Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

I published this post a few years ago, and I am republishing it because I have had many requests from friends who got frustrated trying to locate it all the way back in 2014.  So, here it is again. Let me know how it comes out   --  (Lucy and Natalie)!

Move over chicken cutlets!  My family has a new favorite chicken dish -- Grilled Chicken Fajitas. And this time of year, who can disagree.  The secret ingredient: Grapefruit!

If done correctly, Chicken Fajitas are an easy-to-make crowd-pleaser.  And if you follow this recipe, they are low in cholesterol and fat, and are gluten free!

Here is what you will need:

2 Lemons

3 Limes

2 Grapefruits

Chicken Breasts

1 Red Pepper

2 Onions

Avocado

Pepper Jack Cheese

Corn Tortillas

Cinnamon

Cumin

Garlic

Cilantro

Hot pepper paste, chipotle chili flakes or fresh Jalapeno

Olive Oil

Clean and dry the cilantro, then chop (or puree) it finely. 

Tip: Once cleaned and dried, cilantro (and parsley) leaves can last many weeks if refrigerated in a sealed container. 

Prepare the marinade by juicing lemons, limes, and grapefruit in a large bowl.  Add in 3-4 cloves of finely chopped garlic, a large handful of chopped cilantro, a diced onion, a tablespoon of cumin and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Season with salt, pepper and a little hot pepper paste or chipotle chili seeds. 

Rinse the chicken and add it to the marinate. Let the chicken marinate for 45 minutes to an hour. This citrus marinade works well for a few reasons.  First, it tenderizes the meat and cooks it a bit.  For packaged chicken, the citrus also breaks down the slippery coating on the chicken.  Finally, and most importantly, it adds unbelievable flavor!

  While the chicken is marinating, slice the 2nd onion and red pepper into strips.  If using Jalapeno, chop it into small pieces. 

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a grill pan and saute peppers and onions until soft and slightly charred.   I added hot pepper paste/Jalapeno to this mixture as well as some salt and pepper. 

Take onions and peppers out of saute pan and set aside. 

Add the marinated chicken to the seasoned grill pan.  For thin sliced chicken, grill each side for about 3 minutes.  For thicker cuts, grill for 4-5 minutes on each side.  Keep the marinade...

...and add it to a small grill pan with some olive oil.  Cook it down.

Heat the tortillas in the small grill pan.  Add marinade and olive oil, as needed. 

Slice the cooked chicken. 

Layer the tortillas with chicken, onions, peppers, jack cheese, avocado (you can use guacamole too) cilantro and maybe a little salsa! Fold and savor! 

For larger groups, all of the ingredients can be laid out on the table and guests can make their own! 

Poultry Tips:

If you have a whole chicken and need to take off the breast meat, here are some simple instructions:

Always start by cutting into the legs, where they are attached to the body.  Cut through the bone of both legs and then do the same for both wings, and set them aside.  Then turn chicken over (onto its back) and cut along center bone and slice out breast filets.  Put the bones into the freezer and use later for preparing chicken stocks. 

If your chicken breasts are too thick, do not start by pounding as this can weaken the muscle fibers and release juices. Lay the breasts on a cutting board and carefully (very carefully) slice horizontally/ lengthwise.  Then lightly pound.

To test whether the chicken is cooked, pierce a small hole in the thickest meat.  If juices run clear, it is done.  If there is still some pink, it needs a bit more time.  Thermometers also work well!

When cooking chicken and other meats, it is always best to heat the plates before serving.  This can be done by placing them on a rack above the stove while cooking; or into the oven for a few minutes at 200 degrees (or less). Even a slightly warmed plate will help maintain food temperature.

Balancing Contemporary and Traditional Spaces

Interior Interests

Pairing our Anichini upholstered headboard and bed clothes with our new, contemporary, but somewhat featureless, apartment.

We recently sold our traditional, detail-dripping townhouse in Park Slope and now temporarily live in a modern Brooklyn Heights penthouse.  What a difference! While I miss our large, rambling, stately home -- very close to Prospect Park (below) -- I am enjoying our full-service building, complete with porters, doormen, and basement-level parking -- all within walking distance to our daughter's school.

