FAJITAS!

So for this week I decided to make some chicken fajitas.  All of my roommates are loving this blog and they hope that I will keep it going indefinitely because they like all of the free food I make them!  So shout out to apartments 4 and 6!  OK, so back to the fajitas.  They are pretty easy to make and they make a pretty large quantity.  They are good to make if you are going to be cooking for a few people, or, if you are like me, you want some leftovers.  These fajitas taste really good reheated which is awesome.  Some foods don't reheat well (macaroni and cheese anyone?)  Here are the ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breast (cut into thin strips)
2 Tbl. Lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. pepper
Combine these first five ingredients and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3 medium to large peppers (any assortment green, red, yellow) cut into thin strips
½ small onion (cut into rings)
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbl. Vegetable oil
6 inch flour tortilla shells
Optional—shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese, salsa

Saute marinated chicken in oil over medium heat until almost done (approximately 5 minutes).  Then add peppers strips and onions and sauté till veggies are crisp tender. I am not a very big onion fan, so I like to use vidalia onions because they are fairly mild and don't make you cry when you cut them!  I also like to use all different color peppers!  It makes the fajitas look so colorful and is super delicious.  Add sour cream, stir and cook until heated.  I like to stick the tortillas in the microwave for about 10 seconds so that they are soft and warm.  Then, spoon chicken, peppers, onions mixture onto the tortilla. Top with shredded cheese and salsa if you want to (why wouldn't you want to!)  Roll up and serve.  Enjoy!

Hot Seafood Dip

I would like to dedicate this post to my Dad.  Last week I went home for Fall Break and it was the first time that I had seen my family since August.  Every time I go home I always try to make this dip for my Dad.  He really likes it and I like doing something special for him!  This dip is really good and one of my favorites, but it is probably one of the more expensive things that I make.  So it might not be something that you make regularly, but it can DEFINITELY be made to impress someone!  Ok, so here are the ingredients:

8 oz. frozen cocktail shrimp (thawed and drained)

8 oz. flaked or chopped crab meat (I always buy imitation crab meat that is packaged in the refrigerator section)

8 oz. cream cheese (light or regular)

½ cup mayonnaise

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (dried is fine)

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine and mix the above ingredients. It is easiest if you let the cream cheese sit out for about thirty minutes because it is hard to mix it with all of the other ingredients.  It is also helpful to cut the cream cheese up into little cubes to make it easier to mix.  Then, coat an 11 X 7 baking dish with non-stick spray and spread mixture into pan. Make sure that you have spread out the dip evenly in the pan or it will not cook correctly.  Finally, put the pan in the oven and bake it uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm with TRISCUITS!  Personally, my Dad and I prefer the "Rosemary and Olive Oil" Triscuits the best!

Mexican Dip

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So, I was inspired by our recent football game to make a dish that could be used for parties or tailgates or really any kind of social gathering.  If only the football game would have turned out as well as my dip!  The dip is honestly one of the easiest things to make.  It actually requires ZERO cooking!  All you have to be able to do is mix things and chop a few tomatoes.  


1 can refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ package taco seasoning mix
½ cup salsa
8 oz. grated cheddar or Mexican cheese
1 large (or more to taste) tomato—chopped
Optional—sliced olives, chopped onions, diced avocado


Make sure you mix the beans, sour cream, lemon juice, taco seasoning, and salsa together in a mixing bowl.  You want to make sure that the mixture has an even consistency and everything is mixed up well.  It is ok if there are a few chunks or bumps, the beans and the salsa could be the reason for that.  Then spread that mixture in a 12x9 baking dish.  I like to use the aluminum dishes from the grocery store because you can just throw it out afterwards and you don't have to clean!  Then layer grated cheese on top of the mixture that you put in the baking dish.  I prefer the "Mexican cheese" or "Taco cheese" that comes in a package at the grocery store, but you can use whatever kind of cheese you like.  Finally layer chopped tomatoes over the whole thing.  You can also add avocado, olives, green chilies, jalapeños, etc. the possibilities are endless!  

I personally like to serve this with those Tostitos Scoops.  They make it super easy to get the perfect amount of dip on every chip.  Now my mom, who also likes the scoops, prefers the baked ones, as a more healthy option. Honestly, it is up to you so let your tortilla chip imagination run wild!