Mexican - Fajitas

These fajitas are truly an adaptation - I have tweaked it in so many ways I forget what the original tasted like. But this is a long time favorite - works as lunch and dinner alike. 

Main ingredients: 

Meat in one inch long strips - about 100-150 gr. per person

Tortillas (I prefer the larger ones, but the original fajitas are made with small tortillas) 1-2 per person

2 limes

Two large onions

Two red and green bell peppers

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder

Paprika

• Cut the onions in half and then in slices. Cut the peppers in similar sized pieces. Add to a medium hot pan with a little olive oil. Fry the onions and peppers slowly - you want them to caramelize a little.
• The meat can be cut in a number of ways. In some places you can get them already cut - but those pieces tend to be of fairly poor quality. I personally prefer to buy a roast and then cut it up - make a few portions for fajitas, some minced meat for burgers or bolognese. It doesn't have to be great meat - but make sure it doesn't have muscle and so on.
• Add a little olive oil to a pan and heat it for a minute on the highest setting. It's important that the pan is really hot when the meat is added. Add the meat and let it be for 20 seconds, then turn it and let it be another 20. Keep doing this until you can't see any red on the meat. Then drain the meat to make sure it is fairly dry - there is likely to be some meat juice you want to get rid off. Put it back on the hot pan and add the juice from the lemons directly onto the meat. Let it simmer for a minute then drain the meat again. Return it to the pan to dry a little. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little paprika. 
• The main components are now ready, and this is where we all have different preferences as to what to add. 

Favorite add-ins:

Refried beans (They come from a can in almost every American supermarket - if you can't find refried beans, then get a can of beans and mince them with salt, pepper and garlic). 

Cherry Tomatoes

Mexican cheese

Guacamole (See my guacamole recipe)

Corn

Feta Cheese

- and most other "green" things you'd add to a salad. 

• Pile up your desired add-ins on top of meat and onions, then roll up it up like a burrito. I find it helpful to put a little guacamole or beans where the tortilla meets to make sure it doesn't unroll when you try to eat. 

Enjoy!

Sandwich with turkey, tomato/basil-cream cheese and cucumber

This is my favorite sandwich!

You need bread of your choice - I prefer foccacia, ciabatta or some sourdough bread.
A few slices of good turkey - I prefer honey roasted, but it really depends on your own preference.
10 thin slices of cucumber without peel
Few rings of red onion
Balsamic vinegar

Cream Cheese:
3 spoons of plain Philadelphia cheese
5 sundried tomatoes
handful of basil
salt, peber and garlic powder
olive oil.

Method:
Toast the bread
Blend the cream cheese with all the ingredients and spread it out on both sides of the bread.
Add the turkey
Put cucumber slices and onion on top of the turkey
Pour on balsamic vinegar
Close the sandwich up and enjoy!
 

Broccoli Salad with bacon

This is one of my favorite sides. It goes well with pork, chicken or turkey - and various types of potatoes that might accompany those meats.

The following measurements are not precise. I am the type of cook who doesn't measure much, but feel my way through the cooking - especially for salads, sauces and dressings. But with these measurements, you should be pretty safe.

Main ingredients (4 sides):
1 broccoli
4 slices of bacon

Dressing:
3 tbsp. of mayonnaise, sour cream, creme fraiche or similar.
Red wine vinegar (suitable substitute would be balsamic vinegar - regular vinegar won't work)
Teaspoon of mustard
Pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.

Favorite add-ins:
Handful of raisins
Handful of peanuts
Half an apple, finely diced

Cut or pluck the broccoli flowers off the stem (you can save the stem to make broccoli coleslaw). Make sure the flowers are in small pieces, no more than a half a centimeter (about on quarter inch). Briefly was the broccoli and them dump it into boiling water. Let the broccoli boil between 30 and 60 seconds - more if you like it really soft and less if you would like the salad to have some crunch. Drain the broccoli and put it in a bowl.
Cut the bacon in small pieces and fry it in a pan until it becomes crispy. Let cool on paper towel so most of the fat is drained.
Add all the ingredients of the dressing and mix well. I like my salad quite tangy, so I am not shy with the vinegar. Try it out yourself and regulate the amounts depending on your preferences and the meal the salad is going with.
Now, combine broccoli, bacon and dressing - and add in the raisins, peanuts and apple. If you are not eating right away, you should wait till last minute to add the peanuts.

Enjoy your meal