Vegan Fajitas

I never really used to enjoy Mexican cuisine, but after coming back from Mexico and consuming large amounts of their delicious guacamole and pico de gallo, I changed my mind. I decided to create some fresh, flavourful and healthy fajitas with some inspiration from my trip to Mexico! I made a simpler version of both the guacamole and pico de gallo that you can prep beforehand to save some time as well. The base is a veggie mixture of peppers, onions, and black beans, which makes the fajitas filling and pairs greatly with the guac and pico. This recipe only took me about 30 minutes to make, but if you also prep some ingredients you could have these ready for your family in no time! The elements of these fajitas can also be stored in the fridge for a few days as leftovers. So many of these flavours take me back to sitting by the pool or beach and having guacamole and pico with chips for lunch....and maybe a few pina coladas. Hmmmm...maybe I should go back...

One staple Mexican ingredient I did not add was cilantro, but Taryn and I are not fans of its strong flavour. But, you can most definitely include it if you enjoy it! Many substitutions can also be made with this recipe, and I have left them BELOW within the recipe section. If you leave the recipe as is, it is great for young kids or picky eaters who don't enjoy strong flavours like cilantro or jalapeno. Please leave a COMMENT below of your favourite vegan options to enjoy in Mexico, whether it be the food (or drinks ;)). We hope you enjoy these delicious tacos as much as we do and send us pictures on Instagram of your recreations!

Vegan Veggie Fajitas (4 servings)

Ingredients:

-3 roma tomatoes

-1 baby cucumber

-1/2 red onion

-2 limes

-1 tbsp olive oil

-2 ripe avocados

-2 green peppers

-1 white onion

-1 19oz can black beans

-1tsp garlic powder

-1 package of tortilla shells (10-12 white, whole wheat, or gluten free)

Directions:

1. Prep your pico de gallo. Finely dice the tomato, cucumber, and red onion into small squares. Place together in a medium-sized bowl. Toss with juice of 1 lime, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place in the fridge to marinade and keep cool.

2. Make the guacamole. Mash two avocados in a medium bowl. Add a handful of diced tomatoes and red onion (around 2 tbsp each). Add in the juice of 1 lime, salt, and pepper. Mix together gently until well combined. Place in the fridge.

3. Thinly slice your green peppers and white onion.

4. Heat a large pan on medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil.

5. Add the peppers and onion to the pan, cooking for 5-6 minutes until soft but still with a bite to it. Toss them occasionally to prevent burning.

6. Drain and rinse the black beans.

7. Turn down the heat to medium low and add garlic powder, salt and pepper to the veggies. Add the black beans to the pan with the veggies. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just so the beans are heated up. Turn off the heat.

8. Once your veggie mixture and beans are done cooking, you can assemble your fajitas! Add the guacamole, veggie mix, pico de gallo to your tortillas and top with anything else you would like! Some other options are a squeeze of lime, green onion, or cilantro!

SUBSTITUTIONS/ CHANGES

Pico de gallo: add cilantro, could use any type of tomato, add jalapeno if you want spice.

Guacamole: add cilantro, omit the onion or tomato, add other spices like cumin, garlic powder, or chilli powder.

Veggie/bean mix: use any kind of pepper (red, yellow, orange), use brown beans instead of black beans, add more spices like cumin or chilli powder.

* You could also add rice, fried tofu or any other vegan meat substitutions if you are looking to bulk up the meal more. Vegan chicken strips or fish filets would be great with this!