Chicken fajitas, a dish the writer associates with loud, sizzling skillets in strip-mall Tex-Mex restaurants in New Jersey during high school and college, have become a weeknight staple at home. The writer says the hacked version is "probably the only meal we’ve ever eaten four times in three weeks" and calls it "a little addicted and it’s amazing how well it works on a weekday night."
The original restaurant experience often disappointed once the drama faded. Mounds of chopped fresh onions, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro turned the fillings into passable tacos, but without those extras the dish was "deceptively dull despite their dramatic entrances." The reworked version aims to fix that.
The new approach relies on mostly cold components: a light lime slaw, pico de gallo, slices of avocado, black beans and Tapatio. Shredded cheese, sour cream and pickled onions are equally popular toppings, according to the writer. Only stovetop cooking is required, for about ten minutes in a single skillet.
The timing coincides with the first day of spring. The writer frames the dish as a way to move away from the soups, stews and heavy white foods of winter toward lighter, crunchier and more colorful meals. The writer also mentions making corn tortillas for the dish, but defers that topic to another day.
The writer closes by asking readers what dishes they dream of making if time, money, energy or the preferences of picky kids, spouses or roommates were not factors. The post also lists recipes from three, four, five, six and seven years earlier, including Tiny Poppy Seed Hamantaschen, Oat and Maple Syrup Scones, Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs, St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake and Key Lime Coconut Cake.
Editorial Notes