Yesterday featured a beautiful summer afternoon. Sunny, a
few clouds, warm but not hot. I had dinner plans with friends who live in Avon,
and usually, I stop off there after a day in the Simsbury office. However,
plans didn’t work out that way and I decided to bike the 12 miles instead of
drive. Despite some concerns around Avon Mountain, I made it there in under an
hour, ingredients in tow. After a quick shower, I hit the kitchen to make
chicken fajitas.
Fajitas are my go-to when I eat out at a Tex-Mex restaurant.
Not because they are authentic (One could argue that nothing on the menu at a
Tex-Mex place could be considered “authentic”) or because they are particularly
difficult or time consuming to make (these are usually my first three criteria
when choosing a restaurant). I pick them because the fajitas because they are
simple, clean, and can’t hide anything. No blankets of sauce or piles of sour
cream, just build-your-own, meat, veggies, tortilla.
My fajitas started the day before. I coated the chicken
breast with salt, lemon pepper, smoked paprika, and a mole made from roasted chilis.
I let them marinade overnight before sautéing in pan. Once cooled, I pulled the
meat apart and poured the remaining juices over it. The real cooking fiesta
started after my ride though. I sliced yellow and red peppers with onion and
tossed in a pinch of salt and sunflower oil, charring them all in a square,
cast iron skillet. In a pot, I browned a clove of garlic and kernels of fresh
corn, cut right from the cob. I added the juice from a can of black beans along
with paprika, some “uh ohh” mix of seasonings my friends had (it smelled reminiscent
of a Cajun blend. I often season food by smell), and a bit of cumin. Once
warmed and browned, I added the black beans and put on the lid to let
everything mingle.
Corn tortillas were warmed in the toaster oven while the
cores of avocados were removed and the flesh put into a mixing bowl with some fresh
off the vine tomatoes, lime juice, chopped cilantro, salt, and fresh ground
pepper. I mashed these with a fork and the guacamole was ready to go.
We constructed our own plates and as the weather cooled, we
ate outside. After a few rounds of refills, I headed back inside to make
dessert. My friend had lemon curd she wanted to use, so I mixed about two
tablespoons of it with about two cups of cool whip (it was a coconut-based
whipped topping but you’d never know it). I also sprinkled in chia seeds for a
mild crunch, and whipped it all together. I dolloped the mousse into small
glasses and topped it with halved cherries and coconut flakes. The result was a
multi-textured, sweet sour creamy yet light dessert that prepped me to ride up
Avon Mountain, and into the sunset.
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