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Fajitas…Veggie style!

tofufajitas

School has started and so have the after school activities! I had a full week taking the kids to and from school, working, catering to house guests, keeping the house clean, and putting food on the table. I had been looking forward to the beginning of the school year thinking I was going to have all this time for myself, but in reality it is almost the last day of the week and I ask myself “where has the week gone?”

Tonight is one of those nights when the kids and I got home at 7:30 from their activities, a bit late for our family’s schedule. After rushing back home, I had not even thought about what to make for dinner. I rushed the kids to shower and had the full intent to have them in bed by 830, just 30 minutes over their usual bed time. Earlier in the week I had already exhausted ‘ol reliable,…spaghetti! We needed a fresh diverse, EASY, quick meal.  Looking in my pantry I had the inspiration to make fajitas!

Meat used to be a staple in our home, but it has been almost a year since I have bought any variety. Thus, my inspiration was for a vegetable version! With only about 15 minutes, I had no time to cook rice or beans, so tofu seemed to be the protein of choice. Tofu is a product that I highly recommend to have in hand. You can season it and have it cooked in minutes. I like to substitute eggs with tofu and make a breakfast taco that is somewhat similar to this recipe. We’ll save that for another day!

Onions and peppers were the source of phytonutrients, plant chemical health enhancing substances that are very important for the well being and proper functions of our body. The specific nutrients in bell peppers have been linked to the prevention of cell damage. One of the reasons fajitas are popular is because you can create your own combination of rich flavors to each individual fajita.  Cheese, grilled onions, pico de gallo, salsa are just a few of the traditional options.  Living in Texas for over 10 years, no fajita is complete without a dollop of Guacamole!  Using fresh avocados, the guacamole provides a dose of the best tasting healthy fats on earth. Overall a very balanced, healthy, and nutrient rich dinner that was on the table in 15 minutes!

Let’s check it out!

tofufajita3

Ingredients:

1 Tbs of coconut oil (1 colher de sopa de óleo de coco)

1 large onion cut in long strips (1 cebola grande cortada em fatias longas)

2 cloves of garlic diced (2 cabeças de alho picadas)

1 green bell pepper cut in long strips (1 pimentão verde cortado em fatias longas)

2 red bell pepper cut in long strips (2 pimentões vermelhos cortado em fatias longas)

1 16oz container of firm tofu cut in strips (1 bloco de tofu)

1 Tbs of cumin ( 1 colher de sopa de cominho)

Salt and black pepper to taste (sal e pimenta do reino a gosto)

1 small jalapeno diced and seeds removed  (optional) (1 pimenta jalapeno se sementes picada – opcional)

2 Tbs of cilantro (2 colheres de coentro picado)

Tortillas – warmed ( I like the flax seed kind) 

Guacamole

2 avocados (2 abacates)

1/4 of onion small diced (1/4 de cebola picada)

1 small tomato diced (1 tomate cortado em cubos pequenos)

1 lime – juice (1 limão – suco)

Salt and black pepper to taste (sal e pimenta do reino a gosto)

Preparation

Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet, then add the vegetables in the order of Ingredients. Toss all the ingredients with the spices until you can see charred marks on the bell peppers. When you are about to remove from the heat toss in the jalapeno and cilantro. To make the guacamole scoop the avocado into a bowl, toss in the onion, lime juice, tomato, salt, and pepper. Slowly mix the ingredients together with a spoon breaking up the avocado as you mix (this will give you a chunky guacamole). Top the tortillas with the tofu mixture, avocado, and salsa of your choice. Serve with your choice of tortilla chips ( I love Late July’ tortilla chips).

Em uma frigideira grande esquente o óleo. Adicione as verduras uma de cada vez na ordem de ingredientes. Deixe cozinhar ate os pimentões terem marcas (tipo churrasco). Adicione o coentro e jalapeno no ultimo minuto antes de retirar do fogo. Para fazer a guacamole, coloque o abacate em um recipiente e junte o resto dos ingredientes. Com uma colher amasse todos os ingredientes juntos deixando pedaços de abacate (não e um purê). Sirva com tortillas e salsa de sua escolha.

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Health and Nutrition

Sloppy Joes…Veggie Style!

Lentil Sloppy Joes

It’s BBQ time! The summer is a time for cookouts and friends getting together to share a nice meal. If your diet is a plant based diet it can be even more challenging! It is hard to find something to eat in the middle of all the hamburgers, hot dogs, and meat cuts. Sometimes the good old veggie burger is just not as appealing.

I created this recipe one evening when my youngest was begging for a hamburger! It was one of those days that I just didn’t have time or all the ingredients to make a veggie burger, so I decided to make my veggie meatball patties into a  “hamburger”. In the middle of cooking the lentils I decided to transform the “patty” into Sloppy Joes. The new recipe was a great success and it has now become a staple in our house.

I chose lentils in this recipe because not only do they look like ground beef, but they have a hearty flavor. Lentils are also very high in protein and are a great addition to any plant based diet. About 30% of the calories from lentils are attributed to its protein content. Lentils are also rich in soluble fibers that are beneficial in lowering cholesterol and heart health.

If you are looking for a healthier version of this childhood favorite, I believe you found it. This recipe is not only delicious and very close in taste to its original counterpart, it is easy and quick to make! It was my go to recipe today after a day at the pool.

Ingredients:

1 cup of green lentils (1 copo de lentilha)

3-4 cups of water to cook the lentils (3-4 copos de agua para cozir a lentilha)

1 cup of marinara sauce (1 copo de molho de tomate)

1 Tbs of tomato paste (1 colher de sopa de pasta de tomate)

1 Tbs of apple vinegar (1 colher de sopa de vinagre de cidra)

1 Tbs of liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce (1 colher de sopa de molho de soja)

1 Tbs of molasses (1 colher de sopa de melaco)

1 tsp of cumin ( 1 colher de cha de cominho)

1 tsp of dry mustard (1 colher de cha de mostarda em po)

1/2 tsp of garlic powder (1/2 colher de cha de alho em po)

1 tsp of salt (1 colher se cha de sal)

1/2 tsp of black pepper (1/2 colher de cha de pimenta do reino)

1 pinch of cayenne or more if you prefer spicy ( pimenta vermelha a gosto)

Cook the Lentils in medium heat for about 30 minutes. The lentils should absorb most of the water, but if it looks too watery after they are cooked, remove some of the water. Lower the heat and add all the remaining ingredients. Let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Serve it on a bun with your favorite toppings! I suggest pickles, coleslaw, and sweet potato fries.

Cozinhe a lentilha em fogo medio  por 30 minutos. Se ainda restar muita agua, retire um pouco da agua antes de adicionar os ingredientes restantes. Adicione o resto dos ingredientes e deixe cozinhar em fogo baixo por 15-20 minutos. Sirva com um pao de hamburger. Sugestao de servir com pickles, e salada de repolho, e batata doce frita.

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