What's Cooking: Fajitas! Plus Parmesan Salmon, Beet Peach Salad, Sunday Sauce & Zucchini Noodles

We had another solid line up of meal prep this week!

Fajitas! (Leftover Pulled Pork and Bavette Steak)

We still had a little bit of pulled pork and clay peas left from last week, so we started the week making fajitas with those plus some yellow bell peppers and onions. I was excited to get zucchini in for the first time in a few weeks, so we just roasted some with chili lime seasoning.

Then later in the week, I pulled out a big bavette, or sirloin flap, for more fajitas! Sirloin flap is very similar to skirt steak with significant grain and big flavor. I cut this one in half, seared for about 3 minutes on both sides and then stuck under the broiler to get a little more done. The key is to properly rest it so you don’t lose all the juices and to make sure to cut against the grain.

I made more sautéed peppers and onions, this time with green bell peppers, and it came out so delicious. We’ve often used sirloin or even tenderized round steak for fajitas. This week I am going to try picanha and flat iron steaks to determine my favorite fajita cut.

Parmesan Salmon, Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Potato Skins & Beet, Peach, Pepper Salad

Usually I am all about local proteins, but sometimes I need some seafood that doesn’t come from the Gulf to round out my nutritional needs! There’s few things higher in Omega 3 fatty acids than wild sockeye salmon!

But there was plenty of local veggies to go with it, at least!

For the salmon, I seasoned it with garlic and onion powders, paprika and nutritional yeast, then pressed on some parmesan cheese before searing it. The parmesan forms a lovely crust if you get the temperature of the pan and the timing of flipping it just right.

I used the last of the chioggia beets and peaches for a take on my favorite marinated beet salad. I steam the beets in my Instant Pot, then peel and slice. The dressing is pecan oil, white balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, fresh grated garlic and tons of lemon zest and juice. And I had Lesya peppers to use up, as well, so those went in, too.

I also made mashed potatoes and I roasted the skins in the toaster oven into crispy chips, which was maybe the best part of the whole meal. Except that we devoured them all as an appetizer! And then my usual standby of whole roasted okra with lemon juice and nutritional yeast rounded out the meal.

Sunday Sauce with Sausage, Tomatoes & Eggplant with Bucatini and Zucchini Noodles

It’s always nice to have something simmering on the stove on Sunday! I went home with quite a few slightly imperfect beefsteak tomatoes this weekend, so I made a sauce with some of our pork sausage, onions, garlic and the tomatoes and then added in some Italian eggplant that was roasted in the toaster oven until it was falling apart and caramelized.

We had it with a mix of bucatini and spiraled zucchini noodles. Balance!