As a vegetarian, 98% of the time, it can be difficult to find recipes that peak my interest, that’s part of the reason I started this page. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, just provide nourishing meals with flair. This recipe, as with nearly all the recipes I write, is adaptable to your preferences. Here’s an example, don’t like mushrooms? Leave them out, or try adding eggplant, it’s your choice. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or experiment, I’m here to help!

Additional note: I forgot to take pictures for this recipe when I made it this past Tuesday, please bare with me, as I will be making it again and updating this post.

Marinated Fajita Veggies

• 1 18 ounce (slightly more than 1 pound) package Portobella Mushroom Caps, stems removed and sliced into 1 inch thick strips
• 1 large eggplant, ends removed, halved and sliced into 1 inch thick strips
• 2 medium Zucchini, ends removed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips
• 2 medium Yellow Squash, ends removed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips
• 2 Tbsp Salt
• 1 each Green, Red, Orange and Yellow Bell Peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips
• 1 large Sweet or White Onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips
• 2 Rainbow Carrots, ends removed and julienned*
• 1/4 cup salt-free homemade taco seasoning or 2 packets of your favorite taco seasoning
• 1 bunch of fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil

Where to start.

1. Begin by preparing your eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini and yellow squash. I typically like my fajita veggie slices 3 to 4 inches long, which may require cutting the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash in half and then into strips, as outlined above.
2. Once your mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant are sliced, we’re going to remove the excess moisture. Do this by layering your sliced veggies in a strainer and lightly salting each layer. Allow the veggies to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. While the veggies are resting and releasing their moisture, prep the remaining veggies, as outlined above. Add these prepared veggies to a gallon size bag or large bowl with a lid.
   • * To julienne the carrots, cut carrots in half (roughly 3-4 inches long) then in half again, this should give you half moon carrots. From the half moon stage, carefully slice into 1/8 inch thick slices. Lay those slices flat and again slice into 1/8 inch thick strips. The goal of julienning any vegetable is to have something that resembles a match stick. I plan to add and link a video how-to.
4. Prepare the marinade! In a separate bowl, mix together lime juice, cilantro, olive oil and 1/4 cup taco seasoning. This marinade is rather paste like, which is why I opt to use a gallon sized bag to disperse it all over the sliced veggies.
5. Preheat your oven to 450 F, and while you wait, add your salted and rested veggies to the bowl with the others. Pour or dump your marinade over the veggies in the bowl or bag, and gently massage or mix the marinade into all the veggies. Let rest a minimum of 20 minutes or refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
6. Once your oven is preheated, gently pour veggies onto 2 parchment paper lined sheet pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite taco fixings.

When I serve these fajita-style veggies, I like them in hard shell tacos with vegetarian refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, fresh jalapeno, sour cream, cheese and taco sauce. They work great in tortillas, burritos or my Taco Leftovers Salad (link coming soon). In my house, we take Taco Tuesday seriously, and there’s always some left over.

Enjoy!