Portobello Fajitas

I LOVE portobello fajitas. The problem is, they are a leeeeetle hard to find in this beef lovin' town. I think the nearest is Mi Chula, which while delicious, is about 30 minutes away- too far for a random week night craving. So at the first sign of good weather we decided to try making them at home. Oh boy were these good! And easy! And cheap! They will totally be staying on our rotation!

Ingredients

2 large portobello mushrooms, sliced into long, thick strips 

1/4 large white onion, sliced 

1 green bell pepper, sliced 

whole wheat tortillas 

Mexican cheese mix 

Mexican rice mix (yeah um, dont judge this was an EASY dinner night!)

1 cup olive oil 

2 Tbl Fajita seasoning (recipe to make your own or from the bulk section of your local grocery store)

1 gallon sized ziplock 

Directions 

Prepare all of your vegetables. 

In a large gallon sized ziplock, pour in the olive oil and fajita seasoning and mix well until all of seasoning is damp. If the mix is too dry, add a little more olive oil, it's very difficult to over do on the olive oil. 

Pour vegetables into ziplock bag, seal and lightly shake to distribute the seasoning paste. Be mindful not to break the fragile portobellos. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, redistributing seasoning paste every 10-15 minutes. 

Get rice cooking as directed on packaging. 

At or after 30 minutes, remove vegetables from ziplock. If grilling, add to a grill basket and allow to cook until lightly charred. If using a wok, cook vegetables on medium heat. During last 3-5 minutes of cooking turn heat to high to allow to lightly crisp. 

Serve with fresh whole wheat tortillas, rice and cheese. 

Nutrition

I'm not really sure about the nutrition on this one since it can vary greatly based on the rice, tortillas and cheese. 

Notes 

If you own a grill and do not own a grill basket yet get one! We use ours constantly during the summer to make everything from green beans to egg plant. They are available in a variety of pricepoints, but you'll want to take into consideration the construction, the depth, the width and the handle. 

Enjoy!

Pineapple black bean enchiladas

The hubs is a funny one- he loves all things pineapple and ketchup. No, no, not together. But on just about anything else. I kind of knew he would immediately scream 'YEEEESSSSS' when I suggested pineapple black bean enchiladas for dinner, and boy was it a good suggestion. These were simple, filling and deceptively good. Since so many people I know are watching their calorie intake as part of their new years resolution, I've decided to add the basic nutrition info for each dish I make. I totally recommend making this next time you're craving something spicy!

Ingredients 

1/2 finely chopped onion 

1 chopped medium green bell pepper 

1 20oz. can crushed or chunk pineapples 

1-2  cans of black beans (we used 1 but it could have had more) drained and rinsed

1 4.5oz. can chopped green chiles 

1 tsp salt 

1 can enchilada sauce 

6 tortillas (we used flour from a local restaurant, but whole wheat would make this dish even healthier) 

1 cup shredded mexican cheese mix

Directions

Oven to 350. 

Saute the onions and bell peppers for 5 minutes or until they are soft. 

Drain the pineapples keeping the juice in a separate container. Stir the drained pineapple chunks, black beans, green chiles, and salt into the saute skillet. Mix well with the onion and bell peppers, cooking until heated. This is your filling.  

Spoon  a little enchilada sauce and the filling into each tortilla. The amount of filling will depend on how large your tortillas are, but you should save enough room to roll up the tortillas into a classic enchilada shape. Once you have the tortilla rolled, either place seam side down or 'seal' with a toothpick and place seam side up. Place in a glass baking dish. 

In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup of reserved pineapple juice with remaining enchilada sauce. Pour over entire surface of the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

Remove foil, and cover dish with 1 cup of shredded cheese (or more or less to taste). Return to oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. 

Notes: 

Black beans are an excellent staple in a vegetarian diet. More than 25% of their calories are from protein (compared to 15-20% in steak), they are low in cholesterol, high in fiber and can be purchased for as little as $2 per pound. 

However, beans also contain a special sugar that the bacteria in our bellies love, creating um, rumbly little tummys. In order to help your body break down the sugars in the most efficient way, it's important to drain and rinse your beans several times. We usually drain and rinse ours 3-4, but it's safe to rinse them until most of the blackish liquid is removed from the can. This simple step will make your belly more comfortable and help your body absorb the most amount of nutrients possible. 

Nutrition: 

This is assuming 6 servings of 1 enchilada each using flour tortillas. 

Estimated WW points: 6

Calories: 321

Fat: 10.5 g

Saturated fat: 4.2 g 

Cholesterol: 16.7 mg

Sodium: 765.5 mg

Carbs: 46.3 g

Fiber: 5.3 g

Sugars: 6.9 g

Protein: 11.4 g

Enjoy!