"EASY FAJITAS"

I used chicken for this "Easy Fajitas" recipe. Another alternative would be beef strips, but make sure you do not overcook the meat, as beef tends to turn tougher the more you cook it.

-CHICHAY

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What You Need:

• 1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breast, sliced in strips


• 3 tbsp olive oil


• 2 tbsp lime juice


• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced


• 1/2 tsp chili powder


• 1/2 tsp cumin


• 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)


• 1/2 tsp black pepper


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 large white onion, chopped


• 2 sweet (bell) peppers, chopped


• 1/2 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms

Prep:
-In bowl, mix together 1 tbsp olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, hot pepper flakes, black pepper & salt.

-Add chicken strips, stir to coat, and marinade for at least half an hour.

How To:

-In a large skillet , heat up 2 tbsp olive oil over medium to high heat.

-Add onions and the mushrooms, saute, stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes or until softened.

-Add bell peppers, and saute, stirring for another minutes.

-Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

-On the same skillet, add chicken strips and saute, stirring for about 5-8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked on all sides.

-Return the vegetables to the skillet, and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

-Serve the Fajitas with torlillas, or brown rice and salad.

-If serving with tortillas, serve with sides of salsa or chopped tomatoes, sour cream and shredded cheese.

"BUTTERED ASPARAGUS AND ZUCCHINI"

Here's an easy side-dish option that is perfect with pork chops, fish, or barbecued chicken too.

"Buttered Asparagus and Zucchini" is something that I can eat for lunch. It's funny the other when I cooked this as supposedly our side dish with our barbecued chicken, I liked it a lot, that I about 2 cups of it with my rice, and totally forgot about my chicken!

[CHICHAY TIP: There are two kinds of asparagus, the "pencil" asparagus, or the thinner one, and the other kind which have thicker stalks. If you are using the thicker one, asparagus stalks will be quite tough, and you need to peel them and get rid of the tough outer fiber. Soak the peeled ones in cold water while peeling the others. I normally separate the stalks from the crown part, cut it in bite-size pieces, and cook it (blanch in hot water for a few minutes) until soft, before I saute it with the crown part. The stalks can be very tough and fibrous if not cooked properly. The crown part of the asparagus is more tender and less fibrous, so it doesnt need par-cooking. Be careful though not to overcook it as it sort of "melts" when it is overcooked.]

-CHICHAY

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"BUTTERED ASPARAGUS AND ZUCCHINI"

What You Need:

• A bunch of pencil asparagus, cut to bite pieces.


• 1 zucchini, sliced


• 1 small shallot, minced


• 3 cloves of garlic, minced


• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
  
• 2 tbsp water


• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)


• salt and pepper

How To:

- Heat up butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

- Add the shallots and garlic, lower the heat, and cook until softened.

- Add the zucchini, season with salt, and saute while stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes.

-Add the asparagus, the oyster sauce (if using) and water, stir a bit, cover and cook on low for about 5-8 minutes, until the asparagus are tender.

-Season with salt and pepper and serve.

"OMELETTE"

Omelettes. The fillings I use often are any leftover meat or sausages, spinach, and definitely bell peppers and onions. You can always use anything that you want as fillings for your omellete. Sometimes we just use cheese chunks and tomatoes. When I use cheese as my filling, I microwave the cooked omelette for about 10 seconds just to melt the cheese completely.

Try eating your omelettes with some tabasco sauce. Yummm.

-CHICHAY

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"OMELETTE"

What You Need:

• 2 large eggs


• salt and pepper, to taste


• 1 tablespoon olive oil


• shredded cheese of your choice

Sample Fillings:

• 1 tsp butter


• onions, chopped


• garlic, minced


• tomatoes, minced


• bell peppers, chopped


• chopped cooked meat like sausages, ham, chicken, pork, or any leftover meats


• salt and pepper


• sliced mushrooms (optional)


• spinach

Prep:

-Sauté all the ingredients for the fillings together (add to the pan in this order: onion/garlic, mushrooms, meat, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach) and set aside.

How To:

-Crack the eggs into a small bowl, season with salt and pepper, and whisk

-Heat the oil on a 9-inch non-stick frying pan and pour in the eggs.

-In the first 30-seconds of cooking, use a spatula to create 8-10 small cuts through the omelette which will allow the uncooked egg on the top to flow down to the bottom of the pan.

-When the top is almost set, sprinkle fillings over half of the omelette and turn off the heat*.

-Use your spatula to flip one half of the omelette over the other, top with shredded cheese, and serve immediately.

*Don't worry if some of the egg in the very center isn't quite set, because the ambient heat will cook it completely.