photo by Lea Kriesberg
Fajitas are a great meal– they taste great, can be made really healthy, and are versatile. I was debating how I should make these fajitas– you could use plain black beans, simmer the beans with onions and spices, use lentils, or if you’re an omnivore, you could use chicken. I love these lentil fajitas because they have a kind of meaty, satisfying texture and they keep well throughout the week. Using lentils will take more time than just plain black beans, but I think it’s worth it. If you’ve never tried lentils, they’re apart of the legume family (they’re technically a “pulse,” which means they are dried). Legumes and pulses are high in protein and fiber, which make them really filling and healthy. There are many varieties of lentils, but red lentils are perfect in this recipe because they become really soft when you cook them. Lentils are also great because they absorb other flavors. The bell peppers and onions are also so easy to make and are a fun way to get in those veggies. You could use any vegetable you like. I think zucchini and squash would also be great fajita-style. This is one of my favorite go-to recipes, I hope you like it!
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 white onion
- 3 bell peppers
- 3 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon spicy Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- olive oil
- whole wheat tortillas
- Add the lentils to a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil. When the water boils, turn the heat down so that the lentils are simmering. The lentils will take around 30-40 minutes to become soft.
- While the lentils are cooking, prepare the vegetables. Chop the vegetables into thin strips.
- Heat up a frying pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper (and more spices if you want).
- Sauté the vegetables until they are slightly softened, but not mushy.
- When the lentils are soft, drain out any access water if there is some. Add the can of chopped tomatoes to the lentils.
- Add the spices to the lentils and tomatoes.
- Bring the lentils back to a boil. When it’s boiled, turn the heat down to let it simmer. Let the lentils simmer so that some of the water evaporates and it becomes more thick. Taste it while it is simmering so you can adjust the spices.
- When the lentils have reached your desired consistency, add them to a whole wheat tortilla and top with the vegetables.
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