Enjoy!

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

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Flipping through my recipe books the other day, I came across a recipe for chicken nachos using green salsa and cheese sauce, and I thought “That would make great enchiladas!” Turns out, I was right! They’re delicious! It’s a little time-consuming, but if you’re in a hurry, you can use precooked chicken breasts and a jar of tomatillo salsa from the store.

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless,skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded
  • 1 large onion, divided (half chopped, half cut into chunks)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 2, plus 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus some for drizzling
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • dash white pepper (Optional)
  • salt
  • 12 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Trim any excess fat from chicken breasts, and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, place tomatillos, 1 half of the onion, jalapenos, and garlic in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Add cilantro and cumin and mix well.

When chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before shredding, pulling apart with 2 forks.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, and add chopped onion and bell pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, and add chicken, 1/2 cup chicken stock, and all but 1/2 cup of salsa verde. Stir and simmer while making cheese sauce.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cooking and stirring continuously, for about 3 minutes, then stir in 2 cups chicken stock. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in reserved 1/2 cup of salsa, 1 cup of cheese, salt to taste, and add white pepper (if desired).

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Spoon two heaping spoonfuls of chicken mixture into a flour tortilla, roll up, and place in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, and pour cheese sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cup of shredded cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. Serve with sour cream, and fresh pico de gallo. Enjoy!

Filet Burgundy Chili

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Beef tenderloin and Burgundy wine, with peppers, onions, and kidney beans! No, I’m not crazy! It’s the best chili you’ve ever eaten! But I must warn you, few other bowls of chili will ever come close after you’ve had this tasty sensation!

  • 1 lb beef tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces*
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lg onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp cilantro
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp chipotle powder
  • 2 tsp cayenne
  • 2 cups Burgundy wine
  • 1 15 oz can kidney beans
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce

Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in tenderloin to sear on all sides, about 2 minutes, then add spices. Drain off any grease that may cook out of the meat, then add Burgundy wine, and let simmer 10 minutes, or until wine is reduced by half.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and kidney beans. When it starts to bubble, cover the stock pot and reduce heat to low. Let simmer, stirring every now and then, for an hour to let the flavors meld together. Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

*You can also substitute ground chuck, for the filet, and it’s still delicious!

**Chili can be made up to two days in advance. The longer it sits in the fridge, the better it tastes!