dinner

Middle Eastern Roasted Chickpea Pitas

May 22, 2019

Middle Eastern Roasted Chickpea Pitas- your new favorite vegetarian meal to whip up in under 30 minutes. Quick & packed with flavors!

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

In honor of the new upcoming live-action Aladdin movie, by Disney. I’m dedicating the week for recipes that are inspired by the movie. Have a picnic on your magic carpet.

There are just so many days when I am BORED cooking. I’m over it. So done.

And the worst thing about it is that I don’t just have to feed myself, but 2 kids too. (Sure, I sorta have to feed my husband, but if I stopped cooking, he would live off Taco Bell. He wouldn’t be too sad)

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Sweet and Sour Marmalade Glazed Oven Baked Chicken

January 26, 2018

Did you know that Florida produces more than 70 percent of the United States’ supply of citrus? And, that it’s only 2nd in production to Brazil? That’s a lot of OJ!!!

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Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

September 15, 2016

Summertime Pasta- A simple pasta dish with sauteed shrimp, corn, tomatoes, and zucchini. Highlighting the best that summer has to offer in a bowl of pasta.

pasta-with-shrimp-corn-tomatoes-and-zucchini

This is a great simple pasta dinner can come together in about 20 minutes. It features fresh corn, tomatoes, and zucchini that is sauteed together with big plump shrimp. Delish!

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Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

August 8, 2016

I am learning the weather here in Tampa Bay is cray cray.

I swear you never know if it’s going to be sunny, rainy, or whatever. The weather changes on a dime. I’m used to that with Boston, to some degree, since the weather there did the same, but it’s a whole different beast down here.

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Homemade General Tso’s Chicken- SRC

January 26, 2015

Oh, back to life. Back to reality.

We’re back from our Caribbean cruise vacation. It was such a wonderful time. A wonderful break from life. It was a wonderful way to celebrate my 30th birthday!

But we’re back home now and back to the normal grind. Back to work today…

But it seems like Tuesday will be a day at home, and maybe even Wednesday, because of this blizzard heading our way. Yay? I mean it’s great for another day ‘off’ but I’ll need to make up the time in the end and snow. But, damn, I love a good Nor’easter. I heart you already Winter Storm Juno!!

I am a Weather Channel junkie. JUNKIE. Whenever there is a big storm I watch the Weather Channel, or our local news channel, 24/7. I love tracking storms. I love watching the updates throughout the day(s) as they get more and more information from different areas to get more specific quantities of snow/rain with tides or wind gusts. Oh, it’s so damn exciting.

Plus, it’s a good break from reality so we get to veg out and I get to cook!! I have some fun recipes to get to work on too! I’ve had my eye on a brownie recipe for awhile that I gotta make. And I’m working on perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s getting there!!

And I know I am going to be making this General Tso’s Chicken again.

Hot damn, this General Tso’s Chicken is so freaking good. It will make you toss your take out menus in the trash. Okay, maybe you still need take out for your egg rolls and such, but I doubt we’ll ever order General Tso’s again. It is gonna be homemade for us all the way now.

This is another one of those instances when I love Secret Recipe Club as it helped me discover another great blog and recipe. I thoroughly enjoying checking out the recipes on Asiya’s blog Chocolate and Chillies. She posts delicious recipes while sharing about her life in Toronto as a stay at home mom to 2 little boys. Her recipes often pack some heat (from chillies!) since she is Indian and her husband is Pakistani. There were quite a few recipes that caught my eye, including her Chocolate Truffle Energy Bites, Black Bean Burger, Pasta with Spinach Pesto, Roasted Red Peppers and Sundried Tomatoes, but I picked out her General Tso’s Chicken recipe.

I stuck with the recipe with the exception that we love broccoli with our General Tao’s so I added that. Because of that addition I doubled up the sauce. If you don’t want broccoli then cut back the sauce to follow the recipe exactly as it was on Asiya’s blog.

So while the Northeast is getting slammed with snow, we’ll be cozy at home making chocolate chip cookies and another batch of General Tso’s Chicken, since we know take out is not getting through 24+ inches of snow!

