Beef Fajitas

When we lived in the US back in 2001, one of my favourite Mexican dishes was fajitas. So when this beef fajitas recipe appeared in my news feed a few years ago, I bookmarked it and it is the basis for my beef fajitas. Unlike the chicken tacos meal, this dish needs a bit of planning to ensure that I have the ingredients and there is enough time for the meat to marinate.

Serves 3-4

Times

Preparation:

1½ hours, including 1 hour for marinating meat

Cooking:

20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs tequila or rum
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2-3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ¼ cup coriander, chopped
• Ground pepper
• 500g beef strips
• 1 tsp cornflour
• Salsa:
  • 2 small tomato, diced
  • 1 small avocado, diced
  • 2 small red onion, diced
  • Garlic flakes or granules
• Vegetables:
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 small eggplant, sliced
  • ½ red medium capsicum, sliced
  • 2-3 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
• 6-8 tortillas or wraps

Method

1. Combine tequila, lime juice, garlic, oil, oregano, cumin and coriander in a bowl, and season with pepper.
2. Add beef strips and ensure coat meat in marinade.
3. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least an hour.
4. For the salsa:
   1. Mix diced tomato, avocado and red onion together in a small bowl.
   2. Season with garlic granules and pepper.
5. For the vegetables:
   1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a frying pan.
   2. Add the onion, eggplant, capsicum, mushrooms and garlic. Stir and cook the vegetables until soft.
6. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray.
7. Place beef and marinade in frying pan, and stir fry until beef is lightly brown and tender.
8. Move the beef onto a plate or dish.
9. If there is still marinade in the pan:
   1. Mix cornflour with 1 tsp cold water in a separate dish to make a smooth paste.
   2. Add the combined cornflour and water into the pan, cook and stir over medium heat until marinade has thickened into a sauce.
   3. Combine the beef strips with the sauce.
10. Place tortillas or wraps on plate, and microwave for 20-30 seconds on high.

Serve the beef, salsa and vegetables in separate dishes and let people fill their own tortillas.