Farmer's Market Fajitas with Homemade Spelt Tortillas

I love going to the farmer's market and seeing what is in season and planning my meals around it.  This meal was almost 100% seasonal and local and, boy, could you taste the freshness!  For this meal, I got the bell peppers, zucchini, corn, cilantro, and onions all from my favorite organic stand, and the black beans and ingredients for the tortillas came from my pantry!


serves 4-6

olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 large bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
2 small zucchini, diced
small bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 cans organic black beans, rinsed and drained
dash of cumin
dash of coriander
s/p

tortillas:

3 cups spelt flour
3 tsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1- 11/4 cup warm soy milk (or other milk)

To  make the tortillas, mix together the flour, oil, salt, and baking powder.  Slowly pour in the warm milk and stir until it forms a loose, sticky ball.  On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for two minutes. It is done when you can press a finger into the ball and it bounces back quickly.  Put the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp towel for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, section the dough off into 12-16 balls, depending on how big you want your tortillas.  Roll the small sections between your hands to form little balls.  Place the balls on a large plate, making sure they don't touch each other.  Cover with the damp towel again and let rest for 10 more minutes.  Its super important to let the dough rest each time so that it will become elastic and roll out well.  Once the dough has rested for the second time, take each ball and roll it out until it is about 8''.  At first I thought I was making mine too thin, but they were actually perfect.  If they are too thick, it will be more like a flat bread and not much of a tortilla.  You may want to roll one out and cook it up immediately, to make sure the thickness works for you.  To cook them, heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook for about 20-30 seconds per side.  Keep them covered after they are cooked.  If you need to make them ahead of time, just simply reheat them on the skillet before serving.

For the fajitas, add 1 Tbsp oil to a large cast iron skillet and add in onions and peppers.  Cook until onions are slightly brown and tender.  Season with s/p.  Remove from pan and add in diced zucchini.  Cook for just about 3 minutes, or until turning golden brown.

Heat beans in a small sauce pan, and add in dashes of cumin, coriander and s/p.  Cook until heated through.

To assemble.  Take a fresh tortilla and place black beans on top, layer with onions and peppers, next sauteed zucchini, fresh corn and top with chopped cilantro.

You could also top with homemade guacamole or salsa, but we loved them simple and fresh just like this!

Vegetable Chow Mein

serves 6-8

Forget take-out... this chow mein cooks up in just minutes and is so healthy and sans MSG!!!  Feel free to half the recipe, it makes a lot...but then again, leftovers are soo good!!!

Once again, no exact measurements for the veggies.  Just use what looks good to suit your appetites.

1 pkg. Chow Mein noodles- cook according to package

shredded carrots

cabbage (chinese, napa or purple)

bell pepper

edamame, shelled

shiitake mushrooms

SAUCE:

1/3 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. rice vinegar

3 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/2c. vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and stir well.  In a large wok or skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat.  Add in veggies and cook for about 2-3, or until just barely tender.  Dump in the cooked noodles and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the sauce and stir to combine.   

See, I told you it was easy peasy!!!

Mango Lassis

This creamy Indian drink is the perfect summertime treat!  It is quite possible that after you make your first one, you will become addicted...but don't worry...it is actually super healthy for you!

serves 2-4

3 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 cup yogurt (I love Organic Whole Soy Vanilla)
1/2 cup crushed ice
1/2 water, or milk of your choice
sugar or agave is optional (we didn't use any because the mangoes were soo ripe and sweet!)

Place ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy!

chocolate cranberry scones

makes 12-16 scones

These scones are heavenly... Seriously, they are so good!  Sweet, but not too sweet, tangy, but not too tangy, fluffy and altogether delicious.  They are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, or even with a scoop of ice cream!  You could add nuts and then they would be like a "trail mix" scone.  The batter for these scones is like a blank canvas... you can make them into whatever you desire or have on hand.  My next combo will be lemon zest and fresh blackberries!  

3 cups flour (I used all-purpose, but will try with spelt next time)

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup coconut sugar, sucanat or brown sugar (plus more for sprinkling on top)

1/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup vanilla soy milk, almond milk, etc..

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, syrup, soy milk, vinegar and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and using a rubber spatula, fold the wet mixture into the dry, just until combined.  Do not over mix!!!

Drop the dough into 1/4 cup scoops onto prepared baking sheets.  Sprinkle with a little extra coconut sugar.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and firm to the touch. 

Cool on wire racks.