Grilled Fajitas

This has been a favorite this summer, its quick and is all done on the grill.

Grilled Steak Fajitas

From "America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook"
serves two

1 lb Flank Steak
2 red bell peppers
1 large sweet onion
1 Avacado, scooped out & sliced
1 Lime
1 package tortilas
Sour cream & salsa (optional)
Cheddar cheese (optional)

Latin Spice Rub (makes enough to coat 2 lbs flank steak)
2 T cumin
2 T chili powder
1 T coriander
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine spice rub ingredients and generously rub on all sides of the flank steak. Slice onion through the "equator" into 1/2 inch thick rings. Keep the slices together and carefully thread horizontally onto a skewer so that the skewer keeps all the rings together. You should fit about 2 slices per skewer. Brush with vegetable oil

Cut the top & bottom off the bell peppers. Pull out the core & seeds, then make one cut lengthwise. Carefully flatten the pepper so you have one flat long piece of bell pepper. Brush with vegetable oil.

Heat grill to medium high & grill veggies & meat for aprox 10 minutes or until cooked through. The bell pepper will blacken some which is ok.

Slice the flank steak and drizzle with lime juice. Warm tortillas briefly on the grill and serve with grilled onions, peppers, steak & avacado slices.

Balsamic Spring Veggie Ravioli

Another Kari Kreation.

Ravioli Primavera

Serves 3-4

1 bag frozen cheese ravioli
1 Portabello Mushroom, sliced & cut into 1 inch sections
1 red pepper, sliced and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped bite size
6 Asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch sections
1-2 cups Arugula (optional)
Whole roasted garlic cloves (optional)
1 Tbs fresh Thyme leaves, chopped (fresh oregano would also work or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
Chopped Garlic to taste
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Put 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar in a small pan on medium low heat. Get it simmering and then keep an eye on it while you cook the rest of the meal. You want to reduce it by at least 1/2 but be careful it does not dwindle down too fast and burn. When it is reduced (about 15 minutes at a low simmer) remove from heat and set aside.

Start water for cooking the ravioli.

Heat aprox 4 Tbs olive oil in a large frying pan over medium/med high heat. Add at least a tsp chopped garlic, thyme leaves and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook a minute till fragrant, but don't let it burn! Add mushrooms, red peppers & asparagus and cook until they start to soften. (5 -10 minutes) Make sure the heat is high enough that its cooking away most liquid that's being released. Start cooking your frozen ravioli. Add roma tomatoes and roasted garlic cloves, cook for a couple more minutes till they're warm and soft. Remove from heat and stir in Arugula till its wilted. Mix with Ravioli, adding a little more olive oil if needed to coat the raviolis. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction over it and shower with fresh parsley, parmesan and ground pepper.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Sandwiches

I've been addicted to these lately and finely feel like I have the method perfected, for my tastes at least. I like having them for dinner with steamed artichokes on the side. You can buy fresh mozzarella for really cheap ($6 for two huge logs) at Costco, otherwise it tends to cost $5 packed in the little tubs of water with just enough for two people. It goes bad quickly too, so use it up within a week, maybe two.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Sandwiches
Serves 1 for dinner, two for lunch

1 large ball of fresh, water packed Mozzarella, or 1/3 of a huge costco log (see above)
1 large bag of Basil
1 1/2 roma tomato per person
1 sandwich size baguette per person
1 clove of garlic
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Slice baguette in half length wise & stick cut sides up under the broiler until it is crunchy but not too browned. Remove from heat. Slice garlic clove in half and rub over the cut/toasted side until the bread softens. The garlic will disinegrate/melt into the bread. Do this to both halves of the baguette. Drizzle both halves with olive oil.

Core tomatoes and slice aprox 1/4 inch thick. Lay slices on baguette halves and then sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cover tomtoes w/ basil leaves. Slice Mozzarella the same way and lay on top of the basil. Eat cold, or broil for 2 more minutes until the cheese just barely melts.

Shrimp Tacos

Not super inspired, but this is the way I came up with and how I like to make mine. Unfortunately cooking this tends to give me an itchy puffy face (I think its the spices??), so who knows if I'll make it again. : (

Shrimp Tacos w/ Mango Salsa

Serves 2-3 (just add more meat for more people)

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed (rock shrimp works well if you can find it, or try a white fish or even bay scallops)
2 Tb butter
2 tsp chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika, or maybe even plain chili powder
3 cloves pressed or finely minced garlic
Corn Tortillas, heated
1 very small head of green cabbage
Mango Salsa (recipe follows)
Sliced avacado (optional)

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the shrimp, garlic and chili powder. Stirfry until the shrimp are cooked through, remove from heat and serve in corn tortillas w/ shredded cabbage (shave off with a knife), mango salsa and avacado slices.

Mango Salsa
1-2 mangos cubed
1/4 - 1/3 of a sweet onion, chopped very fine
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Chopped Cliantro to taste

Peel the mango & chop into 1/2 inch cubes. If the mango is not very juicy, mash part of it up with a fork to make the salsa more saucy. Add the rest of the ingredients & let the salsa rest in the fridge until dinner is ready. One mango is usually enough for 2 people, but two would be great if you love mango & have some chips to polish it off.