Fajitas Two Ways: Diet Indulgence

Hi, it's Sarah here, younger daughter extraordinaire. 

Here's the original recipe for fajitas as taken from 7 Years Younger, the diet/anti-aging program that our clan has undertaken to help us all look and feel better, especially since Elissa and I are both shedding postpartum pounds and our husbands may have gained a few themselves during our pregnancies.

Here are some things that I did differently and why:

• I crushed the garlic with my mortar and pestle because, oddly, I have that setup, but no garlic press.
• I made more than 12 ounces of chicken. I used one of the freezer packs (approximately 1.25 pounds) from Costco because, frankly, I already owned it. Furthermore, what grocery store sells 12 ounces of chicken? I don't own a kitchen scale, so I didn't get too wound up about it. 
• I used chicken tenderloins. Again, this was because I already had it. Would I do it again? Yes, because you get greater surface area for seasoning and browning during the broil. I think it gives it more of a skillet texture and flavor.
• I used normal chili powder because, let's be honest, I do my grocery shopping at Walmart, and Walmart just ain't classy enough for Ancho Chili Powder. It tasted great with McCormick's Chili Powder, which is actually a blend of spices. Here's an article with more details on the difference.
• I used two anaheim peppers instead of a green bell. Again, I had anaheim instead of a green bell, and I didn't want to go to the store unnecessarily. I would do it again, since anaheim peppers have a less bitter flavor and more heat. Here's more on peppers.
• I used lime juice from a plastic lime because its easier to get 3 TBSP that way. I didn't cut up the limes, which I did have, since I didn't think we would want them after tasting the dressing on the cabbage.
• I used full fat sour cream because I had some before we started the diet, and I didn't think a 1/4 cup would make or break the recipe's health.
• I chopped up the cilantro, stems and all. I've never prepared fresh cilantro before, and when it said leafs only, I thought, "Wow! What a pain in the ass!" So, I went ahead and just cut up everything. It took the better part of a bunch, and tasted just fine.

All in all, this has been our favorite recipe from the diet so far. We'd definitely make it again, diet or not. I straight up loved the cabbage and cilantro salad. You could definitely eat it by itself as a side. 

As far as the prep goes, it was pretty easy and fast. I cut my fingers because my dull knife bounced off of my onion, which sucked, but can definitely be avoided by the more coordinated and sharp among us. The recipe only produced a few dirty dishes considering how many components there were: 1 large bowl, 1 jelly roll pan with foil, 1 cutting board, the mortar and pestle (could have been a garlic press) and a few knives and measuring cups. This makes my husband happy since he's in charge of doing the dishes when I cook.

Finally, if I were preparing this with my hubby during the summer, I might choose to have him prepare the meat and veggies on foil on the grill instead of under the broiler, to avoid heating the kitchen.