When we first took on this move, I worried about the marriage -- of our mostly graceful, neoclassical furnishings to a contemporary, blunt apartment, more suited to mid-century modern. Surprisingly, however, the relationship was stronger than I had anticipated -- everyone gets along swimmingly!

The parlor level of our Park Slope home in Brooklyn

Right now, my thoughts on interiors seem to be somewhat scattered -- I am nostalgic about our past homes with all their charm and splendor, I am pleasantly comfortable enjoying our current modern space with its full-service perks, and I am becoming engrossed in the planning and  renovation of our future Brooklyn Heights townhouse (we just signed contracts). In all this, I keep finding myself thinking about the origins of my interest in design, of what motivates my schematics, and why some people, more than others, have a punctilious eye.

Without realizing it at the time, from a young age, I have always had a bend toward interior design.  But, being raised in upstate New York (way upstate), there wasn't anyone to mentor me or anything to inspire; well, aside from the idyllic and breathtaking Adirondack Mountains, or perhaps Lake Placid's rustic but upscale establishments. Oh, and of course, there were all those Anglo, Federal style churches -- surely there was some influence there!

But, the influences were nothing compared to the exposure a young person has when living close to a major metropolitan area. So, when I was 14 years old, I took it upon myself to be inspired with what I had on hand -- my childhood home. It was not uncommon for my parents to come home from work to find their living room completely rearranged, or the rugs shifted across the house, or pictures taken down and rehung, or the dining table silver centerpiece polished, buffed and repositioned somewhere else entirely.  Actually, it is still not uncommon for me to rearrange items in my house, or, better yet, if spending time with friends, in their houses too!

I am constantly rearranging our "knick-knacks," in this case, our Simon Pearce blown glass.

Strangely, fashion wasn't the path that I took professionally, After college, I darted to New York City and fell into a fairly successful career in advertising.  As I approached 40, our daughter was born, and I decided to dedicate all my energy to raising a well adjusted child.  Unfortunately, the results of those efforts won't be in for another good 20 years.

I adore color, an element missing from modern design, of late. 

I am about to undertake another house renovation and I have been taking notes, on the benefits and pitfalls of living in a newer space. For me, the biggest issue when moving from a classic, urban townhouse into a contemporary space is dealing with the "open floor plan." I don't like open floor plans! Both our current penthouse and our future townhouse have open floor plans on the parlor level. I will need to deal with this. Unless I am at an airy beach house, I prefer individually stylized, comfortable rooms over jumbled open living. Everyday life is better suited to compartmentalization -- we weren't meant to dine in the same space that our bills are paid, or worse, where we watch TV.

Fresh flowers -- always a suitable design element!

Another challenge of contemporary spaces is the seeming lack of color. As clearly shown in the photos in this post, I adore rich colors -- strong hues of gold are always attractive to my eye. Did you notice that  there is something gold in nearly all of today's pictures!

I purchased bolts of these bold, rich fabrics at a Brunschwig and Fils sale a few years back and look forward to using them in our new Brooklyn Heights townhouse.

The good news is that color and tradition and classic lines work well with modern spaces. In fact, they may even work better, since they aren't competing with overt existing detail. While traditional interiors may favor stronger patters, more texture and richer colors, so do contemporary spaces. Living in a contemporary space has taught me that the clean lines associated with modern, open spaces help traditional pieces to pop, to sing, and sometime to even jump. So, if a renovation is in your future, go ahead, blur the lines, create your own style, mix it up!

 In the coming months, as I transform our new space, making it shine as originally intended over 100 years ago,  I look forward to sharing our progress here on The Natty Dad, and hopefully, I'll be able to pass along some useful tips along the way.

Cozying up to one of my plush, golden, tasseled, velvet pillows. 

https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/sale/index.jsp?sale=true

http://guydads.blogspot.com

Preparing the Garden for Summer

Ornamental Onion, or Allium, is ideal for any garden --
undemanding, hardy and comes in a variety of sizes and colors. 

This time of year a fair amount of my free time is spent working outside.  Our gardens, both in the city and by the beach, become outdoor rooms, frequently used for socializing, entertaining and easy living.  So designing these spaces artfully is as important to me as accessorizing my living room; and by the beach particularly, when all the doors are wide open, the two need to seamlessly and harmoniously blend together. Thus, I need to constantly re-tool and update the composition of my gardens as the season progresses.

