Carne Asada Fajitas

This past weekend the boy and I went down to my parents house to help decorate their Christmas Tree.  Needless to say, we were both tired when we returned to San Francisco.  The boy was craving Mexican food and instead of him getting a burrito at a questionable Taquerilla, I convinced him that I would cook Fajitas and we could relax and recover together in the comfort of our own home.  That settled, we dropped in on our local Trader Joes and picked up some ingredients.  I was set on making Carne Asada and was looking for the right cut of meat at TJ's.  They didn't have anything I wanted (Filet Mignon is not ideal here) so (Mom - don't hate me) I grabbed the TJ's marinated Carne Asada steak.  I came home and started to make another marinade for the meat because I wanted to add a bit more flavor to it.  Once the meat marinated for about 20-30 minutes, I grilled it on an indoor grill pan, served it with sauteed vegetables and some cheese and voila, Fajitas!

Carne Asada Fajitas:



1 package of pre-marinated Carne Asada steak from Trader Joes (make sure you slice the pieces into more manageable sizes, roughly the size of your hand)

1 small shallot, chopped roughly

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ancho chili powder (optional, if not add a bit more chili powder)

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 tbsp honey

2 limes, zest and juice

1 orange, zest and juice

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp peanut oil - or any neutral flavor oil





Indoor Grilling



Mix all the marinade ingredients and add the Carne Asada and let sit for at least 20 minutes room temperature.  Heat a grill or your grill pan to high.  Sear the meat for 3-5 minutes on both sides until medium rare and tender.  The time will depend on the size of your meat and the hotness of your grill/grill pan.  Serve with a whole wheat flour tortilla, shredded cheese, sauteed peppers and onions and some salsa and you have yourself a rocking fajita.



Peppers and Onions



Breakfast Cheese Toast

I turned 25 a few days ago and it made me realize how much of a great life I have.  I'm healthy, have a great job, live in a great city, and have fantastic friends and family.  That being said, I got to go to Incanto for dinner last night to celebrate with the boy.  We had a really offal dinner that included Pigs Trotters, Calf Kidneys and Lardo.  Waking up this morning, I was craving some bacon and eggs and remembered this breakfast that I used to make in college when I had a late morning.  You toast some bread, rub some garlic over it, add cheese and a fried egg on top.  Add a side of bacon and a mimosa and you're off to a great Saturday.

Breakfast Toast:

2 slices of a baguette, on an angle
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 clove of garlic, pealed
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
4-6 slices of Gruyere cheese
2 eggs
chives for garnish

Preheat an oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Put the bread on the baking sheet and drizzle a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Toast the bread for 4ish minutes, until it starts to get a nice golden color but is still a bit soft in the middle of the bread.  Rub the bread with the garlic and then spread the tomato paste on the bread in a even layer.  Season the bread with more salt and pepper, also add the thyme leaves.  Top with the slices of cheese and put back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

While the cheese is melting on the bread, fry 2 eggs in a skillet, to your preference (I like sunny side up with a runny yolk but you can scramble them as well).

Top the cheese toast with the eggs and garnish with chives.  Add a slice or two of bacon and you have a great weekend brunch.