Garlic lime chicken fajitas

This post is part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with McCormick.

Do you ever feel like things work out just exactly as they are meant to? I feel that all the time. Like our lives are a pre-written script and we are just living it out. This freelance job I am working on right now fell into place just as Dan's summer employment was winding down, which was a huge unexpected blessing. It is so pointless to worry, isn't it? Things always fall into place. It is unbelievably difficult to remember this in the midst of worrying, though. I wish it were easier.

The fact that this recipe was the next one on my list was perfect because it was quick and easy, not to mention delicious. I literally poured a pre-measured package of spices into a bowl, courtesy of McCormick, along with a few other ingredients, to create the marinade. This week, easy was necessary. McCormick, thank you for doing a lot of the work for me!

Pre-measured spice packets are a genius idea. Read on to see how you can receive one in the mail!

Here is one of McCormick's spice packets, with the recipe included on the back. Can't get much easier than this!

I have TEN McCormick spice packets in my hands to give away to my readers! I have five Garlic Lime Chicken Fajita spice packets (as shown in this post) and five Caribbean Grilled Steak packets. The first ten commenters on this post will receive a packet in the mail, so please do not comment within the first ten unless you would like one. Please note in your comment what your preference is (Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas or Caribbean Grilled Steak), and please also send me your mailing address using the Contact button at the top of my website.

Onto the recipe!

In a medium bowl, combine:

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced onions

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

(If you have a McCormick spice packet, you won't need to measure out any of the above spices! Just throw them into the bowl...easy peasy!)

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix well. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate.

Place 1 1/2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips, in a large resealable bag. Add the remaining marinade and coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Cook and stir the chicken in a large heated skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Add to the skillet:

1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Reserved 1/4 cup of marinade from fridge

Cook and stir for approximately 5 minutes, or until tender.

Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Spoon the chicken mixture into warmed 8-inch flour tortillas. Serve with additional toppings, if desired.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the recipe, and a special thanks to McCormick for the wonderful spice packets!

Printable recipe: Garlic lime chicken fajitas

Jamaican rice salad

This post written by the original Ebby.

It's pushing 90 today and I'm looooving the warmth and sun. If only I was near a body of water, sand between my toes, with a fruity drink in hand. But hey, at least there's months between now and the next snowstorm! I've got plenty of time to find that beach.

The heat makes me crave something light and refreshing, and this salad fits the bill perfectly. The flavors of lime, coconut and mango are irresistible! I've never been to Jamaica, but when I eventually get there I hope they have food like this.

Start by cooking 1/2 cup of rice in 1 cup of coconut milk. I used Basmati rice and think its nutty flavor is just right for this dish. While it's simmering away you can assemble the rest of the salad.

You'll need a cup of cooked shrimp, medium size. I took the lazy easy route and thawed out some of the frozen stuff. Unfortunately I live in a land-locked state and don't have access to any fresh seafood that is worth a darn. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Combine the shrimmp with 1 cup black beans, two chopped mangoes (mine yielded about 1 1/2 cups) and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.

Now, for the onions. I was not lazy with my onions! Instead, I got a little crazy and decided to do a quick-pickling. It's super fast and easy and adds a little sweetness and beautiful color to the onions while mellowing them out a bit. Just boil 2 cups water with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Slice one medium onion, add to the pot and simmer for about 3 minutes. After the slices cool, chop up 1/2 cup and add it to the rest of the salad ingredients.

Or just chop the onion and use it raw. It'll be good that way too.

Next add your cooked rice (after it has cooled down a bit) and give the whole mess a good stir.

Then add 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice, the zest of one medium lime and 1/4 teaspoon allspice. Add salt to taste and give everything another good stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The flavors in this salad are phenomenal! It tastes even better the next day, after the lime juice has a chance to permeate the rice and shrimp.

By the way, permeate is not a word I use on a regular basis. But it alwaysmakes me thing of the William Steig book Dr. DeSoto. Dr. DeSoto is a dentist, and there's a part in the story that talks about a treatment he has applied to a patient's teeth. He tells the patient to keep his mouth closed so the solution can "permeate the dentine." Why this particular phrase is still rattling around my brain after all these years is a mystery to me. It's probably taking up the space that would otherwise be used to remember the correct date of my only son's birthday.

Anyway...make this salad! Let the flavors permeate! And then eat it with your dentine! If possible, eat while sitting on a beach near a body of water. Wash it down with a fruity drink sporting an umbrella. And if you're not in Jamaica, close your eyes and pretend!

Click here for a printable recipe!