fajita

Quesadilla Chicken Lavash

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Quesadilla Chicken Lavash! By now you’ve no doubt heard that lavash Turkish flatbread is a healthier alternative to flour tortillas. Not only is it lower in calories, it is higher in fiber, especially if you choose the flax, oat bran, whole wheat variety. Choose your protein, in this case chicken, to help keep you full throughout the day. Add sautéed veggies, radishes green peppers, or mixed greens to ramp up the fiber even more. Flavor is your friend. Now you’re talking about healthy eating. Well done!

QUESADILLA CHICKEN LAVASH 

Ingredients: 

1 sheet of lavash flatbread

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 cup precooked chicken, shredded

1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend, finely shredded

Ranch dressing, for drizzle 

Cherry tomatoes and lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a silicone mat on a heavy baking sheet. Brush one side of the lavash bread with olive oil. Place the oiled side down on the silicone mat. Set aside. To prepare the cooked chicken, add it to a bowl. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over all. Add red pepper flakes. Gently toss the chicken mixture. To assemble the quesadilla, sprinkle half the shredded cheese over one half of the lavash bread. Arrange the chicken mixture over the cheese layer. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the chicken layer. Fold the empty half of the lavash over the filled half. Press down lightly. Bake the quesadilla for 5 minutes; flip and bake 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and the lavash is crispy. Remove the chicken quesadilla from the baking sheet. Slice it into wedges. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Serve immediately with cherry tomatoes and lime wedges, for garnish. 

Lavash Fajita Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Lavash Fajita Flatbread! Lavash is a Turkish flatbread rolled into thin sheets and baked. Its texture is soft and pliable, which also makes it ideal for sandwich wraps or quesadillas. You can often find it in the Deli Department of your local grocery. The size I chose fit perfectly on a 9”x12” baking sheet. A typical package contains 4 sheets of lavash. Being a healthy option for the bread group, lavash contains fewer calories, less carbs, and is low in fat. When making a lavash flatbread pizza, show restraint when adding ingredients. Too many toppings can turn it into a soggy mess. 

LAVASH FAJITA FLATBREAD 

Ingredients: 

1 sheet of Lavash bread; flax, oat bran, and whole wheat variety

3 tablespoons marinara sauce

1/2 cup chihuahua cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 cup shredded fajita meat mixture with sautéed peppers and onions 

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Drizzled ranch dressing, if desired. 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Place the lavash flatbread onto the pan. Spread marinara sauce evenly over all. Layer shredded chihuahua cheese on top. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Arrange fajita meat and vegetables over the cheese layer. Bake 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges of the flatbread are crispy. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs. Drizzle with prepared ranch dressing. Serve immediately. 

Fajita Tortilla Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Waste Not, Want Not: Fajita Tortilla Soup! Last summer when my garden was at its peak, I spent what felt like hours preparing veggies for the freezer. Among them were poblano, bell, and jalapeño peppers. Poblanos were cut into strips, bell peppers were chopped, and jalapeño peppers were sliced. It turns out, they are ideal for using in stir fry, cooked, or baked recipes. By storing the peppers in ziplock bags, I can take out what I need and reseal the rest for later. I also roasted a turkey and froze the surplus in manageable portions, which kept us from getting tired of eating it several days in a row. Now I get to reap the rewards.

FAJITA TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, chopped with stem and seeds removed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

32 ounces chicken broth

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups shredded turkey, precooked

14-ounce can black beans, drained

14-ounce can refried beans (optional)

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Tortilla chips

Jalapeño peppers, sliced

Instructions:

In a deep large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Sauté yellow onion slices, poblano pepper slices, green peppers, and minced garlic. After five minutes, sprinkle oregano and red pepper flakes over all. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, shredded turkey, and black beans. Stir well to combine ingredients. Lower heat, cover, and simmer soup for 20 minutes. For a thicker consistency, gradually stir in refried beans. You may not need an entire can. If the soup becomes too thick, add a little water. Continue warming soup until heated through. Top with Monterey Jack shredded cheese. Place the lid over the pan to melt the cheese. Spoon into bowls. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and sliced jalapeño peppers.

Grass-Fed Beef Tostadas

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Waste Not, Want Not: Grass-Fed Beef Tostadas! If you like the taste of corn tacos, the tostada is a distant cousin. Basically, one is folded, the other is flat. Brushed with oil, then “toasted” crisp, the tostada is made to hold the toppings. This recipe allows you to bend the tortilla if you prefer to eat it that way. Whatever falls onto the plate can be scooped back up into your mouth. No judgment here. Now, about grass-fed beef. It’s going to cost a little more per pound due to the lack of fat content, compounded by the extra time it takes to fatten the cow. Grain makes cows get fat faster, just like it does for humans. I like grass-fed because it is more nutritious with heart-healthy omega 3s plus vitamins. It’s all about the choices we make.

GRASS-FED BEEF TOSTADAS

Ingredients:

1 pound grass-fed ground beef

1 packet fajita seasoning dry mix

1/3 cup canola oil

8 corn tortillas

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, gently torn

1-2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, sliced thin

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Fresh cilantro, leaves only

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250°. Because grass-fed beef has a lower fat content, steaming it is a good option. In a medium skillet, cover the bottom with water. Crumble the ground beef into the water. Set the stovetop temperature to medium-high. Break up any large clumps. Allow the water to boil. Stir the meat to cook evenly. Turn often. When the meat is brown, it is done. Drain the cooked ground beef using a strainer. Dispose of water and grease. Return ground beef to the pan. Sprinkle with fajita seasoning mix. Stir well to coat. Have the burner on lowest setting to keep warm. Spray a shallow skillet with nonstick oil. Set heat to medium-high. Brush one side of corn tortilla with canola oil. Place oiled side down in skillet. Brush the remaining side with canola oil. Fry the shell until golden for 30 seconds to a minute per side. This makes the shell fairly stiff. If the pan begins to smoke, lower the heat setting slightly. Remove the tortilla and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Keep tortillas warm in the oven. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. To assemble, begin with a fried tortilla. Layer with iceberg lettuce, seasoned ground beef, chopped tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with guacamole and salsa.

Fajita Tortilla Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Waste Not, Want Not: Fajita Tortilla Soup! Last summer when my garden was at its peak, I spent what felt like hours preparing veggies for the freezer. Among them were poblano, bell, and jalapeño peppers. Poblanos were cut into strips, bell peppers were chopped, and jalapeño peppers were sliced. It turns out, they are ideal for using in stir fry, cooked, or baked recipes. By storing the peppers in ziplock bags, I can take out what I need and reseal the rest for later. I also roasted a turkey and froze the surplus in manageable portions, which kept us from getting tired of eating it several days in a row. Now I get to reap the rewards.

FAJITA TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, chopped with stem and seeds removed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

32 ounces chicken broth

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 cups shredded turkey, precooked

14-ounce can black beans, drained

14-ounce can refried beans (optional)

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Tortilla chips

Jalapeño peppers, sliced

Instructions:

In a deep large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Sauté yellow onion slices, poblano pepper slices, green peppers, and minced garlic. After five minutes, sprinkle oregano and red pepper flakes over all. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, shredded turkey, and black beans. Stir well to combine ingredients. Lower heat, cover, and simmer soup for 20 minutes. For a thicker consistency, gradually stir in refried beans. You may not need an entire can. If the soup becomes too thick, add a little water. Continue warming soup until heated through. Top with Monterey Jack shredded cheese. Place the lid over the pan to melt the cheese. Spoon into bowls. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and sliced jalapeño peppers.