requies

Thanks to Homesick Texan, I've finally learned how to make decent fajitas. We love fajitas so much in the Clack house, I can't really express how delighted we were that we've at long last, made delicious fajitas at home. Nothing reminds us of living in Texas like fajitas. Our kitchen still smells like peppers, limes and cumin and it makes us smile every time we walk in the door!

Well let's get to the recipe shall we?

Chicken Fajitas
Source: Homesick Texan
Serves: 6

For marinating the chicken:
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 serrano chiles, stems removed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if the breasts are quite large, I would recommend cutting them in half and then marinating.  Our chicken was so big it was hard to cook it all the way through without burning the outside.)

For the fixin's:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bell peppers, seeds and stems removed and sliced.
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
salt to taste
12 flour tortillas
guacamole, salsa, shredded cheese, refried beans, whatever you like on your fajitas!

Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin and serrano chiles in a blender until smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Pour over the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

When you're ready to start cooking, set the oven to 200 or 250. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them in the oven. This way they will be warm when it is time to eat! 

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook until done, about 5 minutes per side (or until the inside is 160 degrees). Remove the chicken and let it rest while we cook the peppers and onions.

Heat the other tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet and saute the onions and peppers over medium heat until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Slice the chicken and serve with the pepper and onions in the warm flour tortillas. Then top with your favorite fixins! As you take your first bite, close your eyes and pretend you are on a beach drinking a margarita. This last step is optional, but I highly recommend it!

I make quiches a lot. Like, every week. I do this because I'm very picky about my breakfasts, not because I'm a connoisseur, I'm just weird. My first meal of the day must be filling, savory and have various ingredients. I can't just have a fried egg by itself for example. Plus it needs to be prepared in 1 minute or less, I like to sleep in as late as possible, you see. 

A quiche made on the weekend, and reheated every morning is the only food I can think of that fills all these requirements. If you have other ideas, let me know in the comments! Now, you might be thinking "A slice of quiche every morning? Molly, surely you get sick of that!" Usually you would be right, but quiches can be made in so many different ways to help keep your interest. One might also object, "Quiches are so fattening, you shouldn't eat them so often!" And to that I reply, yes, generally that is true, but since there are so many options for quiche ingredients, you can easily make healthier choices. 

Which leads me to the purpose of this post, a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-Quiche! Just pick one or two ingredients from the categories below, put them together, bake them, and baby you got a quiche! Oh, I almost forgot another reason I love making quiches. Since there are such a variety of ingredient options, it's a great way to use up leftover ingredients.

1. 9 inch Pie Crust
-You can buy it pre-made.
-You can make it yourself using whatever sort of fat you choose.
-You can make it gluten-free. (There are tons of recipes online)
-You can buy a gluten-free pie crust mix. (Lots of options, just google "gluten-free pie crust mix)
-Or skip the crust altogether! Just make sure to grease the pie pan a lot so the quiche doesn't stick.

2. Eggs
-4 eggs
-8 egg whites (if you do this add more milk to the mix)

3. Milk
-1 cup heavy cream
-1 cup half and half
-1 cup whole, 2%, or skim milk
-1 cup buttermilk
-1 cup goat's milk


4. Vegetables (with appropriate seasonings) Choose as many as you want!
-I'll often use any leftovers from side dishes (That's what I did for the roasted potato and asparagus quiche.)
-Spinach  (defrosting one of those frozen packages is the perfect amount)
-Onions (you can never go wrong with onions, raw or cooked, you'll need about a 1/4 of an onion)
-Steamed Broccoli
-Roasted Red Peppers (great with basil and garlic)
-Sauteed Green Peppers
-Roasted Red Potatoes (soooo good if sliced and roasted in olive oil with onions and rosemary)
-Roasted Asparagus (perfect if roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper and a squirt of lemon)
-Sauteed Mushrooms
-Sauteed Squash or Zucchini
-Top quiche with thinly sliced tomatoes
-Any other vegetable you can think of!

5. Cheese
-6 oz feta cheese (my personal favorite)
-6 oz goat cheese (gives the quiche a great creamy texture)
-6 oz shredded cheddar, swiss, whatever you want

6. Meat (optional)
-Bacon, this is really your only option if you choose to add meat. I usually use 1/4 of a package.

Ok, now we're ready to make our very own quiche! Make sure your pie crust is ready and that your oven is preheated to 375 degrees. 

1. Prepare the vegetables (and bacon if you're including it). Taste the veggies to make sure they are to your liking. Season as necessary. If they don't taste good now, they won't when they are in the quiche, either!

2. Whisk your eggs.

3. Pour the milk into the eggs.

4. Add the vegetables and cheese.

5. Pour the egg mixture into your pie crust (which has been placed in a pie pan).

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes, or until the quiche doesn't jiggle when shaken. Check during baking to make sure the crust isn't browning too fast. If it is, cover it with aluminum foil. (And be sure to clean up any messes before you take photos for your blog...)

7. Serve immediately, or cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for a delicious breakfast for the rest of the week!

I'd love to hear about any quiches that you make! 

Doesn't it just make you smile? I love the Japanese parasol fabric and I can't wait to use it for more projects. It was pretty easy to make, too! Let's take a closer look, shall we?

I loooove it! It definitely brightens up a dreary chore. This was another project from the Home Ec course. I'm learning a lot!