Uneeda Fajita

One of the hardest parts of eating gluten-free is trying to avoid feeling deprived. Many people comment, "What CAN you eat???" The answer is that with a little ingenuity, most anything. I soon discovered that Mexican-style foods offered some options when I use corn tortillas. I have also found gluten-free tortillas recently, though haven't tried them yet. They are a bit pricey, as are many gluten-free foods, and a little hard to come by. These can be made at home, more about that on another post. The friendly little corn tortilla, so affordable, seemed good as a choice for a nice fajita dinner this past Sunday night. I am also including the rest of the menu for you here, because it all was so good together!

Uneeda Fajita

Corn tortillas (2 per fajita)
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 green pepper, chopped fine
1 jalapeno, sliced, seeded and chopped
Mushrooms, sliced (Art doesn't do mushrooms, so I left them out for him)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup water (may add wine, if you prefer)
1/2 c reduced fat co-jack cheese
Olive oil (1-2 tbsp)
pinch of sea salt

Saute vegetables in a tsp olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until the onions begin to look clear. Set aside.

Pour a tsp and a half of olive oil in clean teflon skillet, over medium high heat. Place one corn tortilla in pan. Add a small layer of grated cheese, top with veggies, and then a bit more cheese.
Place second tortilla on top. Wait for the cheese to begin to melt, and the tortilla to begin to get toasty, about two to three minutes. Using aspatula and your hand, flip over. Wait about another minute or so, and remove from heat onto a glass plate. Cut with pizza cutter, and serve with homemade salsa and nice tablespoon-size dollop of low-fat or fat-free sour cream as a condiment, and a small green salad with avodado slices and fresh homemade balsamic vinegarette. This recipe will make up to six servings of fajitas. Muy bueno!


Homemade Salsa
So easy to make, and so much cheaper than store bought brands! When it's freshly made it's good on almost anything. We use it as a dip for veggie, on eggs in the morning (juevos rancheros!) or on fish, chicken, even turkey burgers! The only hitch: you have to make more!
This recipe is great, simple and was inspired by my brother's salsa. Paul, quite the cook himself, is also the "king of low carb cooking"; his salsa is a bit more fiery than mine, which is mild to medium, depending on the heat of your jalapenos. For an even fierier salsa, skip the seed removal. Be sure and wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and avoid touching your eyes after cutting jalapeno! It's a real "tear-jerker!"

Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 bunch cilantro (we like more rather than less). Wash well, dry and remove stems, using leaves only.
2 jalapenos, cut in half and seeded
2 fresh tomatoes, washed, stemmed, and quartered
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 green onions, chopped coarsely
1 chopped dried chilli pods
2 to 3 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
juice of 1 lime
Place all ingredients in food processor or blender. Pulse several times until ingredients are well mixed and finely chopped with some coarse pieces, a bit chunky. Keeps in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Variation: You may add 1/2 peaches, mangoes, or pineapple for a sweeter flavor. You may add more jalapeno, or leave seeds in for an even hotter salsa.

Homemade Balsamic Vinegarette

The easiest dressing, ever. And one of my favorites...

1 garlic clove, minced
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, whisked in
Continue whisking, and add extra virgin olive oil slowly, up to 1/3 cup
Continue whisking until emulsified.
Serve over fresh greens.

Though bagged greens are so easy, buying your own green leaf, red leaf, or romaine lettuce, washed and bagged yourself, saves alot of money! I let the lettuce sit in a bowl of cool water, and then remove the lettuce after about twenty minutes. Don't pour the water off with the lettuce in it; the dirt will fall to the bottom. Dry lettuce carefully. I use paper towels. Dry lettuce will crisp in the frig; wet lettuce will wilt and turn into mush or get frost-bite. Dry and store with paper towels in Green Bags. They really do work. Find them at Bed Bath and Beyond or on-line. Much cheaper in the long run; lettuce by the bag will cost you $2.50 to $4.00 for one salad. Buy your own lettuce for $1.75, wash and store for three or more family meals!
By the way, my other favorite homemade dressing is even easier to prepare: fresh lemon juice, pinch sea salt, fresh pepper and a bit of olive oil. Toss and go!