Sunday Supper: Fajita Bar

Time for family and friends for Sunday Supper!

This entry is a non-traditional Sunday supper.  It's a time to have fun, good conversation, games, and laughter.  Let's make a Fajita Bar!

Menu:

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes

Ranchero Beans

Spanish Rice

Cranberry Spritzers

Condiments:

Fresh lime wedges

Flour tortillas

Chips and Salsa (my Salsa Roja works well!)

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese

Guacamole

Here's the set up:  You'll want a big enough space for all the different dishes.  Using small plates or bowls of different sizes to hold your food.   I used a low coffee table as the buffet table.  That way everyone could sit around the area and create their dishes, and have conversations at the same time.  It worked really well.   Here was my set up.

Next for the food prep:  Keep it easy, keep it simple.  Take a little help from some convenience foods, such as the guacamole, or buying frozen pepper and onion mix, it's a time saver.  I used peppers, onions, and tomatoes.  I cut all my vegetables, I was on a roll.    Different pepper colors make the dish colorful and interesting.  Here they are.  (I just noticed the red onion is missing...but that was grilled too!)

For the chicken I used Williams-Somona's Fajita Rub.  $10.00 at Williams Sonoma. (I usually make my own spice blends but I couldn't resist this when I smelled it in the store!) Just rub some of it on the chicken before grilling.  It provides a bold Latin-style seasoning flavor that combines smoky chilies, cumin and garlic with tangy lime and aromatic herbs. 

Bold Latin flavors in a rub!!

Then MGG grilled the chicken.  You can grill indoors, outdoors, or just pan fry them.  Then you want to cut them up into long strips.

For the ranchero beans, I just opened a can of pinto beans and jazzed them up a bit with some chili powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin.  Nice and zesty.

Serve with warm tortillas, your favorite Spanish rice recipe and don't forget all the condiments. (Ideas are listed above.)   The variety of condiments make it fun and everyone loves to create their own dish!

Here's the finished product:

Sorry for the dark pic but we were having "mood" lighting!

Let me say the night was a hit, the food fabulous, and the fun...unbeatable!  Enjoy your next Sunday Supper!

Spiced Plum and Blueberry Parfait

One of my go to meals for breakfast on the weekend when I'm in a hurry is a smoothie or a parfait.

What better than a parfait to get your dairy, fruits, and some crunchy granola in to your diet.  It's healthy for you!  Great source of vitamins, calcium, fibers, and other goodies...

So today I'm bringing your a fall parfait. A Spiced Plum and Blueberry Parfait.   Full of warm spices.  Cinnamon to be exact.  Do you like Cinnamon?  It's a warm, wonderful, aromatic spice.  I could roll around in it!  But I digress...back to the parfait.

So, this parfait has some late summer/autumn fruits in it.  A nice black plum that been peeled, and sliced, and then tossed with cinnamon.  Also blueberries compliment this very well.  I also used a honey and almond granola which also lends to the warmth.

This is easy to put together.  I'm all about easy!

Just peel and slice your plums.  Then sprinkle a little cinnamon on them.  Not too much, it can be strong.

Now you want to take some yogurt plain or vanilla, plain Greek if you like, (I used plain Greek) and add a touch of cinnamon, and stir it up.  This will add another layer to your fall flavors.

Here's how  you layer it.  Place some of the yogurt in your glass.  Add some sliced plums, blueberries, and granola.  Repeat, ending with the granola.

Voila! You are done.  A healthy breakfast, or snack in a flash!  Enjoy, the flavors are really delishhhh!

Ummm...soooo good!

Spiced Plum and Blueberry Parfait

serves 1

1 black plum, peeled and sliced

1/4 tsp (heaping) cinnamon for sprinkling

1 6oz container of plain Greek or vanilla yogurt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 T blueberries

3 T honey and almond granola

Directions:

Peel and slice your plum.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a small bowl mix your yogurt and cinnamon together until incorporated.  In a glass begin to layer your parfait.  Place 1/2 of the yogurt mixture in the bottom of the glass.  Add 1/2 of the spiced plums, 1 1/2 T of blueberries, and 1 1/2 T of granola.  Repeat layers ending with the granola.

Enjoy!

Harvest Salad

It's starting to be apple and pear season.. yea!

I LOVE apples and pears.  Mostly apples...  I miss the summer fruit...but grew up eating apples constantly.  Whenever I'm hungry to this day still mom says "Eat an apple!" 

I love experiencing the different varieties and flavors of apples, there are so many to choose from!  One of our favorite things to do is go to the local farm over here called Tapia Bros. and choose some tree ripened apples...they smell soooo good!

So the other night we were having a quick steak sandwich and I saw this recipe from Madison, over at Espresso and Cream for her Autumn Chopped Salad, and decided to make something similar.  Espresso and Cream is a fantastic blog.  If you have time go over and say Hi.  Thanks for the great recipe Madison!

This is my favorite salad right now...

I love the mix of fresh pears, apples, cranberries, and pecans....it's a Harvest Salad!

Now I got carried away making this salad and forgot to take all the step by step pictures....however, all you do is really chop everything up and throw it in a salad bowl. It's a chopped salad you see.  The dressing is a blend of sweet and tangy...sweet from the poppy seed dressing and tangy from some balsamic dressing.  I gave the proportions I used but feel free to experiment to suit your taste buds.

Tip:  Make sure to pick an apple you like.  I used a Pink Lady cause I love the sweet tart blend.  Also, make sure that your pear is ripe but still a little firm.  Who wants mushy pears!  I used a nice Bartlett pear.

So here's the end result.  I must say that I put some of the salad in a container for leftovers prior to adding the dressing so it wouldn't wilt.  It held up beautifully for 2 days.

Try this, it's truly amazing with all the fall flavors, bright and crisp!  Look how pretty!  Man, I want some now!

Harvest Salad

Adapted from Espresso and Cream Autumn Chopped Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 c chopped romaine lettuce

2 medium pears, diced

2 medium apples, diced (pink lady are nice and sweet)

1 large carrot, grated
½ c dried cranberries
1/2 c chopped pecans
½ c feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 c Poppy seed Salad Dressing
¼ c (scant) Balsamic Vinaigrette

Instructions:

Chop all you ingredients, lettuce, pears, apples, carrot, and pecans.  In a large salad bowl combine the lettuce, pears, apples, carrot, cranberries, pecans, and feta cheese.

In a separate medium bowl mix your dressings together.  Drizzle over your salad to you desired amount and toss to covers all ingredients.