General Tso’s Chicken

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes (about 1 lb)
1 teaspoon orange juice
pinch of salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 1/2 tbsp canola oil, divided
2 Cups pieces of broccoli
1 inch ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
5-7 dried red chillies
2 green onions, white part only, cut into 1 inch length

Sauce

5 Tablespoons rice vinegar
6 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 Cup water
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon orange juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Process

Marinate the chicken in orange juice and salt for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.
Coat the chicken with the 1/3 cup cornstarch.
Over high heat, heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a wok/large non-stick skillet.
Add the chicken and fry until cooked through. Remove and put on a paper towel lined plate.
Add the broccoli and stir every 20 seconds or so. After 2 minutes add 1/4 Cup of water and cover for 1 minute. Remove the broccoli, set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the wok and add the garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies. Fry until you can smell the spices.
Add the sauce and mix. When the sauce boils and thickens add the chicken, broccoli, and green onions. Stir to coat everything with the sauce. Serve immediately with some hot steamed rice or quinoa.

Adapted from Chocolate and Chillies

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Check out all the other great Secret Recipe Club posts this month!

And be sure to check out my 3 years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

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Fusilli with Fresh Corn and Chicken in a Garlic Cream Sauce- SRC

June 23, 2014

Holy cow.

You guys this recipe knocked my socks off.

And then the dog ate them. Just kidding! He only eats the baby’s socks. And thankfully it’s summer so we’re going barefoot now. woohoo!

This recipe is simple but it hits all the right notes.

Since getting this month’s Secret Recipe Club assignment I’ve made this twice. Making a recipe again when I don’t have to is big. Especially in such a short period of time! But when you find something you love you go with it. And I loved Mary Kay’s blog called Homemade Cravings. Seriously, I had some cravings after I checked out her blog.

Check these out… Mini Layer Nacho Bites, Panera Autumn Squash Soup, Cream Cheese and Caramel Frost Apple Cupcakes. See, she has great taste! Check out her Pinterest account too. She pins some great dishes as well. yum!

Since I made this twice I made some alterations the second time around. Nothing too drastic but just a few things to make it my own. I increased the amount of chicken to the recipe to add more protein and increase the amount of servings this pasta dish made. (hello leftovers!) As well, I increased the amount of sauce that is made since I loved it the first time I made it so I had to have more!

It’s quick to get all of this together but my tip to you is how to get the kernels off the corn cobs easily and neatly. Take a big pan and put an upside down bowl in the middle of it. That is going to be your pedestal where you hold up your corn, bottom side down. Then you run your knife down the side of the corn, allowing the kernels to fall off into the pan.

Be sure to use all the great fresh corn you have at your finger tips this summer when you are making this great pasta dish. Yum! I bet this would also be great with some fresh zucchini as well.

Fusilli with Fresh Corn and Chicken in a Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound Fusilli (Rontini works well too)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 ears of fresh corn on the cob, kernels cut off
3/4 Cup half and half
1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon parsley, minced
Salt and Pepper

Process

Cook the fusilli according to instructions on package. Reserve 1 Cup of the pasta water.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken and then move to the outer edges of the skillet.
Add the garlic to the center of the skillet and saute for a minute.
Add the corn kernels to the skillet. Mix everything together and cook for another 4-5 minutes until tender, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
Add the cup of pasta water, half and half, and the cheese. Allow to come to a low boil.
Remove from heat and toss with the drained fusilli until all pasta is evenly coated. Toss with the minced parsley.

Adapted from Homemade Cravings

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There are so many other great posts out today. Be sure to check them out on the link below:

As well, check out my 2 years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

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Monday Munchies: Fajitas and ‘Ritas- Boston, MA

March 17, 2014

Fajitas and ‘Ritas has been serving Boston with fun Tex-Mex food since 1989. Enjoy Texas favorites from Nachos to Tequila Wings, Fajitas to Barbecue, and Chili to Burritos. That’s 25 years of amazing lunches and dinners serving up some delisious food and drinks!

Price had worked near Fajitas and ‘Ritas years ago so we would occasionally meet there for lunches or drinks after work. It was a great place for affordable meals and drinks to help you get though the rest of a rough day.

It had been ages since we went but going back for lunch recently brought back the memories of the great food and margaritas we enjoyed together and with friends among the mural covered walls.

During our recent visit, we had planned on starting with the Build Your Own Nachos. Basically, you start with a plate of tortilla chips with melted cheese ($3.74) and then you pick the toppings you would like. I like that you can make the nachos exactly how you enjoy them with steak ($3.74) or chicken ($2.15) or chili ($1.64) and topped off with things like sour cream ($.75) or jalapenos ($47). Nachos were on my mind but since a basket of warm tortilla chips with salsa were put in front of us the moment we were seated we decided to enjoy those and pick other starters when we ordered our drinks.

