The holidays always do a number on my diet. Between the cakes, cookies, obligatory family dinners, and everything else, I end up feeling over-stuffed and in need of a good detox.

This, I’m sure, is no surprise to you, as most of us go through this. Why can’t holidays be about fruit and veggie platters instead of grandma’s old cookie recipe?!

It’s in this spirit I found myself inspired to make fajitas today. I typically keep the fixin’s on hand to make them, so I didn’t even need to swing by the grocery store. Shopping my freezer I found two chicken breasts and a frozen pepper and onion blend. Quinoa and white corn tortillas came from my pantry. Dinner is served.

I love everything about fajitas; the way they smell, taste, sizzle, and how healthy they are. Lean meat, be that shrimp, steak, chicken, with peppers, onions, and slew of seasonings in a perfect harmony.

Those seasonings are the key to great fajitas. You can buy a fajita seasoning mix at most grocery stores, but it is always better to make your own! You can customize the heat, flavor, and ingredients to suit your family.

Without further ado, my fajita seasoning mix recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients. To lessen the heat, use less cayenne and cut out the red pepper flakes. To increase the heat, add extra cayenne or red pepper flakes, or use hot paprika. This makes a little over a 1/2 cup of seasoning mix. Store in an air-tight container.

Make it into a marinade by adding lime juice and oil, then grill or pan fry up your meat of choice. If pan frying, use a bit of white cooking wine to deglaze your pan after you pull the meat out to slice. Slice the meat after fully cooked into strips, and pour the deglazed bits over it (for flavor!).

Don’t forget to season your veggies with the seasoning mix, as well. Serve fajitas with sour cream, corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, or other sides.