Chicken Fajitas: A Tex-Mex Dish

Dear SOS: I’m searching for a good recipe for Chicken Fajitas. I believe The Times printed such a recipe a year or so ago. I’d like to try them at home.

--CARLEEN

Dear Carleen: The El Torito restaurant chain provided us with a recipe, using beef and/or chicken, which we gladly will reprint with slight modification for the benefit of all who have missed this fashionable Tex-Mex dish.

SIZZLING CHICKEN FAJITAS

3 pounds boned and skinned chicken breasts

Marinade

1/3 cup butter or margarine

2 medium Spanish onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices

4 medium green peppers, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

Achiote Sauce

1 pound tomatoes, cut in wedges

Lemon wedges

Place chicken in shallow pan. Pour Marinade over and let marinate in refrigerator 3 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from Marinade and cut into 3x1/2-inch strips. Melt butter in large skillet. Add onions, green peppers and seasoning salt and saute until vegetables are tender, basting with Achiote Sauce while sauteing.

Place chicken in large cast-iron skillet and sear over medium heat. Remove from skillet when golden. Place another iron skillet upside down over high flame. Heat almost to point of smoking, about 90 seconds.

Remove hot serving skillet from burner and pile with chicken strips and vegetables. Place tomato wedges over chicken and vegetables. Garnish with lemon wedges. Makes 6 servings.

Variation: For Beef Fajitas use 3 pounds tri-tip or bottom sirloin of beef. Marinate and cut according to recipe for chicken, but omit Achiote Sauce.

Marinade

2 1/2 cups soy sauce

1 1/4 cups water

1 1/4 cups white vinegar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine soy sauce, water, vinegar, garlic and pepper in large container. Whip with wire whisk until well mixed.

Achiote Sauce

4 ounces achiote powder

1 1/4 cups orange juice

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Dash oregano

Place achiote powder, orange juice, garlic and oregano in blender container and blend until smooth.

Note : Achiote powder is available in most Latin grocery stores.

Dear SOS: I’ve always liked lemon pudding cake and when I saw the recipe for chocolate pudding cake in your newspaper (Food Section, Aug. 21), I said, “oh great.” So I immediately baked it. But it was not a pudding cake. It was, however, a delicious chocolate cake. Hope you can find the pudding cake recipe and print it.

--MRS. S.

Dear Mrs. S.: The category of old-fashioned American cakes known as pudding cakes or cake-top puddings come in a wide variety of styles, from moist-firm to saucy cakes. The recipe we gave was the moist-firm type. However, we should have provided the recipe for the saucy cake, which is most commonly associated with pudding cakes. So here is a new recipe with a cake top and fudgy sauce on the bottom. And it is g-o-o-d.

FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

1 cup sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons melted shortening

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 3/4 cups hot water

Whipped cream or ice cream

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar in bowl. Add nuts, then stir in milk, vanilla, shortening and chocolate. Spread batter in greased 8-inch square pan. Mix cocoa with brown sugar, stir in hot water and pour over batter. Bake at 375 degrees 35 to 40 minutes. As pudding bakes, cake layer forms on top and rich sauce on bottom. Spoon warm pudding into dessert dishes and top with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 8 servings.

Dear SOS: I have lost my recipe for chili which I believe was printed in your column. It was called Chili Lovers’ Chili.

--ROSLYNN

Dear Roslynn: A long-lost love returns . . .

CHILI LOVERS’ CHILI

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 cups chopped onions

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, broken up

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans

Cook beef, onions, green pepper and garlic in large skillet or Dutch oven until meat is browned. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, salt, bay leaf and hot pepper sauce. Cook, covered, over low heat 1 1/2 hours. Add beans. Cook 30 minutes longer. Makes 6 servings.

Dear SOS: Sorry to trouble you, but can you print a recipe for granola bars?

--GEO

Dear Geo: No trouble at all.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 egg

1 3/4 cups granola

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Vanilla Glaze

Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar, cocoa and egg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in granola, walnuts and vanilla. Pour into foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill until firm. Drizzle Vanilla Glaze over surface. Chill until set. Remove from pan. Peel off foil. Place on cutting board. Cut into bars or squares. Makes 9 to 12 bars.

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon milk

Combine powdered sugar, butter and milk in small bowl. Stir until smooth.