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Thursday, June 11, 2015

Fajitas

We love Mexican food. It's fresh, easy, and budget-friendly. For these Fajitas, I like to use flank steak, but skirt or hangar steak (or even a london broil sliced in half horizontally) will be delicious. If you are so inclined, use boneless, skinless chicken. Be sure to slice the meat across the grain for tender Fajitas. The results will be fantastic! The key to making them irresistible is cooking the onions and peppers in a cast iron skillet.* Not only does it make your house smell incredible, the cast iron imparts a flavor no other pan can replicate. After you're done with the onions and peppers, just toss the meat into the same pan. Easy, flavorful, and delicious. Yum!

Marinade for Fajitas

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tsp. lime zest (about 1 lime)
Juice from one lime
~1/4 cup chopped red or sweet white onion, like Vidalia
3 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Place the marinade in a ziplock bag with ~1-2 lbs flank steak (or whatever meat you choose). Marinate in the fridge for a few hours (overnight is great) or, in a pinch, on the counter for about an hour, turning occasionally.  

Before cooking, wipe off excess marinade** and spray the meat with oil. 

Cook the flank steak in a cast iron pan for 3-5 minutes per side, to the doneness preferred. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices across the grain. Serve with cooked veggies and warmed tortillas.


* Of course, grilling is perfectly acceptable, too. We eat these year round, so I just make them in a cast iron skillet so I don't freeze during the winter. :)

** I usually pour some of the leftover marinade onto the onions & peppers and reheat them to temperature while the meat is resting. Don't waste any flavor!!

Recipe adapted from Apron Strings

Thursday, May 07, 2015

Peanut Butter Krispies

My family loves anything with peanut butter. I think it's genetic, but we would happily put peanut butter on just about anything. These Peanut Butter Krispies are adapted from Miss Mickey's Peanut Butter Balls, and they're deliciously crunchy and not too sweet. They make they perfect after-school snack.

Peanut Butter Krispies

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (can use Splenda Brown Sugar Blend)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups crisp rice cereal

In a large pot, heat brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Stir frequently until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture just starts to boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool enough to use your hands (or a small cookie scoop) to shape into balls ~1-inch diameter. [You'll need to compress them so they'll stay together, so if using a cookie scoop, you'll need to really pack it well.] Let cool completely and enjoy. Yields ~30-35 balls

Note: You may be tempted to add chocolate chips to these, but they will melt and become extremely messy (though tasty) if you do. Instead, add 1-2 Tbsp. cocoa powder to the sugar/corn syrup mixture with the heat off before stirring in the peanut butter. 

I'm Back!


After an entirely too long sabbatical (and two more children), I'm hopefully back to blogging regularly. I have lots of recipes to share!