Facil Pollo Chilaquiles

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Hello friends! You know, I love to cook from scratch as much as possible, but sometimes you just do not have the energy or the time. These are tough times, I know. We are quaran-teaching (both parents, grandparents and teachers), we are stressed over loss of income, and our energy levels are drained at every turn. I have been creating and writing recipes, such as this one and the pork roast I wrote about in the previous recipe blog post, to help alleviate some of that quaran-stress as possible. This one takes a trip to the grocery store but the meal prep is easy (facil, easy, in Spanish) and won't quaran-drain you or your bank account. I will also talk about how to make two meals out of the same ingredients. Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts

2 packages pre-sliced bell peppers of three colors

1 yellow onion, sliced into crescents

3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1/2 cup coarsely torn or chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

1 rounded tablespoon smoke paprika

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon oregano

1/2 tablepsoon Chile Pasilla or Molido powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 bag blue corn tortilla chips and, for meal two, small flour taco tortillas

shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese

1 small can El Pato sauce (4 tablespoons)

vegetable oil, three tablespoons + 3 more

2 limes, zest and juice of both

non-stick spray

Slice the onions into crescents.

These pre-sliced, packaged items, even onions, can be found in the chilled greens and lettuce section.

I like using blue corn chips when making intensely flavorful and colorful dishes like this.

Using a sharp chef's knife, make shallow angular slices on the top and bottom of the chicken. In a large bowl, add the spices, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the juice and zest of two limes, salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly. Add the shallow sliced chicken and make sure the marinade gets into every nook and cranny. This could also be completed in a gallon-sized zip-lock baggie. Let sit and marinate for at least thirty minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

Ten minutes before the chicken has marinated for thirty minutes......

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add three tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil ripples, add the onions with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sautee for about two minutes only. Add the washed pre-sliced bell peppers and add them to the skillet. Again, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate and sautee about four minutes.

Sautee in vegetable oil for a few minutes after marinating.

Sautee the veg, seasoning with salt and pepper, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Don't forget the cilantro at this point!

Once the chicken has finished cooking, slice the breasts into the angular pieces you see above based on the shallow slices you make earlier to marinate. Now add the chicken to the rest of the sautee! Drizzle in three more tablespoons of El Pato sauce. (El Pato sauce is a tomato and chile based product, which is truly deliciious).

Now, plan one: Spray the bottom and sides of a baking pan. Add a layer of blue corn chips, a layer of shredded cheese, a generous layer of the sautee, more cheese, more chips more sautee, more chips and more cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove, let cool a few minutes, then serve.

Plan two: Follow Every procedure until the baking pan. Instead of a baking dish, to a cast iron skillet, add the sautee and bake at 450-degrees for ten minutes once the oven is fully heated. Warm up flour taco-sized tortillas, and eat as tacos with cilantro and finely chopped onion, whatever your preferred condiments are.

Either way, you cannot go wrong with this.

As always, Thank You for your visit, and thank you for staying with me, whether you are an old friend or a new friend. I am grateful for your visit, regardless.

Now, Please go Cook Something For Someone You Love!!!!

~Martin

In-House Cook