In New York City, our springtime plants --  tulips, narcissus, squills, helleborus, etc.  -- have ended their flowering cycles. Time to re-tool! Caring for these plants, at this point, is as important as when the bulbs were first planted in the fall.

Narcissus (daffodils) are known to be fairly fool-proof plants -- they don't get eaten by squirrels, they produce large amounts of flowers year after year, and there isn't much to be done to them.  Well, with one exception -- once the flowering has finished on these hearty plants and the leaves look droopy and yellowed, they should be carefully clumped and knotted (see simple instructions below).  This serves two purposes.  One: it allows the energy from the plant to refocus back into the bulb in the ground; two:  it allows other plants in the garden to use the space for their own flowering and propagation.

Here is how it is done:

Simply take all the leaves from one post-flowered bulb in one hand (above) and fold over:

Once folded (above), use the top portion to form a knot around the fold (below).  

For my modest garden in the city, it took less than an hour to perform this task.  In another month, I won't even be able to see any evidence of these bulbs.  But, if you don't have the time or stamina to clump and knot these leaves, when planting your bulbs in the fall, consider placing them close to large leafy annuals and perennials that mature in early summer.  Interplant them with  your Ornamental ginger or hosta.  The large leaves of these summer plants will hide those of the spring bulbs. 

Some other things to remember when gardening: 

Shrubs which flower in the spring should also be pruned in the early summer. Pruning your shrubs promotes vigour and keeps plants within manageable sizes. 

Fertilize your plants, in the late spring/early summer, and try to use organic natural products, especially if children use the garden.  Your plants will flower longer and look healthier all summer. 

Over time,  bulbs, such as narcissus, that self-propagate new albeit smaller bulbs, can be dug up, divided and replanted. In general, plants that bloom in the spring should be divided in the fall (when they are dormant) and fall bloomers in the spring.  More on that later. 

If you happen to pass a yard sale of someone who maintains a respectable garden, stop by! Strike up a conversation and be sure to compliment the garden. You will learn valuable tips about what grows well in your area, where the best places to shop are located and you may even walk away with a few clippings. Gardeners inevitably love to talk about their gardens and always enjoy praise for all their hard work! 

Our daughter enjoying the freshly flowering phlox.
With any luck,  she will grow to share our dedication to the garden, to design and to good food.

The Bitter, The Better!

The Wonders of Bitter Greens
Broccoli Rabe

This painting reminds me of our daughter and her friends picking flowers while on vacation last week. 

Now that we are back from spring break, and the bags are unpacked and the piles of laundry cleaned, folded and put away, it is time to refocus on healthful eating.  We ate well on vacation, but our intake of greens was far lower than our intake of ice cream, toffee and other sweet treats that we only eat when we are on holiday.  So logically, one of my first stops when we got back to NYC was the greens isle at Whole Foods. And one of my favorite, powerhouse go-to green:  Broccoli Rabe.

Bitter greens are so important to healthy living because they contain phytonutrients that support the liver to manage cholesterol, balance hormones and detoxify the blood.  They also help to metabolize fats. Aside from Broccoli Rabe (also known as rapini), other healthy bitter greens include radicchio, dandelion greens, endive, kale, daikon greens and arugula.  They are all fantastic!

Broccoli Rabe with Pine Nuts and Bread Crumbs

This dish is a staple in our home.  I have instructed countless friends over the years in its preparation. It pairs wonderfully well with most proteins and can be enjoyed in any season!

Here is what you will need:

2 heads of Broccoli Rabe
Olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 cloves of garlic cut into large pieces
dash of hot pepper seeds
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 Lemon
salt/pepper

Cut the leaves of the Broccoli Rabe into pieces and with a peeler, thin the stalks. Soak the greens in hot water for 3-5 minutes. This not only cleans the vegetable but also takes the bitterness down a bit. Remove from water and dry (preferably with a salad spinner). 

While the greens are soaking, sauté the garlic, pine nuts and hot pepper in the olive oil for about 2 minutes (or until garlic is soft).  Add in bread crumbs and sauté until slightly browned (another 1-2 minutes). 

Add in the rapini leaves and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until soft.   

Add lemon and season with salt/pepper. 

Eat greedily!