I ordered the Mexican Sunrise ($6.07). I wanted something fun and it sounded like a great pick with it’s Lunazul Reposado, Grenadine, lemonade, orange juice, fresh lime juice, and ginger ale. It had great bite from the tequila and the lemonade and was such a pretty color from the Grenadine. I liked the slight effervescence from the ginger ale as well.

Price enjoyed the house margarita ($5.37). Fresh citrus and a hearty amount of tequila always makes for a great drink. Plus, the affordable price doesn’t hurt.

Ultimately, we decided on starting with the small order of 8 tequila wings ($8.18). Price loves wings so this was his pick. He was excited to dig right in when they were set down in front of us and the scent of the wings rose up with the steam coming off the hot wings.

The tequila wings were juicy and really flavorful without being too hot. The tequila adds a really nice flavor. I would have preferred the skin to be crisper but I’m honestly really picky about wings since I don’t actually really like wings. shhh… I prefer tenders but I have to say I did have one of these and it was really good. Loved the flavor from the sauce.

The wings were served with a zesty blue cheese sauce and, of course, celery. I loved the blue cheese sauce as it was really creamy and flavorful. I couldn’t resist dipping some tortilla chips into the sauce as well.

I picked out the special of Jalapeno Poppers since they are some of my favorite appetizers. I love the combo of spicy pepper with cooling cream cheese and the crunch from the crisp coating. These poppers were a perfect combo of that. Plus crazy fresh from the fryer, which is a must with poppers as you want a hot filling and crisp coating.

The jalapeno poppers were served with the same zesty blue cheese sauce as the wings.

Fajitas and ‘Ritas has several zones in their restaurant. It makes for flexible seating when it comes to avoiding loud crowds or for hosting a party in an area.

For my entrée, I ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas ($10.28) because I couldn’t pass up the signature dish in which the restaurant is named.

The fajitas are served with fresh guacamole, chopped pico de gallo, sour cream, and 2 warm flour tortillas.

I loved it all. It was a large portion of vegetables with steak and 4 shrimp. The steak was lean, flavorful, and tender while the shrimp had a nice blackening to it from the heat of the cooktop. The steak was cut into strips so it was easy for stacking into the tortillas.

Because we enjoyed 2 starters, I saved half of my fajitas to have for lunch the next day. It heated up well in the microwave as the veggies were still a bit crisp and the steak was not too well done in the first place so it didn’t get tough and chewy after it was reheated.

Price picked the pulled pork platter ($9.35). The platters are served with a corn muffin, cole slaw, beans, and a side of BBQ sauce. The typical hearty Texas meal!

Price really enjoyed the 12 hour smoked pork that was smothered in BBQ sauce. The thick sauce was smokey and sweet and a great compliment to the beans. A bite of pulled pork followed up with a bite of corn muffin was a great combination.

We both really enjoyed the cole slaw as it was really crunchy and lightly dressed. For us, texture is a big factor in a good cole slaw and this style of cut (like a dice, not ribboned) makes it extra crunchy.

While Price was enjoying his entrée, he had a CoronaRita ($8.41). What’s a CoronaRita? Well, it’s their house frozen margarita served with an upside down 7oz bottle of Corona in it. As you drink the margarita you pull the Corona out of the drink to release more of the beer so it mixes with the ‘rita. yum!

Besides the margaritas, they also serve wine and margarita like drinks with a vodka base instead of tequila. The Texas Sipper ($6.54) made with Titos Handmade Vodka, St. Germain, Grapefruit Juice, soda has my name all over it for next time.

I had been hoping to enjoy some dessert but we had filled up too much on our meal. Only means we need to go back for some Sopapillas (One for $1.64, Three for $4.40) and, of course, more ‘ritas!

And a big THANK YOU to our waitress who gave us awesome service, as well as being super sweet to Autumn. Just the sweetest thing ever!!!!!! Love the extra attention for our little one. Made my day.

Fajitas and ‘Ritas

25 West St #1

Boston, MA 02111

617.426.1222

*While a portion of my lunch bill was comped by Fajitas and ‘Ritas these opinions are entirely my own.

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

3.7-9: Weekend Recap

March 10, 2014

{Friday Night}

Price home early | Price made our Blue Apron dinner | Grimm | bed

{Saturday}

{Sunday}

Monday Munchies: The Fat Cactus- Lynnfield, MA

February 17, 2014

I swear I could eat Mexican food twice a week and never get bored of it. It’s just a cuisine that is so flavorful and delicious. I can’t resist the opportunity to have it. And we had been recently been talking about going out to dinner so I just knew we had to try a place that we always say ‘oh we should go there!’ every time we drive by. So we headed to The Fat Cactus- A Mexicali Cantina for a great dinner.

