Fajitas for Supper?

I was thinking of posting about our two beautiful baby showers from this past weekend! But facebook, whence I was hoping to get some pictures, is acting funny for me, so perhaps that post will be coming soon. Instead, here's a post which I've meant to share for a while.

Fajitas! They're soo yummy and healthy, and although they may be ideal for summer-time because the insides get grilled, it's still quite warm here on Cottage Lane.

First of all, I make my flour tortillas, although this can be done in advance. Tortillas aren't very expensive to buy, but every package I've checked so far has listed some form of hydrogenated fat among the ingredients--one good thing to avoid. I basically follow a recipe from the More with Less Cookbook, and here it is:

Combine in mixing bowl
2 cups unsifted flour (I've been using half unbleached and half whole-wheat, and they come out great!) 1 tsp. salt

Cut in with pastry blender (I usually just zap it all in a food processor, and it's very fast and easy!)
1/4 c. lard or shortening (I use butter)

When particles are fine, add gradually:
1/2 cup lukewarm water

Toss with fork to make a stiff dough. Form into a ball and knead thoroughly on lightly floured board until smooth and flecked with air bubbles. (I toss it into my Kitchenaid and let it knead for 5 minutes!) To make dough easier to handle, grease surface, cover tightly, and refrigerate 4-24 hours before using. (Sometimes I just stick it in the freezer for one hour!) Let dough return to room temperature before rolling out. (I don't!)

Here I'm going to stop using their directions because I just do it the way I do it . . . :-) I now preheat my largest frying pan (since I don't have a griddle) to medium heat, though the recipe calls for "very hot." Next, I roll the dough into a log with my hands and slice into the recommended 11 disks.


And roll one out on a floured surface until it is very thin.



Then I drop it onto the ungreased pan and let it cook until it starts to bubble up!


This one is ready to flip! While it is cooking, I start rolling the next. As each one finishes, I set it in a towel to keep warm. The whole cooking process takes a little while, but the results are not only healthier but much more tender and delicious than store-bought tortillas!

For fajitas, I marinate some chicken breast in lime juice and cilantro at least a few hours before supper, and chop up some colored bell-peppers. (You're supposed to include sweet onions, but onions have sounded terrible to me for most of my pregnancy!) While the chicken breast cooks slowly over low heat on the grill, the veggies get wrapped in foil and steam until tender on the grill's upper rack. They're usually done when the chicken is done.

At some point, I mash up an avocado with lime juice, chopped cilantro, some salsa or preferably diced tomato, and a little salt and pepper. My brother learned how to make awesome guacamole when he was in Costa Rica, but as long as it has lime juice in it, my mouth is happy. :-)

It all gets served with salsa and shredded cheese (and sour cream, if you like), and, boy, do they hit the spot!