I hope that you will love this dish as much as I do, because you can prep it the night before and have very little to do when you get home!
The night before you can slice your onion and peppers and put them in the fridge. How much you slice is really up to you. Does your family really love onions? Then slice up an entire one or more. Do they love peppers? You make the call. If you end up slicing up too much, use them in another dish the next day! Or munch on the peppers as a snack. I don't recommend snacking on onions. You may lose friends that way. Oh, and I recommend using some green pepper, and another fun colored pepper (red, orange, yellow - they're all good). Lastly, if your family likes things spicy, slice up one of the hotter peppers. I like to use habaneros, but I'm crazy. Those tend to be really hot. Not a fan of hot? Check out the peppers at your local grocery store, and check them again the range of hotness. There is usually a hotness chart stationed in the pepper area.
The next morning before you go to work. Throw your chicken breast in the crock pot with some water to prevent it from drying out. I make two chicken breasts since there's only two in my family, and I use just under a cup of water. You may need to experiment with this a couple of times until you find the perfect amount of water. If you end up drying out your chicken....just mix in some salsa! If you have a taco seasoning packet, you can sprinkle this on to your chicken before turning on the crock pot. If not, you can make your own little packet. Sprinkle some paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if you dare) and cumin over the chicken to give it some flavor while it cooks.
I set my crock pot for 5.5 hours on low (again to avoid drying it out), and then my crock pot nicely sets itself to stay warm until I get home.
When I get home, I shred the chicken using two forks, toss in my previously sliced peppers and onion, and turn the crock pot back on low for a half hour. You could throw everything into the pot in the morning, but it makes the veggies very soggy. If you want your veggies to be soft but still somewhat crisp follow my instructions.
 |
| My onions and peppers strangely resemble the Irish flag. |
While the veggies and chicken are cooking for that half hour, I cut up some lettuce for the base of my fajita bowl. I throw some Spanish Near East rice on the stove. Next, I take some black beans and put those in the microwave. I'll heat those up right before dinner is ready.
Once I hear my crock pot calling me to tell me it's done making dinner. I pop on the microwave to warm up those beans. Start your fajita bowl by first laying down your bed of lettuce. Add the chicken, pepper, and onion mix, and a spoonful of rice. Grab the beans from microwave, and throw a scoop of those on top as well. Your main course is complete. Well....almost complete.
You didn't add toppings! Toppings are of course the best part. You can add shredded cheese, salsa, fat free sour cream, and guacamole if you want. Obviously, your choice of toppings are up to you. Just remember to exercise portion control! Those topping, albeit fantastic, do have calories!
SALUD!
Photos to come.... :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment