My family is very close. I live in Philadelphia, as do my brother and sister-in-law, and my parents live in a suburb just outside of the city. My aunt, uncle and their three kids live in a different suburb. This allows us all to get together frequently, which I absolutely love.
My mom also belongs to a warehouse club, you know, the kind that sells things in bulk. Since she and my dad are now empty-nesters, she buys things in bulk, and distributes them among the family. When I get a call to "come over for dinner," that means, "come over for dinner, your dad wants to play with Liam, and I have stuff for you."
"Stuff" can include paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, contact lens solution, Cheerios, chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds, diapers, wipes, personal toiletries, and meat/poultry. I'm both very grateful and a little embarrassed to accept all of it. On one hand, it's less I have to buy myself (she refuses to accept any money for any of this), yet on the other hand, I'm over 30 years old (::cringe:: did I really just admit that?). I'm self-sufficient.
Anyway, the frozen steaks were piling up in our freezer. They were becoming projectiles that threatened to break your toes whenever you opened the freezer. I needed to make something with them, and soon! We'd been pan-searing them and finishing them in the oven, and serving with a pan sauce. Delicious, but I wanted something different.
The cooking board on which I participate does a weekly thread about meal plans, and someone else mentioned steak fajitas — perfect! I found a recipe that looked both easy and delicious on I Was Born to Cook. I marinated the meat for half a day, and also prepped the veggies ahead of time and refrigerated them, so everything was ready to go when it was time to cook. We both LOVED these fajitas, and can't wait to make them again!
Cilantro-Lime Steak Fajitas
Source: I Was Born to Cook
Ingredients
for the marinade:
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ of a fresh Jalapeno pepper, seeded, rib removed, diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, stems included
for the fajitas:
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 pound flank or skirt steak
- 1 large red onion, sliced in strips
- 2 each red and green bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, cut into strips
- salt
- 8 corn or flour tortillas, about 8 inches in diameter
- chopped fresh cilantro
- lime juice
Directions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, and pour into a plastic zip-top bag. Add the steak to the bag, coat on all sides with the marinade, press out as much air as possible and seal. Refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.
- Shake off any excess marinade before cooking. Season with salt.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil and heat for a minute. Add the steak to the hot pan, cooking on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare (depends on the thickness of your steak). Remove the steak from the skillet and place on a plate or cutting board. Tent with foil to keep warm, and let the meat rest.
- Add a touch more oil to the pan if needed, then add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for a minute or two, tossing with tongs occasionally, until slightly tender, yet still crisp.
- Slice the meat against the grain into thin strips with a serrated knife.
- Place the tortillas on a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 10 to 20 seconds. Place a tortilla on a plate, and top with a little of the meat and some of the veggies. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Serve with shredded cheese (Cheddar or Mexican blend), salsa, avocado slices, guacamole, and/or sour cream.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour)
Thursday 20th of June 2013
I think your mom and my mom might be the same person. She is the exact same way! Even though I don't need anything, she is always there with opens arms filled with stuff! Moms are the best, right? And these fajitas are also the best. They look amazing!
Caroline
Wednesday 19th of June 2013
I love fajitas and cilantro-lime, these look delicious. I am so happy it is summer, I love grilling! Thanks for sharing!
Kylee
Wednesday 19th of June 2013
I love a meal that can be cooked outside and shared family-style - great post!
Joelen
Wednesday 19th of June 2013
Cilantro. Lime. Yes. These look delicious and I love that the marinade is simple yet so good!
melissa@IWasBornToCook
Wednesday 19th of June 2013
These were a HUGE hit with us...glad you enjoyed them too!