June 06, 2007

Three Pepper Fajitas



It's always fun to sit back and smile as the guesses pour in just to see the versatality of everybody's imagination. Jackfruit in a fajita..the prize of originality goes to Sra while Nandita came the closest with yellow peppers. Still, thanks for being a sport.

Its a veggie fajita filled with sauted peppers, onions, cilantro, grated cheese and the optional sour cream and gaucamole. Yep, I did make some quesadillas too with the peppers and chicken but that's next on the posting list.

I buy the multicolored bell peppers from the price club on a regular basis just becacuse they look so good and they are so good for you. Every time, I go there the red, yellow and orange peppers just whistle charmingly to me as I walk past them, their colors making them stand out in the midst of all the vegetables. I force my eyes elsewhere, figuring I can go for a couple of weeks without them. But no,at the end of the shopping, there they are in my cart, and I am already conjuring up new ways to cook them.



So how good are they for you?

Brightly colored bell peppers, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of vitamin C and vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), two very powerful antioxidants. Red Peppers also contain lycopene, a carotenoid which aids the body in warding off cancer. Additionally, they are low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium while being high in fiber, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Manganese, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Pantothenic Acid and Magnesium. For more info, click here. Did I get any converts? Don't eat this if you aiming to gain weight coz as you read above, they are low in fat.

Sweet peppers are plump, bell-shaped vegetables featuring either three or four lobes. They usually range in size from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, and 2 to 6 inches in length. Inside the thick flesh is an inner cavity with edible bitter seeds and a white spongy core. Bell peppers are not 'hot'. They contain a recessive gene that eliminates capsaisin, the compound responsible for the 'hotness' found in other peppers. When sauted or grilled, they are sweet with a fruity flavor. Here I have sauted them for multiple uses.

You will need:

Bell Peppers-3, one of each color
Onion-1
Red Pepper Flakes-1/4 tsp (optional)
Garlic-1 clove
Olive oil-1-2 tsp
Cilantro- a handful
Lemon Juice-a dash
Salt to taste
Black Pepper-1/2 tsp
Grated Cheese-a handful

Preparation: Slice the peppers vertically along the edges so as to remove the central seed core. Slice them thin into equal size pieces. Slice the onion finely. Crush the garlic. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the garlic and red peppers. Add the sliced peppers and onions, salt and saute them while stirring all the while. Lower the heat to medium and cover for 2 minutes. Open, increase the heat and continue stirring. They should wilt and get cooked in about 5-7 minutes. The high heat is to evaporate the water that the peppers give out. Add lemon juice and pepper. Now they can be used as a topping for fajitas, quesadillas, or even burgers.

Fairly good flour tortillas are available in supermarkets almost everywhere. Select the ones which are 6 or 7 inches in diameter. Warm them up by on a skillet and wrap them in a cloth napkin to bring them to the table.

For assembling the fajitas: Lightly toast a tortilla on a skillet on both sides. Spread a tablespoon of the peppers on it. Add grilled strips of chicken or beef if so preferred. Sprinkle chopped cilantro, grated cheese and a spoon on sour cream. Roll or fold over..Done.

19 comments:

Bong Mom said...

Ok tell me. I am all ears ;-)

indosungod said...

Shaheen, I am feeling like Spicy Shrimp.

KF said...

Really tough to guess dear..Pls tell

FH said...

Looks like Fajita.Chicken,cheese,cilantro?

TNL said...

cilantro....tortilla and.......gosh, Spinach? mushrooms?

:)

trupti

Coffee said...

I can see somehting green.... spinach..... can also see carrot.

Unknown said...

Can I say carrots, yellow peppers, cilantro! You girl smartly disabled the enlarged version LOL

Nabeela said...

cilantro...hahaha
ok, on a serious note.....jicama, carrots and shrimps?chicken?steak?

Suganya said...

Mexican blend of cheese with herbs

Anonymous said...

Cilantro/parsley, carrot, potatoes?

Umm Maryam

Bharathy said...

potato fries(french fries done in a slender way)cilantro,%^&$#(some cheese might be inside)..can only guess Indianised ones..sorry :(..

sra said...

carrot? jackfruit? coriander? green leafy vegetables? did i leave out anything? :)

DEEPA said...

wow!!!this si so cool ...yummy one

Rachna said...

hi there, yurs is one the first blogs I came across, and Ive been a silent admirer for one year now... yur fajitas are just looking mouth watering... my fav recipes here are the caramel custard, macaroni cheese, rich choclate cake, hear shaped cookies, (the list goes on ) ..all bookmarked to try :)

J said...

Totally agree about bell peppers, can't resist buying them!! Well, I wish I could reach out to those fajitas!!:)

Revathi said...

My guess too was jackfruit..but shaheen making veggie fajitas ?? nahhh did not sound right ;)

Bharathy said...

Shaheen,I too was near with cheese(i knew you are diet conscious and guessed witha little inside)and the cilantro...
Bell peppers or Capsicum,as known in India,are green here..he he..Me a NADAN pennu...excused na??:)

Shivapriya said...

You are just like me Shaheen. I always do the same in Costo. Lovely fajitas.

Prema Sundar said...

Yes shaheen the red ,orange and yellow coloured peppers attract me too and I buy them most often too. Fajitas look lovely ..