kitty: Day 2 of the World Cup of Food - ENG 1 vs MEX 1- Basil Oil and Mexican Fajita

England 1 vs Mexico 1

Mexican Fajita, what could be wrong with any grilled meat served on a flour tortilla? Absolutely nothing!!!! We went with a very traditional version using skirt steak, mushrooms, onion, avocados, cheese, tomatoes, but with a little basil twist.

Basil Oil

2 cups of Shredded fresh basil 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1) Wash and remove the stems from fresh basil and place it in a blender 2) Pour in 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil 3) Chop just until the leaves are finely chopped ( do not puree) and oil is blended together 4) Pour mixture into a sauce pan over low heat. Stir occasionally until bubbles form around the sides and it reaches 165f degrees.

5) In a strainer lined with cheese cloth or silk pour the mixture and allow to cool for 1 hour 6) After oil passes through, gather the cloth and twist the top with a pair of chopsticks and transfer to your storage jar.

7) Squeeze the basil until no oil drips out of the basil bundle. Transfer your basil to a dish to use latter and cover the oil with a lid and store in the refrigerator. The oil will keep for a couple of weeks.

Mexican Fajita

1 lb. of skirt steak cut into chunks 1 Medium Spanish Onion 2 Large handfuls of thick sliced mushrooms 2 packets of sazon 1 teaspoon of adobo with pepper Salt and pepper to taste Basil Olive Oil Garnishing Flour or Corn Tortilla Tomatoes Avocado Equal portions of grated Cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack Cheese

1) Put a small bit of Basil Olive Oil in the bottom of a cast iron skillet an add the onions to sweat until they are transparent 2)  Turn the skillet to low and add the beef to the onions and continue to cook until the outside edges start to turn.

3) Add sazon, adobo, the 2 cups of cooked basil from the basil oil cooked above, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook on low for 5 minutes

4) Add the mushrooms and stir in to the mixture and cook on low until the meat is cooked through.

While the Mixture continues to cook.... 5) Take pre-cooked Tortilla shells and heat them on a griddle pan until they start to bubble 6) Plate Dish with a portion of the meat filling, 2-3 slices of avocado, 2-3 slices of tomatoes, and a small pinch of cheese Serve to your happy dinner guest!