The Fat Cactus is located on Rt 1 in Lynnfield, MA

Price enjoyed both a frozen Fat Cactus Margy and a Fat Cactus Margy on the Rocks ($6.59). The Fat Cactus is their classic margarita consisting of Tequila, triple sec, sour mix, and fresh lime juice. He said that both were good but he preferred the one on the rocks much more.

I had the Prickly Pear Margy, which is their #1 best selling special ($9.95). I thought it had a great boozy kick to it as it was pretty sweet from the prickly pear juice. Because the margarita had orange juice instead of lime juice I decided to get it with sugar on the rim as I thought the sweetness would be a perfect pair. I would definitely order this margarita again.

We started with some complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were crisp and salty, which went well with the salsa that came with a kick. Typically restaurant salsa is pretty plain and mild but this was good with some bite.

The Baja Spicy Popcorn Shrimp ($8.99) sounded like a great appetizer so we ordered that. It was a great alternative to the calamari that we typically order. The shrimp were small and the perfect poppable appetizer. The shrimp’s light coating was lightly fried to a toasty brown color. The shrimp were flavorful on their own but even better when dipped into the Baja dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was creamy and really quite spicy amping up the flavor of the shrimp even more. I dipped some chips in the sauce as well since I enjoyed it so much.

For dinner I ordered the Tacos AL Pastore ($9.99). The pair of pork tacos came with a choice of rice, refried beans, or black beans. I selected therice, which was seasoned nicely and loaded with vegetables as well. The portion was rather large, and I was looking forward to dessert, so I only had 1 taco and some rice but that taco was so dang good. The pork was dang tender and flavorful. The rotisserie pork was marinated with pineapple and red Chilies, and then topped off with fresh onions, cilantro, and the same Baja sauce that was served with the Baja Spicy Popcorn Shrimp. So many layers of flavor!

Price had a Chimichanga filled with Carne Deshebrada ($12.99). Carne Deshebrada is marinated, slow-cooked moist shredded beef. It was a perfect filling for the chimichanga, which basically is a deep fried burrito, which is then covered in queso. umm… yum! Again, the portions were generous, as the chimichanga was served with rice and a choice of refried beans or black beans, so Price saved half of his to make room for dessert as well.

We shared the Deep Fried Ice Cream dessert ($5.99). A softball sized ball of ice cream was plated before us. We dug into the ice cream which is rolled in cinnamon and sugar and then coated with crusted cornflakes. And if that wasn’t enough it was topped off with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry! It was really good but it honestly would have been a bit better if it was softer as it was rock hard, but I suppose it’s tricky frying ice cream.

We are already looking forward to our next visit to The Fat Cactus. They have great deals during the wee, like on Monday any Burrito or Chimichanga is just $5! As well they post specials on their Facebook page.

The Fat Cactus- A Mexicali Cantina

215 Broadway

Lynnfield, MA 01940

781.592.0077

Crispy Tofu Tacos with a Mango Salsa and a Creamy Lime Drizzle

February 3, 2014

I’m skipping this week’s edition of Monday Munchies post to bring you a great recipe and GIVEAWAY!

I’ve been on a taco kick recently. In 1 week I had tacos 3 times. 3 times!! But the best part was that each were so different. I just love how versatile they are. I made ground turkey as the filling, then I had fish tacos when my mom and I were out to lunch when she was visiting last week, and then I made these tofu tacos. Each were so good in their own way.

Have you ever made tacos with tofu before? I never had but once I saw this recipe I knew I had to give it a try. I’ve used Nasoya’s great Organic non-GMO tofu in endless stir fry’s but I figured that I would change things up and give this recipe a try.

Boy, it did not disappoint!

The tofu was firm, crispy, and flavorful. It was great for a filling as a taco. In fact, it kinda reminded me of fish tacos. The texture was light like fish and it had a nice crisp coating on the pieces as well. No, it didn’t taste like fish so I wasn’t fooled there but the way that tofu absorbs flavors is spot on in that is soaked up the umami rich Worcestershire sauce and then it became best friends with the cumin in the dredge. Bestest of friends. (ugh, where is my mind?)

Anyway… the Nasoya TofuPlus is great to use in recipes like this, as well as stir fries, such as this Spicy Peanut Stir Fry. But if tofu is new to you then you should know that tofu comes in different firmness. You can use something like silken which you can use in these Carrot Cake Squares. Nasoya’s TofuPlus is verasitle so you can use it from everything to breakfast smoothies, grill it and serve it on a salad, to even making dessert with it!

