Belated Cinco de Mayo

Well, I know it is not Cinco de Mayo anymore...far from it, but things have been a little hectic lately and I haven't been able to post as much. May 5th was one of the worst days for me at work, but I had been planning to have a fun night making Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo and I intended to see it through.

The greatest part about these two dishes I made is that they can be started ahead of time and finished quickly before serving. You can use this marinade on anything: Chicken, Steak, etc. and it is always very flavorful.

Roasted Tomatillo and Apple Salsa

Courtesy of Marcela Valladolid via The Talk

Ingredients:

1 lb. Tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 Granny Smith Apples, quartered

2 whole Garlic Cloves

1/2 White Onion

2 Jalapeno Chile, stemmed

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the tomatillos, apples, garlic, onion and jalapenos on a baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 20 minutes. Puree all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Season with Salt and Pepper. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Fajitas

Adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

1 Orange, juiced

2 limes, juiced

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, roughly chopped

3 Chipotle Chiles, in adobo sauce

3 Tablespoons Cilantro, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 lbs Chicken, cut into strips

Salt and Pepper

2 Red Bell Peppers, thinly sliced

1 Large Onion, thinly sliced

Flour Tortillas

Roasted Tomatillo and Apple Salsa, recipe above

Guacamole, I make it simple with Avocado, Garlic Salt, Cilantro and Lime Juice

Directions:

In a measuring cup or bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients (Orange Juice through Salt). Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Pour into a re-sealable plastic bag and add the chicken, seal and shake to coat.

Refrigerate the chicken for 2-4 hours to marinate.

Using a large skillet or saute pan over medium high heat, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in the pan. Saute till cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to rest while in the same pan add the bell peppers and onions. Saute for 6-8 minutes until just cooked through. Place the chicken back into the pan with the onions and peppers to combine and re-heat.

Meanwhile, using the burners on your stove toast the tortillas on each side.

Transfer to a plate covered with a cloth to keep warm.

Serve!

Hope everyone had a Happy and Fun Cinco de Mayo!