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Homemade Fajita Spice Mix

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This is a recipe for a simple Homemade Fajita Spice Mix.

Fajita Spice Mix

Fajita’s like tacos are pretty much a staple in our house, we eat them all the time, especially in the summer because they are easy. Who wants to spend hours in front of a hot stove for dinner when it’s 100 degrees outside?

In an attempt to eat a bit healthier I make many of my own spice mixes instead of buying the packets available at the grocery store. At the very least it reduces the amount of sodium and sugar that we intake regularly.

I’ve already shared my favorite taco seasoning recipe so I thought it would be a good idea to share my fajita seasoning recipe as well. It’s pretty simple and comes from spices that I already have in my cupboard.

If you are looking for something that creates a thicker sauce add a tablespoon of corn starch to the mixture and a couple tablespoons of water while cooking. I prefer less sauce on my fajitas so I do not include these extra’s in my recipe.

The recipe below results enough seasoning for roughly 1 pound of meat, but it’s easy enough to double or triple for whatever size batch you are making. It’s also great as a rub for sliced steak or pork fajitas as well.

Homemade Fajita Spice Mix
Ingredients
  • 4 teaspoons of Chili Powder
  • 2 teaspoons of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne powder (more if you like spice)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar.
  2. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet Chili Sauce

Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Easy Lemon Pepper Baked Fish

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This is a super easy recipe that I have been making for years. I love it because it is so easy, quick and healthy, plus it goes great with just about any white fish. I am posting it today because I have had a number of people say that they can’t cook fish, or are afraid to cook fish.
Easy Lemon Pepper Baked Fish

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Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken Salad

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This is a simple recipe based on McDonald’s Sweet Chili Chicken Wrap for a Sweet Chili Chicken Salad.

Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken Salad

I have to admit something to you.

Sometimes I eat fast food.

I know I know, the stigma of a semi-healthy food blogger stopping at drive through windows is quite unsettling, but I’m human!

Besides, sometimes fast food is the best place to get inspiration. For example one of my most popular posts is my Copy Cat Recipe for Panera’s Soba Noodle Broth Bowls, and my second most popular post is my version of Evelyns Favorite Pasta from the Cheesecake Factory.

For this particular recipe I actually took my inspiration from McDonald’s. Yep Good O;’ Mc D’s. We have been traveling a lot and it seems to me that the golden arches may very well have a monopoly on the rest stops on our local highway system, so I’ve eaten there more in the last couple months than I think I have ever in my life. I’ve been trying a few of the healthier options and really liked the Sweet Chili Chicken wrap, so much so that I thought I would try my own version of it at home, except I opted to make it in salad form, because we can’t seem to eat enough salad lately.

I started by copying the golden arches chicken marinade, which I used to grill the chicken before tossing it in my homemade sweet chili sauce. I made a big hearty salad with mixed spring greens, baby Swiss chard, broccoli, carrot, shredded green and purple cabbage, sliced bell pepper, and cucumber.

 

Sweet Chili Chicken Salad

For the dressing I mixed the sweet chili sauce with some bright Asian flavors. It came out perfectly and complimented the rest of the salad. Overall it turned out great and will definitely be on our regular summer food rotation.

 

You can find the sweet chili sauce recipe here.

Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken Salad
Author: JC
Serves: Serves 4
Ingredients
  • Sweet Chili Dressing
  • ½ cup sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried ginger
  • ½ tablespoon sesame oil
  • Honey Glazed Grilled Chicken
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
  • 4 cups of prepared salad with ingredients of choice
Instructions
  1. Combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, salt, ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl, and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
  2. Combine the honey, vinegar, water, and spices in a shallow baking dish until well combined.
  3. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
  4. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
  5. Place chicken on a preheated grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.
  6. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes and toss with sweet chili sauce.
  7. Serve salad ingredients topped with chopped chicken and dressing.

 

 

 

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

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This is a great Copy Cat recipe for Morningstar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers that is full of flavor!

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

Remember way back when I did that whole Part Time Vegetarian thing? Well I’m still kind of doing it. I say kind of because I haven’t really kept track of what I eat in about 3 months, but while writing this post I decided to give my diet for the last little while a run down, and aside from a couple  weekends I’m still doing it with out even thinking about it. How awesome is that.

For those of you who don’t know Part Time Vegetarian, basically means that I only eat meat after 6 pm or with dinner. You can read more about why I started it in this post.

