Sante Fe Fajitas - A Recipe for National Local Fajitas Day

1 lb beef stir fry strips or inside ____ 1 large green or red pepper,
round steak, cut into strips __________ cut into strips
½ cup spicy steak sauce __________ 1 large onion, cut into strips
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice_______ Flour tortillas, warmed
1 to 2 tsp minced garlic_

Coat beef with a mixture of steak sauce, lime juice and garlic. Let stand. Heat a large oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef. Stir-fry beef until lightly browned and sauce has thickened slightly. Remove beef. Sauté pepper and onion until tender crisp. Return beef to pan. Toss with vegetables. Wrap in flour tortillas, serve with cheese and salsa. Makes 4 servings.

This main dish published in May 2000 by the cookbook committee of Breast Cancer Action & Support of K-W explains in an eloquently simple way one seventh of my favourite social dishes. On Wednesday's I invite friends around on the basis that it is Fajita day. Sometimes they come and sometimes they don't which leaves more for me. This recipe is exactly how it is in the booklet.

This is my favourite cookbook because of its simplicity and size and is always situated on my kitchen table. What I love about fajitas is the tactility of hand held food, like a burger or kebab the Mexican fajita is exquisitely effective and fun, hence my declaring national fajita day at least once a week.

What is missing from this recipe is I suppose is the usual alternative chicken fajitas and also it fails to suggest a good oil to use for frying. I recommend Gingjelly Oil because it is light and extracted from sesame seeds. You can purchase it in mainly Bangladeshi supermarkets. Also the recipe fails to supply a way and size of minced garlic. I'm sure this addition will always be personal preference but I find the majority of my friends enjoy the garlic not too finely chopped, however consistency in size is recommended. Luckily most supermarkets provide salsa sauce with the floured tortillas, but if you wish to find the recipe I suggest you either read the ingredients of your favourite tomato salsa then try and replicate. Failing this just get some squidgy vine tomatoes and chop them in a bowl maybe add some Worcester sauce and maybe if you desire some chopped coriander (Coriander I feel goes great with lime juice). One other obvious addition to the alternative chicken assuming you don't do red meat is the importance of using the fajitas spice powder usually provided again with the tortillas remember this recipe was first published in 2000 before the day's of supermarkets providing everything on a platter.

Drinks that I recommend with this dish aside from the obvious of lager or coke is mint, ice, lime juice syrup and chilled bottled water the ice should be pounded together with the fresh mint and lime syrup along with your water of choice. If you have a sweet tooth and love something different you can add Rose extract that makes this dish even more pink but use sparingly it's very potent and using to much is overpowering I'm afraid trial and error is the only way to perfect this drink.

Happy Fajitas day!

Our Pot of Hope Cookbook
Breast Cancer Action & Support of K - W
Kitchener - Waterloo, Ontario
p. 53