Despite having a fairly short history, Mexican fajitas are one of the most popular dishes in the world today. Apart from the fact that fajitas are incredibly tasty, they are actually very healthy not to mention the ease in cooking and assembling them.

As with many foods, time has changed the contents of the fajita and has evolved slightly from the original simplicity of the ranch worker’s dish, with different cuts of meat being chosen such as chicken or seafood. The vegetables have not changed as much as the meat, with peppers, onions & chilies still being predominant ingredients in the dish.

Probably, the most important thing when making fajitas is the marinade. It not only makes the ingredients incredibly tender but very flavorful.

Fajitas usually require some tortillas. While they are wonderful tasting, using zucchini noodles (or zoodles) as a base for the fajita chicken gives this meal an amazing flavor. Zucchini is perhaps the most popular choice for vegetable noodles. It’s long, thin shape makes it easy to spiralize and its neutral flavor allows it to pair well with almost any sauce or topping. This meal has such eye appeal along with a great taste.

Fajita Chicken w/ Zucchini Noodles

Course

Lunch, Main Dish

Cuisine

American, Ecuador, Mexican, Spanish

Servings

Ingredients

680 gm boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut in narrow strips.
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 bell peppers (1 red- 1 green) seeded & cut into strips
4 green onions, thinly sliced
115 gm mozzarella cheese, shredded (or your choice)
2 small zucchini, spiralized

Course

Lunch, Main Dish

Cuisine

American, Ecuador, Mexican, Spanish

Servings

Ingredients

680 gm boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut in narrow strips.
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 bell peppers (1 red- 1 green) seeded & cut into strips
4 green onions, thinly sliced
115 gm mozzarella cheese, shredded (or your choice)
2 small zucchini, spiralized

Instructions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine oil, lemon juice & seasonings (RESERVE a small bit of seasoning for zucchini noodles); add chicken, seal & turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Wash zucchini & trim off ends. Using a spiralizer, cut zucchini into 'noodles'. Set aside. Prepare peppers & green onion.
When chicken has finished marinating, Add 1 Tbsp oil to a griddle & saute peppers & onion until just tender crisp. set aside & keep warm. Add another Tbsp oil to griddle. Saute zucchini noodles for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with reserved seasoning & keep warm.
Grill marinated chicken strips until cooked through. Divide zucchini between serving plates. Top with peppers, onions & grilled chicken. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Today’s pork is leaner and more tender due to breeding and feeding changes over the last number of decades. Ounce for ounce, pork tenderloin is almost as lean as boneless, skinless chicken breast as well as being economical. Its one of those meats that can be an elegant company meal or used in a stir fry for a weekday supper. Pork tenderloin’s mild flavor partners well with sweet and savory ingredients. Unbelievable in its versatility, you can cook it whole, slice into medallions, butterfly and stuff it, or use it in stir fry. It’s great grilled, roasted or simply seared.

When I was growing up on the farm, pigs were a part of the ‘mixed farming’ my parents did. At that time, there wasn’t much about the animal I cared for. They squealed, smelled and were not much fun to feed. My parents cured their own bacon, which always seemed to be so salty to my liking. To this day, bacon is not something that has a big draw for me for that reason.

My dad was not a man that did any cooking. With my mother being such a fabulous ‘cook’, there certainly was no need. For some reason, every once in a while, dad thought he would show us the way he thought bacon should be cooked. The cast iron frying pan was made ‘smoking’ hot to which he would then put the bacon in to fry it. That little episode was definitely cause to have to ‘air’ out the house for the next couple of hours!

Years later I have come to enjoy today’s lean pork tenderloin as a staple in my rotating household menu choices. With mangoes being quite plentiful right now, it seemed fitting to feature some Spiced Pork Medallions with Mango Salsa.

Spiced Pork Medallions with Mango Salsa

Seasoned tenderloin wrapped in bacon and served with a fruity mango salsa

Servings

Ingredients

Tenderloin Spice Rub

450 grams pork tenderloin, cut in 4 pieces
4 slices bacon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsps brown sugar

Mango Salsa

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, cut into 1/4" cubes
1 red pepper, cut into 1/4" cubes
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup 'Memories of Sinapore' Passion Fruit Sauce

Servings

Ingredients

Tenderloin Spice Rub

450 grams pork tenderloin, cut in 4 pieces
4 slices bacon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsps brown sugar

Mango Salsa

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, cut into 1/4" cubes
1 red pepper, cut into 1/4" cubes
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup 'Memories of Sinapore' Passion Fruit Sauce

Instructions

Mango Salsa

Mix together cubed mangoes & red pepper, green onions & sauce. Set aside.

Tenderloin

Cut tenderloin into 4 equal pieces. Flatten cut side down into about a 3 1/2" circumference. In a small bowl, mix together all SPICE RUB ingredients. In a resealable plastic bag, combine medallions & spice rub, seal bag & shake well. Refrigerate for several hours.
When ready to cook, wrap bacon slice around edge of each medallion; secure with wooden toothpicks. Heat BBQ to medium-high heat. Grill 8-10 minutes on each side or until done (160 F.)
OR
Heat a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray medium-high heat. Add medallions; cook, partially covered 25 minutes or until done (160 F.) , turning after 15 minutes.
Serve topped with Mango Salsa.

Recipe Notes

Mango Salsa can be marinated with other choices of 'sauces' or salad dressing marinades if you prefer something less sweet.

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