Ms.Glaze's Teen Cuisine

Fajitas

Fajitas were little known outside their native Texas until not very long ago. They can be served with different accoutrements. For example, the fajitas can be served with salsa fresca (from the nachos recipe), sautéed vegetables, cheese, or sour cream. You could even combine everything for a really decadent meal! The fajitas should always be served hot.

Materials:
1. Plastic bag for marinading meat
2. shallow baking pan for broiling meat
3. Skillet for sautéing vegetables
4. Tin foil for wrapping tortillas in to heat
5. Chef’s knife
6. Measuring spoons

Ingredients:
1 pound skirt steak, cut into 3-inch strips or three boneless skinless chicken breasts
Juice of 3 limes
2 scallions minced
3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 yellow onion sliced
1 green pepper sliced
4 seven inch flour tortillas
Side dishes: sour cream, grated cheddar, cheese, salsa fresca

Procedure:
1. Cut steak or chicken into thick strips
2. Whisk together ingredients #2-#7
3. Pour marinade over meat, cover, and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.
4. Slice vegetables and sauté in a small skillet with a Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Set aside.
5. Remove meat from marinade, discarding the marinade, and broil in a shallow baking pan or pan fry until cooked to your liking, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Remember if broiling to set the oven rack up to the top setting and leave the door ajar while cooking. Watch to make sure the meat does not burn or catch on fire.
6. Wrap flour tortillas in aluminum foil and place under broiler for 4 minutes. You can also place them in the microwave for 30 seconds (without the tinfoil wrapping)
7. Unwrap tortillas and top each one with the steak, along with a spoonful of salsa fresca or sautéed vegetables. Wrap it up and eat.
8. Sit down and enjoy !!!

Technorati Tags: Food, fajitas, recipes

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone embraces a legion of hearty vegetable and bean soups from Italy. This one is a melding of styles. Even people that hate soups love this one. It is really really good. It's great in the winter too...

Picture by Wowser

Equipment
Measuring cups and spoons
Can opener
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Large Saucepan
Vegetable peeler
Long-handled wooden spoon
Ladle

Ingredients
1 medium onion
1 large carrot
1 celery stalk
2 mild Italian sausages, about 1/2 pound total, uncooked
1 medium zucchini
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup broken spaghetti (break into 2-inch pieces) or any type of pasta
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (28 ounces) peeled and crushed tomatoes
Salt

Instructions
1. Peel and chop onions, put in large saucepan
2. Peel carrots and trim celery. Cut into 1/2" pieces and add to saucepan.
3. Using the tip of a knife, make a slit all the way down the sausage to loosen the casing. Peel off casing and break the sausage into small pieces (like little meatballs). Add the meat pieces and butter to the saucepan.
4. Put the zucchini on the cutting board and trim off each end. Cut into 1/4" circles and set aside.
5. Set the saucepan on a burner and turn the heat on to medium-high. Stirring often with the wooden spoon, cook the ingredients until the sausage loses all its red color, 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Add the chicken broth, zucchini, spaghetti pieces, oregano and tomatoes (with the juice from the can) to the pan. Stir the mixture lightly with the spoon.
7. When soup starts to boil reduce the heat until the mixture barely bubbles. Simmer the soup uncovered, stirring gently once or twice, until the spaghetti and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes
8. Taste the soup and add salt if you think it needs some. Ladle the soup into bowls and pass a dish of Parmesan cheese at the table to sprinkle over their soup.
Soup recipes