The switch to plant-based eating has actually been easier than we thought. Michael looked at me the other day and asked, “How long have we been doing this?” When I answered him that we had been eating plant-based for over 100 days, he shook his head and said, “I can’t believe that I haven’t had meat for over 100 days! And the funny thing is that I haven’t missed it.”
I’ll be real honest. Not everything has been easy for me. I haven’t really missed meat – actual meat like steak or chicken or fish – but I have missed cheese. And I really miss eggs. My go-to meal used to be two runny eggs with two pieces of toast. I have found a really good egg replacer that I use in baking, and I actually made a tofu scramble that, with the right seasonings and what most vegans refer to as “fart salt”, tasted a lot like scrambled eggs! (Fart salt is an Indian black salt that, when used in some dishes, gives an eggy flavor. But if you just sniff the salt in its container…fart.) But there is really nothing that can replace a runny fried egg – or a hard boiled deviled egg!
There are ethical vegans and vegetarians, but that does not describe our family. As I’ve said in other posts, we are doing this for health reasons. As a result, we are still saving animals by abstaining from all animal products, so please put your claws away!
But I digress…
Part of the reason Michael hasn’t missed meat is because I’ve done my best to make our meals delicious and beautiful. I think appearance is just as important as flavor.
This dish is one of his favorites. Not only is it beautiful. It is absolutely delicious. Portabella mushrooms have such a meaty texture – well, all mushrooms do.
Even though the recipe title says, Portabella Fajitas, I have made it with regular sliced white mushrooms – especially when I’m not in the mood to slice up a bunch of mushrooms. Or when the price of portabellas is higher than I’m willing to pay. I refuse to cook food that I would have to sell a kidney to afford.
Anyway…Michael loves this dish. Both kids love it. I love it. When I get this in the oven and the aromas start wafting through the house, people start coming down the hall, noses in the air, asking, “What are you cooking?”
Your milkshake may bring all the boys to the yard, but my mushrooms bring all the Pates to the table!
Too much? Sorry. I’ll act my age now.
Portabella Fajitas
- 6-8 bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow)
- 6-8 portabella caps, sliced into thin strips
OR
- 2 pounds of sliced white mushrooms
- Olive oil
- 3 packages of fajita seasoning
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Prepare two large baking sheets by covering them with foil or parchment or by lining with silicone baking sheets.
In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 packages of fajita seasoning. Toss or stir until everything is coated. Pour mushrooms onto one of the prepared baking sheets and shake the pan to level the mushrooms out on the pan.
In the same bowl, toss the peppers with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 package of fajita seasoning until everything is coated. Pour peppers onto the second prepared pan and shake to level.
Place both pans into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Serve with flour tortillas and whatever fajita toppings you prefer.
Well Duh #1: Be sure you use a damp towel and wipe the portabella caps. You will be surprised to see how much dirt comes off! If you aren’t in the mood to clean mushrooms, use the presliced ones. They are already clean!
Well Duh #2: If you’re not in the mood for fajitas, you can also make a fajita bowl – which is basically rice with the fajita filling and whatever toppings you like.
Well Duh #3: If your vegetables aren’t tender after 30 minutes, by all means cook them more. I’ve had to go for as long as 45 minutes – especially when I sliced the portabellas for too long.
Well Duh #4: You can add onions, if you like, or green bell peppers, if that’s your thing. I don’t like the greens because they taste bitter to me. But do whatever floats your boat! The green color would look gorgeous in this dish! But I would pick all the green peppers out of mine! If you’re a spicy person, you can cut a couple of jalapenos into quarters and toss them with the other peppers.
Well Duh #5: I’ve had several readers and friends ask what made us decide to become plant-based eaters. We totally did it for Michael’s health, but here is the book that was partially the reason why we chose plant-based over other eating plans. If you’re even slightly interested, you should read this book! It’s called Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health.
The tribe loves this dish! In fact, this has become their most-requested dinner since we started eating plant-based. That’s fine with me because, for such a delicious and beautiful meal, it is ridiculously easy to make!
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