Carne Asada Fajitas, Chili Lime Rice & Fresh Guacamole

Being from Southern California, I have been spoiled with an abundance of ridiculously good Mexican food. Oh how I've missed late night/early morning burritos runs. My San Diego roommate and I were even dubbed the "burrito fairies" after one of our absurd 4am burrito escapades (we loved them THAT much!).

I've been craving some spice, so I decided I'd take a stab at making my own Mexican food. There are a lot of different components, so don't feel pressured to the make the whole meal. If you don't have time, then keep it simple--follow the carne asada recipe, buy some guac, make a 90sec microwavable Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice packet, and you're good to go. If you're in the mood to GO BIG, however, try the whole sha-bang! It's worth it, I promise :)

NOTE: 3 of the ingredients should be available in the Latin Food section of your supermarket. This includes the Adobo seasoning, the chipotle peppers, and the roasted green chilies. In case you aren't sure what these items are, I've posted pictures/links at the end of this recipe to help you find them!

What you'll need:

Green Chili Rice: 
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 lime
- 4oz can of diced roasted green chilies
- handful of roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Guacamole:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 lime
- salt & pepper
- roughly chopped cilantro
- half of a small onion (diced)

Fajita Vegetables:
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 1/2 bag of frozen tricolor bell peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- olive oil
- pepper
- Goya Adobo seasoning [you can substitute Taco Seasoning]
- 7oz can of chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (save half for the carne asada)

Carne Asada: 
- Beef (sliced into strips)
- Goya Adobo seasoning
- the rest of the chipotle peppers

How you make it:

Green Chili Rice: 
Start by making your rice. If you have a rice cooker, use that. Otherwise you can use a pot (it's just as easy).

First, bring the water to a boil. Then add the rice and salt. Stir and cover. When the water returns to a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15-20 mins, until fully cooked.

When done, put all of the rice into a large bowl and mix in the can of roasted green chilies, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and butter (optional). DONE!


Guacamole:
Scope out the insides of both avocados into a small bowl. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt & pepper. Mix together using a fork, making sure to break up the avocado. Give it a taste and SERVE!


Fajita Vegetables:
Start by warming up a large pan on medium-high heat with some olive oil. Once the pan is warm, add your sliced onion and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little of the Adobo Seasoning, mix, and let cook. Once this gains a little color, add your frozen (or fresh!) bell peppers and let it continue to cook. Then add some of the roughly chopped chipotle peppers (I added 2 peppers--adjust depending on how spicy you want it). Mix this around and let it cook on medium heat until done. Remove from heat and EAT!

Carne Asada: 
Mix the sliced meat with sliced chipotle peppers and the adobo seasoning. Cover and refrigerate. Let this marinate for a few hours or even overnight. Cook on a large pan over a medium-high heat until fully cooked.

Make a huge plate and nom away!

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

Diced Fire Roasted Green Chilies