Shrimp Fajitas

Here’s the main dish from my Mexican fiesta dinner! 

Fajitas are great because you can make them however you want! They are perfect for a crowd so that people can pick and choose their toppings and how much they feel like eating. If you don’t like anything, just leave it off! Don’t feel like using a tortilla? Put the toppings over some lettuce for a taco salad or make it into a rice bowl. I like this recipe because it’s light and it uses shrimp, which is a little more interesting than the typical steak or chicken.

Personally, I load mine up with a ton of everything… especially the optional condiments. Salsa, guac, sour cream (I’ve actually made the switch over to Greek yogurt and am LOVING it), cheese, jalapenos, and hot sauce… of course. I can’t get enough! It usually ends up being a total embarrassing mess because I try to pick it up and eat it and everything goes spilling out the back and the juices are running down my arms.  Attractive, right? Note to self: Do not order fajitas until after at least 5 dates. After that, I figure the guy has probably already realized that he’s not exactly getting a prim and proper lady so I might as well enjoy my grub.

Grab some tortillas, pull out all the Mexican condiments in your fridge, and build yourself a delicious fajita!

Shrimp Fajitas (2 servings – 330 cals) from Skinnytaste

• 1 medium onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt + fresh pepper

 For the Shrimp

• 3/4 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined (weigh them after you peel them)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• salt + fresh pepper
• pinch of chipotle chile powder
• 1/2 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro

• 4 tortillas

1.       In frying pan combine onions, peppers, 2 teaspoons oil, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Cook on the stovetop tossing occasionally until onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes.

2.       Season shrimp with chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper. While the onions are cooking, heat a large frying pan on high heat. Add oil. When the oil is hot add the shrimp and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove from heat. Add juice from the lime and cilantro. Toss well. Combine with the cooked onions and peppers and serve with tortillas.

the veggies

ready to be stuffed in a tortilla and smothered with condiments :)

Roasted Lemon Thyme Turnips

I am constantly looking to experiment with side dish recipes. However, I generally forget about the side dish because I am concentrating on the main dish (and the dessert of course!). I also make a lot of one dish meals. But enough with the excuses, I have an awesome and easy veggie side dish recipe for you guys!

In the winter, I crave soup, pasta, cream sauce, and anything else that will make me feel warm and full. In the summer, I love fresh, crisp vegetables that I can enjoy while sitting on a patio. When I went to my grandmother's house for dinner the other day, she had bought some turnips from the farmer's market. I had never eaten turnips before but I was up for the challenge of cooking them! My grandmother said that they are usually served mashed but, as I said before, I really like the feel of fresher vegetables in the summer so I decided to roasted them with onions and lemon juice.

I really liked the way they turned out! The texture reminded me of something between a carrot and a potato while the taste reminded me more of cauliflower. However you want to describe it, I dig it and plan on using them more often. The lemon and thyme gave the dish quite a strong tangy flavor. It went really well with the other side dish and main course I served (recipes will be coming later this week!). The only negative aspect of this dish is that it looks very boring with the white turnips and the white onions. When I made it again, I will at least garnish it with slices of lemon and larger sprigs of thyme. It might even be nice to throw in a nice green vegetable like asparagus, green beans, or Brussels sprouts!

If you're a turnip virgin like I was, give it up already and try these ;)

Roasted Lemon Thyme Turnips (6 servings)

• 6 turnips, cut into 2'' cubes
• 1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Toss the turnips and onions with the olive oil, lemon juice, and thyme. Place in a baking dish. 
3. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until tender.

I went to use dried thyme but my grandfather had some fresh in his garden!

it tastes a lot more exciting than it looks!

Grilled Strip Steak with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce

About a year ago Tom and I tried to grill steaks.  We called my dad and asked him how to do it.  Tom insisted that I back off and let him do the grilling so, as per his request, I left him and the steaks alone. We didn't know that Tom's dad's grill is really high quality and gets RIDICULOUSLY hot.  Tom put the steaks on, didn't watch them, came back in like 8 minutes, and they were completely charred.  He threw a temper tantrum and refused to eat or talk to me for the rest of the evening.  Needless to say, we have not attempted to make steaks since that fiasco.

We decided to give it another shot. I was terrified. 

Yet again, I promised to leave him alone with his steaks. He decided (after I sweetly suggested it) to first cook a steak that we would use for a salad the next day, so he could adjust the grilling time/temperature as necessary.  It came out a little rare for our tastes so he threw it back on for a couple minutes and it came out great!

 Look at the grill master himself, totally absorbed in the task at hand.

Then it was time for the true test of the two main steaks.  In order to distract myself from bothering him and looking over his shoulder the whole time, I decided to make some sort of sauce. As soon as I saw Pioneer Woman's onion blue cheese sauce, I knew I had to make it. Plus it would be potent enough to disguise less-than-perfect steaks (just in case).

EVERYTHING CAME OUT AMAZING! Tom cooked the steaks perfectly.  Deep pink on the inside, grill marks on the outside, so juicy.  The sauce was absolutely decadent.  It was rich and creamy and... just heaven in a sauce.  Just one small note: the recipe makes a TON of sauce. You could definitely cut it in half and still have way more than enough. Neither Tom nor I react well when we try to make something and it's an utter failure so thank God for the complete success :)

There's not much time left in grilling season so go make this now! I promise, you won't be disappointed.  Skip the steakhouse, pop open a bottle of wine, and enjoy!

Grilled Strip Steak with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce (2 servings)

• 2 whole strip steaks
• salt and pepper or steak seasoning
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 whole very large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1.       Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill until medium rare or however you like them.

2.       Sauté onions in 4 tablespoons butter over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve steaks with sauce on top.