Ready to eat avocadoes are always a luxury. Many stores carry avocadoes that have been picked way too soon: They are hard as rocks and end up sitting on the counter for a week before they're ripe. We like to spend a bit more and get the ones that are ready now. These are for the guacamole that goes with the meal.
Fallon & Byrne has an amazing produce section. We saw habanero chillies colored orange like the sun and jalapeño peppers that looked like Brazilian jade. We chose these fire engine red chillies for tonight's meal. Aye carumba!
We walked across the street to Dunnes grocery store, (which is a little easier on the pocketbook) and picked up Old El Paso fajitas and salsa. The box basically contains a packet of spice mix, a packet of salsa and a packet of tortillas. We buy extra salsa because there isn't enough in the box.
It is amusing to me that this is called Beef Mince here in Ireland. My fellow Americans call it ground beef. Ireland has not experienced the mad cow issue like England has. I am told that if one steer is found with mad cow disease on a farm in Ireland, the whole herd is destroyed. Notice the "DNA Traceback" logo on the package. The consumer is given the message that they take meat safety quite seriously here.
My awesomer half prepares button mushrooms and red bell peppers with our Japanese-wetstone-sharpened santoku knife. She has well-honed Samurai skills at the cutting board. Whoo-aaahhhhh...!
We add fresh broccoli and corn to the fajitas. It really is a healthy meal. Nothing frozen goes into the pan.
Here we are at the table, ready to eat! The guacamole contains garlic & lime and is such a treat. It goes so nicely with the spicy notes in the meat & vegetables.
I am such a lucky guy to live with someone who enjoys--and is so good at--cooking for us. Thanks Awesomer Half! You Rawk. Awriiiiight!
This reminds me of my time in Germany back in the middle 60's. We loved tacos and had to buy canned tortillas, which had to be fried before they could be used for hard shell tacos. I usually cooked 48 at a time because we always had friends over when I cooked them. Lots of ground beef seasoned with Gebhardt's chili powder sent from the states in a care package. I don't remember whether we could get avocados or not. But tomatoes, onions, lettuce and cheese rounded out the sides. Can't remember if we had salsa either. But sometimes you just do what you have to to have a taste of home. You are indeed a lucky guy.
ReplyDeleteOh hey, that sounds good. It must have taken some effort to make the hard taco shells the way you did. That's dedication. Interesting that you mention cheese, we have never tried our fajitas with cheese. Maybe we should do that some time? Thanks for the inspiration!
DeleteThose fajita makings look so delicious! Can she come cook for me too? LOL
ReplyDelete