Make Your Own Fajitas Skillet
By Amie Valpone
When I was a kid, I loved fajita night. Not only were the fajitas my mother made absolutely delicious but the serving of the fajitas was the best part because my sister and I were able to make our own from a variety of ingredients on our dinner table. Today I’m sharing with you a fun way to make your own fajitas. This time we’re using a skillet and instead of tortillas, and we’re using tortilla chips for a new spin on the classic fajita dish. You can serve this recipe however you’d like, but I recommend serving it warm over a large bowl of salad greens, inside a toasted sandwich or, of course, the traditional way with tortillas, if desired.
There are a variety of flavors you’ll find in here that will be easy for you to whip up and arrange onto any serving platter you wish to use. I chose to use a cast iron skillet because the presentation was fun and I enjoy making my meals exciting for everyone. You’ll see I’m using a tender roasted sweet potato, quinoa, kale, avocado and a few other ingredients to make this a hearty meal. There’s a great variety here of healthy fats, protein and fiber, which round out this anti-inflammatory meal.
You can serve this dish anytime of the year but the spring is a great idea because the weather is starting to warm up and the days are getting longer- all great excuses to for a make-your-own meal that can be served indoors or outdoors.
Make Your Own Fajitas Skillet
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cleaned
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cooked quinoa or wild rice
1 large head flat kale, finely chopped and ends removed
¼ cup diced red onion
½ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Large pinch cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 bag whole grain tortilla chips
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil to coat them completely and use a fork to poke holes in them. Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until very tender.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the quinoa with the kale, red onion, grape tomatoes, cumin, paprika, sea salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine and set aside.
In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the garlic and cayenne pepper. Then add in the cilantro leaves. Season to taste with sea salt, and pepper.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Discard the skin and mash the flesh in a small bowl with sea salt and pepper.
Prepare a large serving platter with the sweet potato flesh, kale mixture, avocado mash and tortilla chips. Serve warm.
Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.