I have been missing cooking. There probably aren't many moms who long to be back in the kitchen, preparing a family dinner, but after a couple of weeks of a crazy schedule, not being home, and just being incredibly busy, I have longed to be cooking and baking again. Even though we're busy pretty m,uch all the time, there are still nights where we're all home, and able to sit down together at the dinner table. I cherish those nights, even if the actual meal has to be a quick and easy one to prepare.
.jpeg)
Having the right ingredients on hand can really make a huge difference when you're prepari. ng a meal. I like to stock the pantry with staples I'll need for cooking and baking, but I can be a little particular about which brands I'm using, because I want to be able to bring out the best flavors in my cooking. We were recently given the opportunity to try Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is the first Olive Oil to be approved for the USDA Quality Monitoring Program.
Pomepian uses only the finest olives for their olive oils, and you can tell the difference right away when you open up a bottle. I love olive oil, as any good little Italian would, and use it often in cooking. You can actually smell the freshness of this olive oil when you twist off the cap. The scent it gives off, just by itself smells robust and delicious. It sort of makes me want to spend the day baking good, crusty bread, mix up some garlic and herbs, pour some oilve oil into a dish and dip the bread into it for a yummy treat!
Supper time- fresh chicken, Pompeian Olive Oil, Fajita Seasoning and prep trays.
I was challenged to use Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my everyday cooking, so I decided to use it the last time I made chicken fajitas. It's important to note that I don't usually use any type of oil when I make fajitas, but I wanted to see if preparing the chicken a bt differently would make a difference in the way the meal tasted.
Pompeian EVOO- Looking lovely, ready to be at my service for cooking.
I poured about 2 tbsp of Pompeian EVOO into a prep tray...
...and added 2 tbsp's of the fajitas seasoning mix. Looks like confetti, doesn't it?
I mixed the olive oil and fajitas seasoning together, and let it meld for a bit, while I thinly sliced the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thin strips for the fajitas.When the chicken was sliced, I added it to the prep tray, and mixed it together, coating the chicken with the seasoning mix. I let the chicken marinate in the olive oil and seasoning blend for about thirty minutes before cooking.
Chicken, mixing with the seasoning...
Next, I added the chicken to a pre-heated skillet (medium heat), and let the chicken begin cooking. I added a few tbsp's of water, and added more fajita seasoning to my liking. The chicken smelled so delicious while it was cooking, it was hard not to snitch a piece to taste test!
Fajita chicken, sizzling away in the skillet...
My husband couldn't wait to try the fajita chicken. He noticed that I was doing something a bit differently, by using the Pompeian Olive Oil, and was eager to taste the chicken. We prepared our fajitas- hubby's were plain chicken with cheese and sour cream, and mine had lettuce, salsa, cheese and sour cream on them. I served the fajitas with seasoned black beans and Spanish rice, and a nice cold Mexican beer.
Looks good- let's dig in!
The result was fantastic! Using the Pompeian Extra Virgin Oilve Oil in the prep made a huge difference in the way the meat tasted! The chicken was so tender, and the seasoning just seemed to soak into the chicken, instead of sit on top of it, like it usually does! I'll never go back to making fajitas the old way- just by adding water and seasoning to the pan while the chicken is cooking. The extra step was well worth the extra time, and the bit of waiting.
Want It? Buy It!
You can learn more about Pompeian Olive Oil here. You can also connect with Pompeian on Facebook!
Don't forget to check our Recipes page for more great meal ideas!
Special thanks to Pompeian and the Smiley360 team for allowing us to experience the fresh, clean taste of this delicious olive oil. I think I'll bake some bread today, after all!
No comments
We love hearing from you! Thanks for leaving us some comment love! If you're a new follower, please leave your link, so we can follow you back!