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09/18/2014
~ My All-Purpose Tex-Mex (Texican) Veggie Saute ~
It is a wise man who stops to ask for directions. Every recipe in our food world has a purpose and every recipe I post has a reason for posting it. One of my favorite things about writing a cooking blog is: the questions that come my way. As my grandmother always said, "where there is smoke there is fire", which in the world of food writing should be interpreted to mean: "if one person asks a question, there is a big chance a lot of other people are asking the same".
More importantly: never hesitate to ask about the basics!
Q. Timothy says & asks: I'm a 61-year old computer analyst that has been tragically placed in the position of cooking for myself. I am not competent in the kitchen and I don't like to cook, but, I can follow directions. Thanks to Kitchen Encounters and Category 20 (Just Plain Easy), I've made a few home-cooked meals that taste really good. I bought a bigger stockpot and made chicken-vegetable soup and sugar-crusted corned beef. I made sweet potato & beef chile in my wife's crockpot twice. In the roasting pan she used to make turkey, your roasted chicken gets made often. Thank-you Melanie.
Today I bought a grill pan. I plan to buy a flank steak, boneless chicken breast and shrimp. I'll season with bought fajita seasoning then grill one for dinner over 3 nights. I'll cook a boxed Spanish rice mix too. Can you suggest a quick vegetable dish that will make enough for 3-4 nights? I read your recipe for chicken fajitas, but you cook the chicken and vegetables together in a skillet. I want them properly cooked and seasoned separately.
Note to Readers: You can find ~ Grandma Ann's Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup ~, ~ My Braised & Brown Sugar Glazed Corned Beef ~, and, ~"Winner Winner Crockpot Dinner": A Scrumptious, Slow-Cooked, Sweet Potato & Ground Beed Chile ~ in Category 20: Just Plain Easy never tasted so good!
Click on the Related Article links below to learn ~ This Woman's Way to Roast the Perfect Chicken ~ and cook some of my favorite Tex-Mex food, including the Stovetop Chicken and Tequila-Lime Skirt Steak Fajitas (pictured above)!
A. Kitchen Enounters: Timothy, I am so sorry to hear about your circumstances, but, am pleased you are finding KE helpful. Perhaps, over time, I can get you to enjoy cooking too -- for now, we'll just take it one step at a time. I like your plan for a weeks worth of quickly-prepared Tex-Mex meals. Here is exactly what you'll need to do to cook the vegetables separately:
1 pound 1/4"-thick, half-moon sliced yellow or sweet onions (about 2 large onions)
8-10 ounces green bell pepper strips (about 2 large green peppers)
8-10 ounces red bell pepper strips (about 2 large bell peppers)
~ Step 1. In a 12" skillet, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onions and 2 tablespoons of fajita seasoning.
Increase heat to medium-high and saute, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Note: Fajita seasonings vary quite a bit in salt content so It's wise not to add all of it at once.
~ Step 2. Add the bell peppers. Stir to combine. Taste and add more fajita seasoning. Continue to saute, stirring constantly, adding additional seasoning, to taste, until vegetables are cooked to desired degree of doneness 3-4 more minutes.
Note: When making this to reheat in small amounts, undercook the vegetables. Saute until "crunch tender". Cover and refrigerate. Reheat in desired quantities.
~ Step 3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to food storage container and refrigerate for up to one week (do not freeze).
Serve with any Tex-Mex-style chicken, beef, pork or seafood!
Nice things really do happen in the "blog-o-spere"!
My All-Purpose Tex-Mex (Texican) Veggie Saute: Recipe yields 6 cups or 4-6 servings.
Cook's Note: For a variation on the same theme, click into Categories 4, 13 or 20 to get my recipe for ~ Mel's All-Purpose Asian-Style Vegetable Saute ~!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2014)
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Thanks Rosie!
Posted by: Kitchen Encounters | 09/22/2014 at 10:58 AM
Love this Melanie . Heartwarming !
Posted by: Rose Marie | 09/22/2014 at 07:26 AM