Something about summer draws a cook outdoors. The thought of a hot kitchen pales next to the romantic idea of cooking in a shady spot enjoying a cooling evening breeze at dusk.
Usually all the ingredients for this meal fit on a handy tray and the utensils are few. Summer is when we enjoy simpler foods, lighter flavors and little movement after a long hot day.
This meal takes about 20 minutes to prepare, a couple of hours to marinate and then it’s as easy as grill and serve!
Fajita Style Chicken with red and white mashed baby tates (grilled baby potatoes can be substituted).
The marinade for the chicken is simply this:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 scallions, white parts only, sliced finely
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
pinch of salt
sprinkling of red pepper flakes
1 – 2 teaspoons, (or more depending on your heat preference), seeded, fresh jalapeno, diced finely
Whisk all ingredients to blend thoroughly.
This is enough marinade for about 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts and/or thighs. To save time, I simply gash the chicken 3-4 times with a sharp knife. Put the chicken in a glass baking dish and cover with the marinade. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 6 hours. Grill the chicken until cooked through. It will be firm to the touch.
To use this recipe for fajitas, simply cut the chicken into strips after it’s cooked. Slicing can be done before cooking but it makes turning the chicken on the grill more of a challenge.
Add a side serving of Black Bean Salad: black beans, seeded roma tomatoes, diced red onion and cubed avocado in a simple whisked vinaigrette of 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 3/4 cup walnut oil (although olive oil works too), dash of dijon mustard to taste, and freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste.
The Black Bean Salad vegetable ingredients are measured according to your own tastes. Use as much or as little of any ingredient as you like. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables, toss gently until coated, cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad and leftover dressing.
Leftovers make a fine lunch with a tall glass of iced tea. Enjoy.
