Olé, Olé Olé!!

i made beef fajitas the other night for my friends.

haha i love saying fajita. fa-hee-ta. the name fajita comes from the spanish word faja (belt). the meat in fajitas is usually made from a specific piece of skirt steak, which located between the heart and lungs (literally the loaction of a belt!). fajitas are traditionally served with the meat in a pan, accompanied by a plate of warm tortillas, a selection of vegetables and condiments. MYO.

This fajita recipe comes form the weekend australian (with a little bit of modification). Because you marinade the meat, its ok to get a tougher (less expensive) cut of meat as it will tenderise, but remember to remove visible fat as fajitas are not a fatty meal. The mexican spice mix is also a great opportunity to go check out those loose produce stores.



Beef fajitas (makes 12 tortillas)

Main:
1 kg rump beef - cut into strips
3 red capsicums
2 green capsicums
1 red (or brown) onion
extra mexican spice
12 tortillas
1 avocado sliced
1 tomato sliced
3 carrots (grated)
2 cups grated cheese
lettuce
sour cream
salsa

Mexican Spice: (store in empty spice container - its a great spice for BBQ meat) - 1tsp = approx 5g
25g nutmeg
15g cumin
15g chilli powder (can use chilli flakes)
15g ground coriander
5g garlic powder (can use garlic salt and just dont add salt)
10g salt
5g ground black pepper
5g paprika
1.5 tsp thyme leaves (i didnt add these it still turned out good)

Marinade:
100mL soy sauce
60mL lemon juice
60mL vegetable oil
300mL water
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mexican spice

Make mexican spice.
Mix all marinade ingredients in bowl. Add beef strips. Marinade in fridge for 2hrs or more.
Chop capsicum into strips. Slice onion.
Arrange grated carrot, grated cheese, sliced tomato, lettuce and sliced avocado on a plate (or on the chopping board for a rustic look)
Cook beef in frypan on a very high heat (want beef to sizzle, not simmer), pour off any juices. (if you do it in batches its easier to ensure sizzle) return beef to frypan and add capsicum and onion. cook until onion is soft and capsicum is starting to soften.Mix 1tbspn of mexican spice into the meat.
Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds.
Place meat mix (leave it in the frypan, looks better) veges, salsa, sour cream and tortillas on the table and let the tortilla creativity begin!

Tips:
Fry meat on the BBQ instead of a frypan to avoid making the house smell like fajitas - also less dishes!
Use wholemeal tortillas for a healthier option
To make guacamole, mash avocado, add 1 tspn of lemon juice, 1tspn of tobasco and a sprig of thinly sliced spring onion
Leftover meat mix can be frozen, as can leftover tortillas!!
Use baby tortillas for kids, they'll love the ownership of creating their own dinner
You can substitute the beef for chicken
For vegetarian fajitas, skip the marinade step, and fry (or BBQ) strips of eggplant or zuchinni. Sprinkle the veges with Mexican Spice before serving.

loose produce

i died and went to heaven the first day i walked into kakulas




why?
1) wooden floors. they'll get me every time.
2) the smell. spices, tea, meat
4) the sound. so many different accents in one room
3) the produce. bags full of grains (processed, unprocessed, organic, gluten free, local, imported) buckets full of spices (red, green, yellow, brown), shelves stocked with every preserve, cordial, jam, pickle imaginable (pomegranate sauce anyone?) fridges full of cheeses, dips, antipesto, meats (sundried tomato and feta) containers full of sweets (real turkish delight and poppy seed bread) baskets full of fresh bread (fig and pumpkin seed) bins of dried fruits and nuts (cherries and almond). not to mention the food from all different nations...tinned poppyseed??!!

to me, a food store is an amazing place. it opens the door to a world of possibilities. there is nothing better than walking through a loose produce store and getting 100g of this and 20g of that to make the perfect cake, or muesli or marinade. unlike a supermarket, loose produce enables you to buy EXACTLY what you need to fulfill the recipe without having open bottles of obscure ingredients that will probably go off before you need them (i mean how many times will you really use elderberry? - sorry to all those mad keen jam makers out there)

the main reason i wanted to write this post is

1) because i am mad keen on kakulas (sisters located in freo and brothers located in northbridge) and recommend it as a place to find the perfect present for those people that have everything...nothing beats freshly ground coffee, loose tea, polish sponge fingers or a basket of cheeses and antipesto.

2) i was cycling down canning hwy and found a shop called 'loose produce', much like kakulas, yet closer to home (YAY) alot brighter inside with a cafe attached (genious!), however the cheese range was not as good.

3) so i want to know if there are any more around town. wherever you are, spread the word, where do you get good loose produce from??

and, once you have found that loose produce, have a go at this:

Alex's Awesome Muesli
(g measurements are approximations! )


1/2 c honey
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 c (300g) rolled oats
1/2 c (50g) bran (can be processed or not, depending on your preference)
1/2 c (25g) coconut
1/2 c (50g) wheatgerm
1/2 c (100g) chopped nuts - macadamias taste best!
150g dried fruit i recommend crasins (dried cranberries) and apricots or dried cherries/blueberries

Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius
Place the first five ingredients in a bowl and into the microwave and heat for 2 minutes or until bubbling. Mix well
Add remaining ingredients (except dried fruit) to a large shallow dish and mix.
Pour liquid over dry ingredients and stir together until dry mix is coated.
Place into oven for about 20 minutes (or longer for more crunch) stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Add dried fruit and mix through.
Store in airtight container for up to 3 months

To serve: place 4 heaped tbspn into a bowl, add a dollop of vanilla yoghurt, a tiny drizzle of honey and fresh fruit (banana or strawberries goes well)
Tip: vary the oat/wheatgerm/bran amounts to suit your tastes. i like extra oats so i usually add about 500g of oats. be creative. there is usually enough liquid still, just reduced the sweetness.