Fajitas y salsa with post dinner cocktails

Tomato, Cucumber and Mint Salsa

Finding a balance between getting enough protein in your diet, getting your serves of fruit and vegetables whilst making something quick and yet tasty can some times seem a bit of a challenge. This is where modern variations on traditional Mexican food can come into play. Salsas of various types can allow for a wide variety of vegetables to be incorporated easily into one meal. This is my take on Fajitas.


Lime and chilli steak fajitas with Barbecued Peppers, and 2 salsas.


Lime and Chilli steak -  Rump steak was marinated for an hour or so in lime juice, chilli powder and smokey paprika. This was based on an idea that I got from the www.taste.com.au website with the addition of the smoked paprika to add a hint of that smokiness that is synonymous with steak Fajitas. The steaks were then barbecued on the grill plate until medium rare and sliced thinly for the Fajitas.

Peppers on the BBQ

Barbecued Peppers - Having worked in construction for several years I have attended many barbecues with our multicultural work crew. One thing that was ever present was a mix of red and green capsicums with wedges of onion all cooked up on the BBQ - this is an addition that I try to incorporate into many of my own BBQs these days. It is also a great accompaniment to Fajitas which are often served with Capsicum and onion sizzling on the hot plate along side the steak.


 Tomato, Cucumber and Mint Salsa - No Mexican meal would be complete with out a salsa and why stop at one I say. This salsa incorporates tomatoes probably one of the most common salsa ingredients. The combination with the cucumber and mint makes a spectacular looking fresh salsa of reds, whites and greens. Moving away from the more traditional salsa condiments I dressed the salsa in White wine vinegar, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar.

 

Corn, Avocado and Coriander Salsa

Corn, Avocado and Coriander Salsa -  This yellow and green salsa is a little more about taste than looks as a beautifully ripe avocado can only result in a degree so smushiness when mixed through a salsa. All the ingredients are pretty typical Mexican style ingredients - dressed with freshly squeezed lime juice, salt and pepper. 

The Fajitas were wrapped in flour tortillas in a make your own arrangement - that way people could add as much or as little of any of the ingredients to their fajitas as they liked. Now just need to talk my neighbour into making me tortillas with his new tortilla maker and reckon they will be perfect. My brother, sister and friend all gave these the thumbs up so will be making these again no doubt.  

Fajitas

Cucumber and Mint Martini

Mike's Bar - The evening was finished off beautifully with a trip to my brother's house where he and Mike the cocktail extraordinaire mixed up and made up a number of killer cocktails. Highlights included the Cucumber and Mint martini - amazing colour and fabulously refreshing flavour. Campari spritzers, espresso martinis, nectarine spritzers, old fashions, classic martinis and pear and elderflower martini were also on the menu. Definitely plans for a trip back to Mike's bar some time soon.