Fajitas, Cilantro Lime Rice, & Mexican Twice Baked Potatoes

Often when people come to our house for dinner they ask me "do you always eat like this?" The answer is usually no because if I'm having people over, I'm going to show off!  :)

But that is usually followed by "What do you eat usually?" So today, I thought that I'd share a normal, go-to dinner for us. Fajitas. They're usually something that I have all the ingredients to just sitting in my house (except maybe not the pepper) so it's easy to whip it up. The hardest part is deciding if I want Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Twice Baked Potatoes with it.

To be honest my fajita recipe isn't that exciting so I'm going to be very general with it. All I do is slice up a bell pepper and an onion. Saute those in a little oil and add some fresh garlic. When those are softened, remove them and set aside to keep warm. Slice up your chicken breasts and season them with some southwestern seasoning, fajita seasoning, or whatever you have. Saute those until cooked through. Add your veggies back and re-heat. Serve it with shredded cheese, sour cream, warm tortillas, and salsa.

OK, now the fun part!

Cilantro Lime Rice
4 servings - about 200 calories per 3/4 cup.

1 cup white rice, uncooked
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh if possible
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil


1. Cook the rice according to package directions in the water and salt.
2. Remove to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
3. Stir together lime juice, cilantro, and oil.
4. While the rice is still warm, drizzle the lime - cilantro mix over the rice while stirring. Gently stir until the cilantro is dispersed but not so much that the rice gets gummy. Serve warm.


This is delicious in the fajita itself, as a side, or in the bottom of a bowl with all your fajita goodies on top (minus the tortilla).

Mexican Twice Baked Potatoes
4 servings - about 150 calories per potato half


2 russet baking potatoes
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded  (you can use pepperjack, colby jack, whatever you have)
2/3 cup cottage cheese (I used to shy away from this but it's actually tasty in dishes!)
1/2 cup corn kernels
salt and pepper
jalapenos - optional (I use jarred jalapenos that I chop up pretty finely)


1. Bake the potatoes at 425 for about an hour or until tender. You could also microwave them, 1 potato at a time for about 8 minutes each. They should be fork tender all the way through.
2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out almost all of the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch all the way around, into a mixing bowl.
3. Mix in both cheeses, corn, jalapenos (if using), and season with salt and pepper.
4. Put the filling back into the 4 potato halves. They will be heaping. Broil for about 6 minutes or until the top gets golden. Serve hot.