Fajitas, Hold the Tortillas

I love fajitas but wanted to sidestep the extra calories from the tortillas. The tortillas alone add about 250 calories to two fajitas. And if they are white flour tortillas, the calories are pretty empty (meaning that there is not much nutritional value per calorie). So, I decided to take the classic fajita filling and serve it sans tortilla. I have to say, I didn't miss the tortillas one bit.

To begin, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Then, saute thin strips of pepper and onion (any color will do) in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Let the veggies cook slowly until soft and a bit charred. The sweetness of the peppers and onions will come out when they caramelize which will be a nice balance to the salty chicken. While the veggies cook, season your chicken breast(s) (one per person) with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Once the veggies are finished, set them aside and use the same skillet to cook the chicken. Brown the chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side. You want a nice crust on the outside- don't worry about the inside being cooked completely yet. I always like to finish chicken by baking it in the oven. I feel like this technique keeps the inside juicy while giving the outside a nice crust. For this recipe, I also made a "basting liquid" of sorts. To do this, mix a couple spoonfuls of packaged taco or fajita seasoning with about 1/2 cup water. Transfer your chicken breasts into a baking dish and pour the basting liquid over the top. Bake the chicken for about 25 minutes, basting about every 5 minutes. If you are new to basting, it's nothing to be scared of. Use a baster or a spoon to bring up the liquid and pour it back over the chicken. This technique keeps the chicken from drying out and re-infuses the the chicken with flavor. You'll know the chicken is done when the inside is just cooked through. During the last couple minutes, top each breast with the pepper and onion mixture and sprinkle cheddar or jack cheese on top. Once the cheese melts, remove your chicken from the oven and serve up with beans, rice, or whatever sides you like. I hope you enjoy these tortilla-less fajitas as much as I did!