This fabulous fajita recipe is easy and delicious

This easy fajita recipe has a smokey, spicy flavor. It blends perfectly with a roasted salsa, sour cream, and sliced avocado. I use whole wheat or brown rice tortilla shells instead of the refined white shells.

This is a great 30 minute meal, minus the marinating time. Just make the marinade in the morning and let the meat soak all day long. Then at dinner time all you have to do is prepare the fixings while the meat is cooking.

These fajitas are so quick and delicious, that I make them at least once a month. They always get rave reviews from those who get to feast on them.

Quick Fajita History Lesson:

True fajitas are a Tex-Mex dish made from marinated, grilled skirt steak. The Spanish word for fajita is faja, meaning "belt" or "girdle" (which describes the cut of beef itself). This savory dish originated back in the 1930s among Mexican ranch workers living in West Texas. When cattle were butchered, the workers were giving the undesirable extras (including meat trimmings such as skirt steak) as a part of their wages. The workers cooked the skirt steak on mesquite coals and served it with wheat tortillas. Fajitas slowly made their way into the restaurant world and became very popular in the 1980s. As their popularity grew, their original meat faded out of the scene. Today you will find fajitas that include chicken, pork, shrimp, and all cuts of beef. The meat no longer stands alone either. It's been jazzed it up with lots of great sides, including grilled veggies, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and shredded lettuce.

Now that you know how fajitas came about, enjoy sharing their taste and history at your next cookout.



Fabulous Fajitas

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chipolte chili pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or
1 pound top sirloin or
1 chicken breast and 1/2 pound sirloin

1 sweet yellow onion, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
dash ground black pepper
dash salt

On the Side:
1/2 cup roasted salsa
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 avocado, sliced (or guacamole)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded lettuce
6 to 8 whole wheat or brown rice tortilla shells

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Soak the meat for 2 to 8 hours (or overnight if using just sirloin).
After the meat has marinated, preheat barbecue or stovetop grill to high.
Preheat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers, and saute for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, water, and lime juice. Pour the mixture over the vegetables. Add the black pepper and continue cooking until the vegetables are golden brown, about 5 more minutes.
While the onions and peppers are cooking, grill the meat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until done.
Serve immediately with all the fixings.

*Note: Liquid Smoke concentrate is found in most grocery stores in the condiment aisle.

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