I’ve been experimenting a lot with protein alternatives lately. Mostly because meat is absurdly expensive right now, but also because this meat shortage is making me realize how much of it I actually consume. For my personal body, I find that incorporating all kinds of complete proteins into my diet helps me to feel full and satisfied throughout the day, and curbs my mindless snacking habits. But that doesn’t mean I have to have it for every meal. So I’ve tried cutting back a little bit, like with these roasted chickpea fajitas.
Don’t worry, I’m not about to go on a rant about how people should go plant-based, because I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about the meat industry as well as the plant-based industry. I’ve learned a lot from my husband’s family about the meat and dairy industries in the United States, and while activists love to tote inhumane practices, there are a lot of people out there doing great work to keep these animals clean, safe, and healthy. Unfortunately, this isn’t the kind of narrative that’s painted in the media, so people look at these industries negatively. So, I guess I encourage you to do your research.
Wow, didn’t expect to go there in this blog post, especially one where I’m focusing on a legume-based meal. But hey, as I’ve said time-and-time again, it’s my blog and I’ll blog how I want to.
Back to roasted chickpea fajitas.
A few notes about roasted chickpea fajitas.
There are three important lessons when it comes to making these chickpea fajitas. You ready?
Store roasted chickpeas on the counter. Chickpeas taste their absolute best on the day that you roast them—crispy and perfect. If you store them in the fridge they are going to get uncomfortably chewy. Instead, I find it’s best to store chickpeas in a container on the counter with a lid loosely covering them. However, if you can, eat them the day of. Share this meal with someone else so you can enjoy them when they are at their best. But if you’re cooking for yourself, the next best thing is to store them on the counter and enjoy them within two days.
Don’t mix in with the fajita vegetables. Unlike normal fajitas, you’re not going to want to add your chickpeas in after roasting them. Instead, sprinkle them into your fajitas when you’re ready to consume! The flavors from the sautéed fajita vegetables and your added toppings will bring enough flavor to your fajita. And when you go to reheat your fajitas, don’t reheat the chickpeas. Just sprinkle them in straight from the container.
Don’t roast with extra spices. In my experience, I find roasting chickpeas with any extra seasonings or spices does affect the texture. If you want really crispy chickpeas, just roast them with olive oil and salt. I know it will be tempting to add more spices to them, but just trust me on this one. The texture is going to be perfect if you just leave them as is.
Other vegetarian meals
If you’re on the hunt for more meatless meals, I have a few right here for ya!
- Kale Parmesan Flatbread
- Margherita Pizza
- Goddess Arugula Bowl
- Shakshuka
- Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza
- Savory French Toast
Roasted Chickpea Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp olive oil separated
- 1/2 tsp salt separated
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 bell peppers (colors of your choice) sliced
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- Tortillas and desired toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Drain the cans of chickpeas and rinse them under the sink inside a colander.
- Spread on a paper towel and pat them dry. Some skins may fall off, that's okay! Just remove the skins that detached.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a sheet pan. Drizzle on 1 tsp of olive oil and 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix to combine.
- Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Before the chickpeas are finished, cook the vegetables. Heat up the other 1 tsp of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add in the sliced bell peppers and onions and sprinkle in the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and the other 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix to combine.
- Cook in the skillet for five minutes, stirring occassionally.
- Serve each fajita with a scoop of the roasted chickpeas, some peppers and onions, and any other desired toppings in your tortillas. My preferred toppings of choice are taco sauce, avocado slices, and cilantro.
Leave a Reply