Week 2, Day 1: Chicken Fajitas

Tonight's dinner was an adaptation of a recipe from a new book my sweet sister, Anne, gave me for my birthday, Williams-Sonoma Casual Entertaining. As I was getting things ready to cook, I thought, "I want to make this and that like I usually do fajitas." But there were some additions from the new recipe that really made this dinner better, so it's a little of both. I'm going to share with you my hybrid recipe.


Chicken Fajitas
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into slices (or bite-sized pieces if you have small kids like me)
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 onion, sliced
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fajita seasoning (I made my own a while back, I'll try to find the recipe . . . I have so much of it, I may never need to make it again!)
1/2-1 tbsp fresh lime juice
8 6-inch tortillas
guacamole, salsa and sour cream if desired

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil, and place in oven to warm.
2. Cook the chicken breasts in a little oil in a large skillet until opaque and turning golden. Add vegetables and seasonings and saute until the vegetables are tender (they have a nice aroma and turn brighter in color) and until the juices from the tomato are reduced. Squeeze lime juice over meat mixture just before serving.
3. Spoon into warmed tortillas and serve with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream as desired.

The Verdict: 5 thumbs up. We love fajitas, and tonight's were especially good in my opinion. This method of warming the tortillas and adding tomatoes and garlic really upped the flavor and texture. I'll be making these changes permanent. But I'll continue to use my own seasoning and lime juice.

It's family night, so dessert is pretty much a requisite. Tonight we made Melissa Yoder's cherry tart, and I'm blatantly stealing her picture of it because the ones I took were so unappetizing that I would never try this recipe if I saw them. And you'll want to try this recipe.



Cherry Tart
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp. almond extract (optional)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cans (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Cut together flour, sugar, butter and almond extract with a pastry blender to mix and cut butter into small pieces. Spread lightly in 13x9 baking dish. Bake at 400º F for 15-20 minutes or until browning on sides and top. Crumble while warm and pat into pan; cool.

Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar and Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crust and spoon on cherry pie filling. Chill and serve. To halve, use 9x9 pan. (I halved it and used an 8x8 pan, and I think it worked well, too.)

The Verdict: 5 thumbs up (okay, 4. Max was in bed, but there is no way he wouldn't love it). So yummy! I am so full, I think I'm going to burst.