What I am about to share with you is a recipe that only one person in the world besides my family knows the exact steps for, and that's because she was there when I "invented" it. These homemade fajitas are easy and delicious, enough so that every time I have made them any one walking into the kitchen wants a part of it. No lie. Best part about it? So so so so healthy! All natural, great source of LEAN protein and those all important veggies, and you can customize it however you'd like if you are touchy about some of the ingredients.
Here are the following, original ingredients:
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts (Good for sharing with 2-3 people or for 1-2 days of leftovers)
-Minced Garlic
-3 Bell Peppers (color of your choosing, I usually do two green and one red)
-1 Medium Onion (again, size is also your choosing. Love onion? Use more! But I wouldn't cut it out completely unless you really hate it.)
-Poultry Seasoning (thyme, sage, black pepper and nutmeg sold in a jar
-Hot Pepper (Cayenne Pepper works, or if you're like me and have too many hot peppers from the garden, dry them and grind them into death powder if you like it hot)
Other options you can test out putting into this dish: Black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cilantro (LOVE LOVE LOVE), jalapenos, changing up the meat to steak or fish... Comment below on other things you would like to try with it!
That's it. 6 ingredients. All of them 100% natural and all of them 100% good for you. Then you get to make this:
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| *cue angel music* |
So to make this is really really easy:
Step 1: Chop everything up. Chicken no larger then 1" x 1". I cut the onion into 6ths and the bell peppers into thin strips. For faster cooking, cut everything smaller. Helpful Hint: Partially frozen chicken is 150x easier to cut than fully defrosted chicken. Just be aware of this when you are cooking to be sure the chicken cooks through. Cut off all that unnecessary fat if there is any. Once you get good at chopping, you can multitask and start cooking the chicken while chopping veggies. I recommend getting everything cut up the first time.
Step 2: In a big pan (a wok will work as well, but I suggest 12" pan with as high of sides as you own.. this is not a small meal), put 1-3 cloves of minced garlic (read the label to find out how much one clove is) and the chicken in on medium-high heat. Douse everything in Poultry seasoning. I mean a nice layer. It'll seem like a lot but it's all good.. some cooks out of it. Cook up the chicken until it is white on all sides, but not cooked through.
Step 3: Add in alllll the veggies. This is why you need the pepper cut into fairly thin strips and the onions to not be massive chunks. This is also why we add it to the chicken before the chicken is done cooking. Douse everything in cayenne and poultry seasoning again. If you like things spicy, add even more of the cayenne or hot pepper. Opposite if you don't like spicy.
Step 4: Stir occasionally and wait for peppers to be at a consistency you like. Generally, you should be able to stick a fork into one of the peppers pretty easily without it feeling like its still crisp. Take a bite out of one to test if you are unsure. This is where having a high-sided pan comes in handy. I have a top I put on my pan and it cooks faster because it's being steamed while also cooked from the bottom.
Step 5: Remove from heat and top with whatever you like! I usually have shredded cheese, salsa, and sometimes sour cream/plain greek yogurt. I allow the cheese for myself because generally speaking, my diet is very low in fat and it's a decent way to get some fat and calcium in my diet. Omit if it is not in your diet plan or you're watching your sodium. You can wrap it in a tortilla or, if you're like me and have decided to cut out the middleman, put it all into a big bowl and go to town!
I don't have exact nutrition information on this.. I wish I did. However, by eating this you are officially eating 100% natural foods that are all darn good for you. I don't count calories, and if you split your final product into however many chicken breasts you used as servings (i.e. chicken breasts, divide what you have in the pan by three, etc), you can guestimate how much protein you have. I CAN tell you the health benefits of every ingredient though!
Chicken - Lean source of protein. Easy enough.
Peppers - High in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin B6. They also have a decent amount of fiber and other healthy anti-oxidants other than those listed.
Onion - Although smelly, these little stinkers also have a decent amount of fiber in them. Plus, it's an easy way to flavor dishes without adding calories.
Cayenne Pepper - Did you know that cayenne pepper not only sets fire to your mouth, but also to your metabolism? Consuming spices like cayenne pepper have been show to curb your appetite as well as boost your metabolism. I add cayenne to so many dishes, mostly because I like spicy food, but with the added benefit of not wanting to eat as much of it!
Poultry Seasoning - I know that each of the spices in poultry seasoning have their own health benefits, but the main reason I LOVE using it is that it DOES NOT CONTAIN SALT! I know I have a problem with sodium and sugar intake, and this awesome seasoning has none of that. Sprinkle away!
I hope you like it. I cook this all the time for myself and love making it for others. Let me know what you think and what other ideas you have to add to it!
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