The tofu is great but you can’t ignore that the mango salsa and the creamy lime drizzle add great flavors to the tacos as well. They really pack a punch to tie the flavors of the tacos together. Kinda creates the perfect bite sorta thing. You get the heat and tang from the creamy lime drizzle and then there is great balance from the sweetness from the mango in the salsa. Plus you get some crunch from the red pepper to add some nice texture to the tacos. yum!!

So in conclusion- what? is this a essay or something?- these Crispy Tofu Tacos made with Nasoya tofu are just perfect for a Meatless Monday dinner. Have you done Meatless Monday before? You should give it a try. It’s a great night to change things up to kick off the week. You know, so you can take the week by the horns and kick some butt!

If you want to try these tofu tacos, or other great recipes using tofu, then be sure to enter my Nasoya GIVEAWAY after the recipe!!!

Crispy Tofu Tacos with a Mango Salsa and a Creamy Lime Drizzle

Makes 8 Tacos

Ingredients

For the Filling

1 package Nasoya Extra-firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon grill seasoning or seasoned salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons canola oil

For the Mango Salsa

1/2 cup diced mango
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the Creamy Lime Drizzle

1 teaspoon lime zest
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon minced pickled jalapeno peppers

8 flour taco sized tortillas or 16 taco sized corn tortillas

Process

Prepare the lime drizzle by zesting the lime rind into a small bowl. Juice the zested lime into the bowl and then add the sour cream and jalapeno peppers. Mix well to combine.
Prepare the mango salsa by combining all of the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prepare the filling by slicing the tofu lengthwise into 6 slices, and then quarter each piece resulting in 24 total rectangles; set aside.
In a shallow bowl, beat eggs with the Worcestershire sauce. In another shallow bowl, mix together the cornstarch, grill seasoning and cumin.
Heat oil in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip each piece of tofu in the egg mixture, dredge in the cornstarch mixture, and then cook in the skillet for about 3 – 4 minutes per side (top and bottom) or until brown. Do not crowd in the skillet, so prepare the pieces in batches, if necessary.
Heat tortillas according to the package directions. Assemble the tacos by placing 3 pieces in taco then dressing with the mango salsa and topping with the creamy lime drizzle.

Slightly adapted from Nasoya

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If you would like to win some Nasoya coupons for your own tacos, stir fries, smoothies, and much more, then all you have to do it leave a comment on this blog post telling me how you would use tofu in your own cooking.

For an extra entry tweet the following: “Tofu Tacos? Yes! perfect for #MeatlessMonday. These Crispy Tofu Tacos are a must try! http://wp.me/pzEAP-44I Plus a giveaway!” Come back here and leave a comment telling me you did this.

For an extra entry LIKE Nasoya on Facebook. Come back here and leave a comment telling me you did this.

*While I did receive complimentary product from Nasoya, these opinions are entirely my own.

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Monday Munchies: Morada Bay Beach Cafe- Islamorada, FL

January 21, 2014

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the first and third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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For Price’s birthday this year we were in The Florida Keys on our Babymoon so we had great dining options right at our finger tips. We ended up dining right on the beach watching the sunset when we discovered Morada Bay Beach Cafe on Islamorada.

Dinner on the beach right at sunset… perfection.

We started the birthday dinner off with some drinks and appetizers. Fresh drinks and fresh seafood to kick things off.

Price enjoyed a margarita while I enjoyed a kids smoothie. That’s just what happens when you’re pregnant! Ha! The margarita was large and in charge as it was served in big ball jar. It could have used some extra tequila though!

While we sipped out drinks we just took in the gorgeous view.

We shared the Conch Salad which was made up of fresh bell peppers, red onion, jalapenos, tomatoes, and a citrus juice sauce. ($13) I had not had conch in years! It was so good. The conch was fresh and perfectly ‘cooked’ from the citrus juices. Tender conch was mixed with thinly sliced vegetables that had a lovely contrasting crunch. The salad was served with come crackers but I don’t think they were needed.

As well we enjoyed the Ahi Tuna Tartar appetizer. ($18.50) The marinated tuna was served on top of some pureed avocado and served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and a sesame soy vinaigrette. The diced tuna was mixed together with some cucumber and jalapeno providing a nice textural contrast as well as flavor contrast.