Next up -- early gardens. This Springtime the "it" plant  is Helleborous. I planted 5 in my garden last fall. 

Spring is here - think healthy!

Valentine's Day

Still so much Human Rights work left to do! 

This Valentine's Day, I am encouraging everyone I know to watch the "Take me to Church" video by Hozier. It brought our daughter to tears when, for the first time, we had to explain that some people still hate others for whom they love. In some countries, like the Soviet Union (as depicted in the video) it is illegal to even advocate or discuss LGBT issues. There is still so much human rights work to do, at home and abroad; but, it is encouraging to know that progress is being made.  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVjiKRfKpPI

I was prompted to write about Hozier after watching the Grammy's earlier this week. It was maddening to watch Madonna still playing the vagabond harlot, for nothing more than attention. While moments later, on the same program, young artists like Hozier (Sam Smith, Katy Perry and Annie Lennox, too!) are making powerful statements with their music. Hozier's song brazenly encourages change --  asking us, not subtlety, to assert ourselves through beautiful acts of love. In an interview about the "Take Me to Church" song Hozier states that it is not an inditement against “church” but against institutions that preach hatred as a part of doctrine. I have much respect for Hozier for using his new found fame altruistically, and with purpose.

Human rights challenges still rage on, and while the battle fields may be distant from home (especially here New York), everyday I am thankful for the truly spiritual and enlightened people in my life who do not condemn adults for whom they love...

...just some thoughts as we enjoy Valentine's Day 2015.  Amen.

With Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras falling ostensibly on the same week, I thought this Raimundo De Madrazo painting colorfully and playfully celebrates the season:

Spring is coming, I promise!

Super Bowl Sunday

My Idea of a Super Bowl

 & Fava Bean Dip!

Between "deflate gate" and under-reported tragic football concussions, I am beginning to agree with Bill Maher who said that watching Super Bowl XLIX is as off putting as watching Cosby reruns. It seems that hummus isn't the only dip being brought out this Sunday. How often do we have to hear "I am only here so I won't get fined?" Let's forgo the "chips and dips" and look at some super bowls that make everything look appetizing.

Handsome bowls can be multi-purpose -- they can hold a delectable bowl of pasta or can be used by the door as a place for your keys! Most of my favorite super bowls (below) followed me from Europe, and often found their way into my cabinets after being packed tightly and precariously in large suitcases. 

My absolute fave!  I bought this hand-painted bowl in Ravello. I think of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea every time I use it. 

Italian ceramic artisans still incorporate the same craftsmanship and designs that have been used for centuries. Can you tell which dish (below) I bought recently in Italy and which is hundreds of years old (and is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art)?

I adore this bowl from the 1930s. While I use it mostly for salads, I believe it was originally intended for pasta. 

Moorish bowls that I picked up in the south of Spain

Burnt gold and cobalt blue never go out of style!  We bought this in Ravello at the same time that a well-know designer of American polo shirts bought the entire collection of this pattern.  I wonder when we will see something similar in his home collection?

The English country scene bowls, I use them almost every day.

In the super bowl "commercial" category, it is hard to beat Pyrex. A 20 piece set can be as little as $20 and can last for generations. And "to boot" they are American made, and can assuage some fears of reheating and storing food in plastic.

Some years ago, I had an entire set of this rustic Amalfi pattern and even planned a trip back to that region just to re-plenish broken pieces; only to arrive to find that the artist had died and the collection is no longer produced! So, logically, I came home with these instead:

No kitchen is complete without a wooden bowl; and when mixing a salad, no wooden bowl is too large!

FAVA BEAN DIP

Most store-bought dips, especially Salsa, taste a bit metallic and processed to me.  If you are hosting a party, it is best to make your own.

Here is an incredibly easy dip that will be a huge crowd-pleaser:

Here is what you will need - 

Fava Beans, jarred or canned.
(You can also sometimes find packaged, uncooked Fava beans in your produce section.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 lemon
salt/pepper

After draining most of the liquid, warm the jarred or canned fava beans on the stove.  If using uncooked beans, be sure to heat until the beans are tender.   In a blender combine the warm beans, with the olive oil, cumin, garlic, lemon and salt/pepper.  Blend and serve warm.  A bit of sautéd onion work well in this dip, too.

So easy and sooo good!!