Sizzling Steak Fajitas

Flank steak is a tough meat to cook — and sometimes — a tough meat to chew. If it's not sliced diagonally across the grain or it's over cooked. Forget it. You'll need razor blades for teeth to get through that meal.

I've had mixed results with flank steak in the past. Take this spinach and steak mistake. The Flank Steak Fajitas with Garden Vegetables was good, but I guess this time I around I was looking for less veggies. I love vegetables, but I'm not sure squash had a place in my fajitas. Oh, and I overcooked the steak.

Luckily, I didn't need the teeth as sharp as daggers this time. The Sizzling Steak Fajitas weren't what I'd call sizzling, but they were closer to what I am looking for in a fajita. The flavor was bland when I tasted it as I was cooking. It needed a lot more salt for one. But once I added the green salsa and rolled it up in the whole wheat tortilla they were *much* better.

I'm going to try this again. Except next time I'll take a hint from a local, cheap Mexican food joint and add some spicy chorizo to the mix. They may be more than the 7 pts. they were tonight, but they'll be tasty. And if I get the cast iron pan I want so badly for my birthday — watch out. I'll be a fajita making fiend.

Shrimp Fattoush

This salad is a great way to get in your daily oils. The salad is fresh and quick and because the acid in the dressing lemon juice, it's really refreshing. It makes a satisfying lunch or light dinner. This is something I'll definitely make again.

A few notes, though. I left out the mint because I'm not the hugest fan. I also used whole wheat pitas instead of the more traditional white ones. I add fiber where I can. Lastly, I upped the amount of lettuce. The salad didn't seem too substantial without a little something more. But here's the recipe as written. It comes out to be about 8 pts per serving. It's from the Columbus Dispatch.

Shrimp Fattoush
2 pita breads
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

To make salad: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake pita bread until toasted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Break into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until pink and just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Combine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley and mint in a large bowl.

To make dressing: Whisk lemon juice, olive oil andgarlic until well-blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a couple of spoonfuls of dressing to shrimp. Toss to coat. Add remaining dressing to salad. Toss to coat. Add pita pieces and toss. Divide among 4 plates. Top with shrimp and serve.

Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread

Here's another example of a high-fat recipe that is easily modified and still tastes just about the way it does when it's made as directed. The Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread clocked in at 9 pts per 6 servings as written. Once I changed a few things, it was more like 8 pts for 4 servings (which trust me, isn't a huge piece).

First of all, I watched the amount of oil I used. Second, I bought the Alloutte Light Garlic and Herb cheese instead of the regular. Finally, I cut the amount of parmesan *drastically*. Parmesan is a stronger cheese that you can use less of of and still get the flavor. And last time I made it I don't recall tasting much of the parmesan through all of the garlic and herb anyhow. So you aren't missing much.

What I like most about this recipe is that it doesn't use many weird ingredients and, of course, with most of my weeknight cooking, it's done in about 30 minutes or less. Plus, its pizza-esque. And who doesn't like pizza?