Portobello Fajitas with Brazil Nut Avocado Crema

October Cooking Tool of the Month – Cast Iron

One of my favorite things to make in a cast iron skillet is fajitas. Growing up in Texas, beef or chicken fajitas were ordered on the regular at the many Mexican restaurants near my house. The smell floating across the room hit you first. Then the sizzling on the skillet came next as the waiter approached the table. It was so exciting and a delight to all the senses.

Do you get excited when you know your fajitas are on their way to your table?

Now when I get a craving for fajitas I make them at home with portobello mushrooms. And when I go to a Mexican restaurant I still enjoy them; hold the meat, add veggies, hold the cheese and the sour cream, double guacamole please. They are so easy to make. Saute up some peppers and onions, throw in some spice and lime and voila. Add whatever veggies and spices you like. I just wing it and add a dash of this and a dash of that.

Some people have noticed that I’m using some onion and garlic in my cooking now. Not nearly as much as most chefs but they do make an occasional appearance in my cooking. When I was cooking for my dad I quickly found out how much he LOVES onion. He would buy them by the bag full. Since he was moving from a meat-centered diet to a plant-based one I cooked some of his favorite meals vegan style. The onions were a big part of flavoring those meals and his tastebuds were accustomed to the rich flavor onions impart. His tastebuds were not super clean like mine. So that is when I started cooking with them more.

Now that I’m cooking for my boyfriend, who also recently went vegan, I use them occasionally when I cook meals for both of us. When I cook at home for myself I never use them because I do find them to be overpowering and hard on my digestive system. And I still ask for no onion and garlic when I go out to eat. Don’t fret if you don’t eat them because you can always leave them out of any recipe you see on my site. I often substitute celery to give a similar feel and crunch as onion in a recipe.

Portobello Fajitas with Brazil Nut Avocado Crema

Tortillas of your choice
Oil if needed
1 small bell pepper, sliced
1/2 small red onion sliced in half moons
Pinch sea salt and garlic powder
2 portobello fajitas, sliced
2-3 tablespoons veggie broth
1/2 lime juiced
1 tablespoon tamari
Dash cumin chili powder cayenne

Brazil Nut Avocado Crema
1/2 cup brazil nuts soaked 2 hours
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 lime juiced
1 teaspoon lime zest
Dash garlic powder and cumin
Sea salt, to taste
1/4 cup avocado

Directions:
Heat skillet over a high flame. When hot reduce to medium and add a touch of oil (may not be needed if cast iron is seasoned well). Add peppers and onion with a pinch of salt and garlic powder and saute for a few minutes. I like to put the lid on and stir occasionally until onions are fragrant. Add portobellos and remaining ingredients. Fold everything together and put the lid on for just a minute. This will help the portobellos cook faster. Remove lid and continue to saute for a few minutes.

For crema:
Drain nuts and use fresh water. Blend all ingredients in a blender until well combined and nuts are creamy. Add avocado and blend again until creamy. Season to taste.

To serve: Fill corn tortillas with fajita mixture top with crema and garnish with fresh tomatoes and cilantro or salsa if you wish.