Fire up the grill for flavorful steak fajitas

Enjoy the earthy flavors of the Southwest with this steak fajita. The steak and vegetables are grilled and then stuffed into flour tortillas for a tasty, quick dinner. The marinade in the recipe works well for the steak; however, you can save a little time by substituting a purchased fajita sauce.

Corn and roasted red peppers give color and flavor to the side salad. Here’s how to make it:

Corn salad: Defrost 1 cup frozen corn kernels by microwaving 1 minute or placing in a colander and rinsing with hot water. In a bowl, combine them with 4 cups ready-to-eat salad and 1/2 cup sliced, roasted red pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat vinaigrette, and toss to coat.

This meal contains 559 calories per serving with 36 percent of calories from fat.

Fred Tasker’s wine tip: A malbec from Argentina is just the ticket.

Steak Fajitas

Makes 2 servings.

For the marinade:

1/2 pound skirt steak

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

For the fajitas:

1 cup sliced onion

1 cup sliced red or green bell pepper

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil spray

2 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Poke holes in the steak with a fork to allow the marinade to seep in. Mix the olive oil with the vinegar, garlic, chili powder and ground cumin. Brush over the steak on both sides and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients, about 15 minutes.

Grill the steak 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare, 145 degrees. Grill a few minutes longer for medium, 160 degrees. When done, remove the steak from the grill and let rest on a carving board for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

While steak grills, spray the onion and bell pepper with olive oil spray. Place the vegetables over direct heat. Cook the vegetables until they are tender, 8 or 9 minutes for the onions and 6 or 7 minutes for the bell peppers. Remove to a serving dish.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and place on the grill for 2 minutes to warm, turning once. Remove to a serving dish.

To serve, cut the steak against the grain into 1/4 -inch slices. Place the warm tortillas, sliced meat, onions and peppers in separate serving dishes. Each person can make their own fajita by placing the fillings in the center of each tortilla. Wrap and serve.

Per serving: 459 calories (39 percent from fat), 20.0 g fat (5.7 g saturated, 11.5 g monounsaturated), 56 mg cholesterol, 28.8 g protein, 41.2 g carbohydrates, 4.9 g fiber, 329 mg sodium.