After we enjoyed the appetizers we shared, we had our entrees. Price decided to order the Pasta of the Day ($24). The chef’s special that day consisted of spaghetti served with large shrimp, spinach, and tomatoes in a light sauce. He really enjoyed the pasta mixed with the fresh vegetables and the perfectly cooked shrimp. There were plenty of shrimp on the generous portion as well.

I was in the mood for some steak so I jumped at ordering the steak special. The steak entree was served with 3 delicious sides- a mixed greens salad, plantains, and a coconut cous cous. All of those were a nice accompaniment to the steak. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium- rare, and was nicely presented on the dish. Almost too pretty to eat… almost.

We finished the night off with some Key Lime Pie. We unfortunately did not photograph this delightful dessert but the sun had set upon us. A great way to finish an evening out with sand between our toes while we shared some silky smooth Key Lime Pie.

The one disappointing thing about the Beach Cafe were the condition of the bathrooms. The bathrooms are in a building off to the side of the performance stage. They just seemed like they needed some attention in terms of getting an updated design with new finishes. As well, the bathrooms were in need to some attention to clean them up. There were rolls of toilet paper on the floor. Maybe someone had just come in and made a mess prior to the staff going in but it was disappointing to see.

If you are looking for a beautiful place for a dinner in The Keys then look no further than

Morada Bay Beach Cafe

81600 Overseas Highway

Islamorada, Florida 33036

Chicken Fajitas

November 8, 2013

I’ve been feeling quite proud of myself lately for the fact that I have been cooking dinner during the week for us. Earlier on when I was dead tired to the world we did the cereal and boxed mac and cheese thing quite regularly. This week we only had cereal for dinner once!

And I’ve been baking. Maybe it’s the nesting stuff kicking in? I thought that would be more related to things like laundry, cleaning, and decorating, though. Either way people in my and Price’s office seem to enjoy it when I bring in goodies. I’m just making it up to them in advance for my 3 months away while on maternity leave.

Ugh, don’t get me started on maternity leave. 12 weeks?!?!? That is going to go by in a blink of an eye. :-/ I’m sure there will be plenty of nights of cereal or boxed mac and cheese during that time period was well… it all comes in cycles.

Well, one of the yummy things I whipped up this week for dinner were these Chicken Fajitas. I had them in mind to celebrate this weekend’s NASCAR race in Phoenix. I couldn’t resist making fajitas for my Sprint Cup Snacks series once I had that them in my head!

I actually prepped these one morning before work by making the marinade, trimming the chicken, and setting it all up to marinate for the day. So when I got home all I had to do was take out the chicken, cut up the veggies, assemble the toppings, and just cook the chicken and then the veggies. It all came together quite quickly and nicely. Plus you cook the chicken and then the veggies using the same pan so clean up was pretty quick too!

These chicken fajitas will be a hit at your house this weekend or any week night. Plus if you make a mega batch you can give your significant other leftovers for lunch to make up for the cereal you served for dinner earlier on in the week. ha!!

Chicken Fajitas

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt
2 Tbsp canola, safflower, peanut or grapeseed oil (a high smoke point oil)
1 large onion, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
3 bell peppers of various colors, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

For the marinade

2 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For assembly

8-12 flour tortillas
Your prefered toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sliced avocado/guacamole, sour cream, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce dressed lightly with salt and cider vinegar

Process

Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally, so that the center thickness is around 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. *Do not pound the chicken breasts, doing so will not result in the right texture/consistency for fajitas.*
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the chicken, coating well, cover, and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours, but remove them an hour before cooking so that they can come closer to room temperature.
Once done marinating, wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle the chicken with salt.
Heat a large cast iron frying pan on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of canola oil to the pan. As soon as the oil begins to smoke, lay the chicken breast pieces in the pan. Let the chicken cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, until you have a good sear. Once seared well on one side, turn the pieces over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until well seared on the second side.
Once seared on the second side, remove to a cutting board, stack the pieces on top of each other, and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 5 minutes. If you want to test for doneness, cut into one piece with the tip of a sharp knife. It should be just done, if not, you can put it back in the hot pan for a minute or two.
While the chicken is resting, cook the onions and peppers. Add another tablespoon of oil to the very hot frying pan. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan. Use a metal spatula to scrape up some of the browned bits from the chicken and stir to coat the onions and peppers. Spread the onions and peppers in an even layer in the pan, letting them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes so they sear with some blackening. Stir the vegetables and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
Slice the chicken against the grain into strips. Serve at once with the peppers and onions, some warm tortillas, and your preferred toppings.

Adapted from Simply Recipes