Leftover Steak Fajitas

Wait! You say ... someone who frequently talks about frugality has leftover steak? Well this steak was purchased in 2+ pound packages at under $2 pound, so YES - leftover cooked steak.

Slice the leftover cold steak into slices. Marinate in lime juice, cayenne or chili powder and garlic (fresh or powdered). Allow to marinate for at least a few hours.

Slice onions into thin slices, and cook at a high temperature until lightly browned. Add a bit of garlic (I just love those garlic ice cubes from Trader Joes!), and cook a minute or two longer. Remove from the pan.

Add the peppers (this half a pound of frozen bell pepper slices, thawed and drained), and cook until a bit of color is singed onto the edges. Remove them from the pan as well.

Bring the pan back to very hot, then sear the steak slices JUST BRIEFLY to warm and color.

Serve with refried beans or black beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole ... whatever you have on hand in your fridge and pantry. Serve with tortillas (if you like, warm them on your oven stone for a minute).

A very quick dinner from leftovers!

Lime-jalapeno grilled chicken wraps

Marinate chicken breasts in lime juice with canned jalapenos overnight. Drain the juice off, and grill the chicken. Allow to cool, or else you'll burn your fingers shredding the chicken.

Shred the chicken with your fingers (not aiming for perfection here). Mix in one pound of frozen corn - preferably frozen ROASTED corn from Trader Joes. Mix in one jar of your favorite salsa verde. Add the juice of a couple limes, some garlic powder or chopped garlic, some ground Ancho or ground chili pepper, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Microwave sliced bell peppers (multiple colors is GREAT!) and mix them in as well.

We ate this all last week. I made nachos with it (sprinkle mixture over corn chips, add some shredded cheddar, broil for a few minutes then finish the presentation with a scoop each of guacamole and sour cream), wraps (serve warm, with cheese in a tortilla), and ate it cold on salad. The resident Southerner was well pleased. He topped every variation with hot sauce and/or hot salsa.