It’s a week of warm thoughts.

While we all enjoy a cozy cup of coffee or hot soup while this arctic air joins us, I’m feeling a little extra nostalgic for summer.

You probably are, too.

This week I’m feeling like diving into a hot-temperature concoction that for me, marries the wishful winter dreaming of balmy summer nights.

Let’s go “way” back to the late 1990s. A friend’s parents asked where she wanted to go for her birthday dinner in the thick of winter. Chi-Chi’s was her favorite restaurant, and they went there for every family milestone or random dinner.

This is where I was introduced to fajitas.

I didn’t quite understand the sizzling setup at first, but after assembling the first wrap, I got “it.” It was a little overwhelming with the noisy plate and then a second with the warmed wraps. More than 25 years later and I still look forward to fajitas. As I’ve said before in this space, sometimes things taste better when you dine out than make it at home.

Today, I’m here to tell you that’s not the case with my fajita recipe.

I came across it during my time in Montana and I haven’t looked back. It’s easy and exceeds expectations. So much so, that a friend recently asked that I make the dish. I’m proud to say I earned rave reviews.

One standout time making fajitas at home was during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a random Monday night and I wanted to watch a good movie while I ate good food.

I settled on Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” which I do not recommend for kids or those with a sensitive stomach, and this Tex-Mex delight.

I experimented that night and deviated from using the oven. Instead, I used a cast iron skillet and threw in some corn, because as you remember it’s one of my favorite ingredients to add to things when I can, and I was thrilled with the results. One thing stopping me from using the skillet method is how to clean the darned thing.

I’ve read you can wash them with water, and friends have probably cursed me for saying that. Instead, they’ve said, you heat them and use cooking oil to clean them. Please let me know how you clean your cast iron. Sometimes I’ll switch up the peppers and use poblanos and seeded jalapenos, but then other times I’ll grab the colorful bell peppers to liven up the presentation.

In the recent case, I whipped up some guacamole and topped the fajitas.

Best of all, this is gluten-free and easy. Just turn on the oven, get the cookie sheet ready and dump the prepared vegetables. On top you’ll lay the sliced chicken (or steak if you’d like).

If you’re really longing for summer, wash the fajitas down with a margarita.

Stay warm!

Pan fajitas

Ingredients

4 lbs. boneless chicken breast, skinned

3 bell peppers

1 yellow onion (I prefer sweet)

1 head broccoli, cut to bite sizes

1-2 Roma tomatoes, wedged

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 ½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

Dash or two of pepper and salt

Olive oil

1 lime

Chopped cilantro

Flour tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine seasoning in a small bowl.

Cut peppers and onion into strips, and broccoli into florets. Roma tomatoes should be cut like wedges.

Add the veggies to a mixing bowl. Lightly drizzle olive oil and give a good mix.

Lightly dust some of the prepared fajita seasoning.

Put on a cookie sheet. (I’ve used a low rack inside a jelly roll pan so everything roasts a little.)

Cut chicken into strips.

In another bowl, add chicken and lightly drizzle olive oil, then the rest of the seasoning.

Put chicken strips on top of prepared veggies.

Squeeze lime juice all over the prepared veggies and chicken.

Cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Top with cilantro and serve with flour tortillas.

Share your favorite recipes and memories with Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.