Smokin' Veggie Fajitas

Update: Over the past year or two I have been learning a lot about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply that is concerning to me. Therefore, I can no longer support companies, such as Morningstar, that openly admit to using GMO ingredients in their products. I am currently looking for suitable substitutes to use in recipes like the one below. For more information on GMOs and alternatives to purchase, please check out Non-GMO Project.  

I left for Little Rock Thursday and didn't come back til Sunday. There wasn't any reliable internet so this is the first time I've had a chance to post since then. I had a lovely time seeing my family and awesome Little Rock friends that I miss terribly. 

Tonight I really had a craving for fajitas. They are so easy and relatively fast to make, but taste so delightful. The beauty of fajitas is that you can throw in whatever you like and then top it with an abundance of different things - from the usual to the exotic. The possibilities are endless...

Here's what I used for a pretty basic version:

• 1 onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 2 zucchini, chopped into half moons
• 2 tomatoes, also sliced into thin(ish) strips
• 1 package Morningstar Chicken Strips
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• about 2 tbsp liquid smoke
• a little more than a tbsp cumin
• Cajun seasoning 
• For toppings: chopped cilantro, sour cream, jalapenos (I can't find the accent mark function!), and perhaps your favorite salsa

First, chop up all the vegetables. 

 Heat some oil in a decent size skillet over med-high heat. When nice and hot, throw in the onions and the peppers. I usually go ahead and season these with a little salt and pepper. 

After about 5 minutes of cooking down the onions and peppers add the "chicken". You could easily leave this out or swap it with your meat substitute of choice. I know many of you meat-eaters are currently making all kinds of awful gagging sounds. Give me a break - you could always add real chicken.

Then add the zucchini, garlic, and cumin. Garlic doesn't take as long as onions to cook so if you throw it in first, it might burn. I also season again with a little more salt and pepper. I like adding flavor to each layer - but go easy. 

 When the zucchini is tender, but not mushy, throw in the tomatoes. Also add the liquid smoke. I've never used this before but it added a great flavor. Don't skip it. I'll definitely use it again.

Turn down the heat a little and let this simmer together for a few minutes. Taste a bit to see what else it needs then adjust to your liking. I threw in a wee bit of Cajun seasoning. I wish I'd thrown in a wee bit more. 

  Fill the tortillas of your choice (I personally like the whole wheat Carb Balance tortillas) with the mixture then top it off with whatever sounds good. I love fresh cilantro, but if you are one of those poor, weird souls for which it tastes like soap, I'll shed a little tear for your great misfortune in life. 

I also can't get enough jalapenos; I would put them right in the pan with everything else. However, Brian is a little sensitive to all things spicy. Ah, the sacrifices we make. 

By the way, this is a real treat. 

It's roasted corn and black bean salsa from Trader Joe's and it is awesome. Us underprivileged Springfieldians (Springfielders?) cannot enjoy that fantastic little food heaven unless we want to make a 3 hour drive to St. Louis. Lucky for me, two of my lovely friends did just that!    

The roasted corn flavor is the perfect compliment to the smokiness.