No when this whole thing started I was reliant on humus, bean burritos and MorningStar  products, but as time passes I have really expanded my horizons with hearty salads, tofu, and lots of veggie packed soups (I really love soup). I have also gotten a lot better about eating breakfast, and this Juice has become a staple snack in my life. I find myself craving vegetables like eggplant and zucchini, things that I was previously convinced that I didn’t like.

One of the things I started doing now that summer has hit is experiment with veggie burgers, which are incredibly satisfying and something I don’t know why I didn’t try more often before. I’m pretty sure that I perfected my own version of my all time favorite MorningStar Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers. These burgers from morning start are packed with flavor and great not only in burger form, but cut up in a wrap or on a salad. With this recipe I am able to make my own version in bulk for way cheaper, and then freeze them individually so that I can use them as needed. If you hadn’t noticed I’ve been into that lately.

The trick to keeping these from sticking together when frozen is to freeze them on a sheet tray first and then stack them with wax paper in between before sealing them up.

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

I know you are just going to love my copy cat recipe for these burgers. They are so flavorful, and have a dynamic texture that makes it hard to stop after just one!

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 to 8 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 (15 Ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 roma tomato, deseeded & chopped
  • 1 cup packed fresh baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons rice flour + more if needed
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon tumeric
Instructions
  1. Place chickpeas, tomato, spinach, salt and lemon juice in a blender and pulse until the mixture is chunky. You may need to stop and scrap the sides to get it all even, however do not allow it to get smooth.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and with a fork gently fold in the rice flour, garlic, salt, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, and turmeric.
  3. With your hands form the mixture into patties. If it is too sticky fold in some more rice flour a teaspoon at a time. If it is too dry add a drop or two of water.
  4. Once 6 to 8 patties are formed place them on a flat surface to be placed in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes. This will help them hold together while cooking.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the cold patties on a greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes per side.
  6. Serve immediately.

Mediterranean Chickepea Burger

What are your favorite vegetarian burger recipes?

 

Related Posts:

Moroccan Chickpea Chili

Moroccan Chickpea Chili

Chicken Caesar Burger

Chicken Caesar Burger

Loaded Greek Salad

Loaded Greek Salad

Hawaiian Rice Pilaf

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This is a recipe for basic Hawaiian Rice Pilaf. It is a fun twist on traditional pilaf that is sure to jazz up week night meals.

Hawaiian Rice Pilaf

Almost a year ago now I have my first experience with this awesome take on a classic pilaf. It was the starch that Sister Chuck served at her wedding. I remember it being a burst of flavor, with a touch of creaminess, and lots of texture, essentially it was the perfect combination. With the summer drawing near around here I’ve been craving everything tropical. Yes my taste buds are on trend, no surprise there. Anyway I thought this would be the perfect dish to test out to satisfy my cravings.

It took a couple tries but I finally got that rich and tangy flavor I was looking for and it was perfectly satisfying. I really love how the macadamia nuts add just enough texture to the dish to really make it pop. I tried it with almonds and it just wasn’t right. Macadamia is where it’s at for this one.

Also if you didn’t notice this was the also the main inspiration for last week’s Hawaiian Chicken Recipe. They go together like a charm, now add a tropical salad and you will be transported.

If you are interested in some other options to go with this one I also noticed some of my other favorite food blogger ladies are on this tropical kick too. Check out Christine’s Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Kabobs, Chungah’s Asian Salmon Kabobs , or Tieghan’s Hawaiian Carne Asada.

It’s quite possible that you could make a giant batch of this pilaf and eat it with a different main dish nearly all week. I sincerely doubt that you could get bored with this much flavor going on.

Hawaiian Rice Pilaf

Hawaiian Rice Pilaf
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ a medium onion, chopped
  • ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
  • 1 cup diced pineapple
  • 1 ¼ cup white rice
  • 2 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in a thick bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat.
  2. Sauté onions, buts and pineapple for 1 to 2 minutes until the onions have softened.
  3. Add in the rice and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the rice begins to toast.
  4. Stir in chicken broth and bring it up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
  5. Remove from heat and add parsley. Adjust the seasonings and serve.

What are summer flavors are you craving right now? I’d love to know.

Have you come across any awesome tropical recipes? Please share them!! I’m working up quite the collection right now.

Hawaiian Rice Pilaf