Recipe Test # 2. And FAJITAS

Last night I was super hungry and wanted something delicious. I got home around 9:30 after work, and though I was tired, I also wanted to try another recipe out for Tami over at Vegan Appetite, so I picked a super simple one: cheezy sauce.

I whipped this recipe up in just a few minutes, while boiling water for pasta. I used old-fashioned bowtie pasta (not wheat or quinoa or anything fancy), and threw in some of my homemade seitan, some broccoli, and some peas into the water as the pasta was cooking.

When done, I drained the pasta mix, threw it into the cheezy sauce pan to coat everything, and POW! It was done. It took maybe all of 30 minutes. Super delicious. Homemade mac and cheese, vegan style.



Tonight, I wanted to use my bell peppers--I had organic yellow, green, and red left in the fridge, as well as some other tasty veggies. I whipped up some fajitas:



Janessa's Fajitas

Fajita Mix (you can buy, or make your own.)
* 1/2 veggie bouillion cube, crushed (I used CelifibR Vegan Chicken kind. I like them because there's not salt added. You can find them at Food Fight Vegan Grocery.)
* 1 tsp chili powder
* 1/2 tsp paprika
* 1/4 tsp onion powder
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp cumin (I use more because I love the stuff)
* 1/4 tsp cornstarch
* salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

Fajitas
(serves 4)

* Olive Oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 red onion, sliced
* 3/4 cup veggie broth, separated
* 2 cups peppers, sliced (use whatever kind you have on hand. I had organic green, yellow, and red, and I used all of them)
* 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms
* 1/2 cup seitan (make your own or purchase from store.)
* 2 cups spinach, separated
* 4 tortillas
* 1 can black beans (You can use homemade--I was out, or pinto beans if you'd rather)
* 1/4 avocado
* 1/4 cup salsa

Heat olive oil in pan. Mince garlic and slice onions. Throw em in the pan, cooking for only about 3-5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup veggie broth. While that's happily cooking away on the stove, start your beans. If from a can, rinse them in a strainer before cooking (this gets rid of all that added salt). Put into pot, adding 1/4 cup veggie broth and seasonings. I used just a bit more cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and a touch of basil.
While the beans are cooking (stir often!), add chopped peppers, mushrooms, and seitan to garlic and onion mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes. A Check beans. Add fajita mix to your veggie mixture, followed by remaining 1/4 cup veggie broth. It should be a bit liquidy at this point, but don't worry, it'll cook down. Add 1/2 the spinach (1 cup)

Throw your tortillas into the oven at 300 degrees. This takes only about 5 minutes to heat up.

Everything should be coming to a head on your rangetop right about now. Take out your tortilla, add a scoop or two of beans, a big ladleful of fajita veggies and seitan, , and top with salsa and remaining spinach.

I also made a quick tofu ricotta to top this bad boy, but that's totally optional. I just had some tofu in the fridge that I wanted to be used up.



Tofu Ricotta
* 1/4 cup tofu, pressed and crumbled
* 1/8 cup nutritional yeast
* 1 tsp lemon juice
* salt, basil to taste
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This took about 45 minutes to make (not counting cleanup time, and dishes, though annoying, take about 10 minutes). I used this ratio, and just threw 1 tortilla in the oven. I have leftovers for probably 3 more meals, easy.


Dinner tonight was AMAZING (probably helped that I made another batch of margarita tonight. Threw in the limes, rind on this time--thanks for the suggestion, Shelley!-- 1/2 grapefruit, some raspberries, ice, tequila, triple sec, and agave. Num Num Num. Makes about 2 8 oz margaritas, but I only put in enough liquor for 1 margarita, so it's not too strong). It didn't take too long, it was a great way to use up a lot of stuff I had in the fridge, and it's easily adaptable. Throw in some frozen corn. Use water instead of veggie broth. Use way more onion and no mushrooms.... super customizable for whatever your tastes. And now I have leftovers for work tomorrow.

Sweet.