I’ve been a pescatarian for about three years and it can be a struggle. Pescetarianism is a type of vegetarianism. We eat dairy products, fish and seafood, and eggs, but no red meat or lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey, pork, etc.). This decision has affected me in many ways. Whenever I go out to eat, I either suggest going somewhere familiar, or I’ll need to check the menu online to see if they have vegetarian options. If I go somewhere that doesn’t have anything vegetarian, I always struggle with figuring out if I should just not order anything, if I should order something and just not eat the meat, or if I should just eat the meat even though I don’t want to. One of the ways I can make sure I eat something vegetarian is by cooking my own meals. I really like experimenting in the kitchen and trying different recipes with familiar and unfamiliar ingredients. I’m always trying to find new vegetarian recipes that are easy to make.
I came across a recipe a few months ago for Roasted Halloumi Fajitas, from the blog Happy Veggie Kitchen. I knew Halloumi was a type of cheese that is great for grilling, but I had never tried it. I’m a huge cheese fan (I think I have seven different types of cheese in my fridge currently), so I knew I would have to try this recipe.
The ingredients are pretty simple, just the Halloumi and any preferred Fajita toppings. I chose to roast green and red peppers and onion along with the cheese, but other ingredients like rice and beans can be used too. The cheese and vegetables are drizzled in olive oil to prevent sticking, and then topped with Fajita seasoning. For toppings, I had sour cream, mild salsa, and homemade guacamole available. I baked the cheese and vegetables at 425 F for 15 minutes. The Halloumi was crispy, which I like. For a less crispy cheese, 10-12 minutes should be sufficient. The veggies cooked up nicely. I used fresh peppers from my parents garden, and they were delicious. After I took the veggies out of the oven, I warmed up the tortillas, then topped them with cheese, veggies, and guacamole.
I had my parents and an aunt try this recipe with me, and they all loved it. It’s an easy recipe that makes enough food for several people or for several meals. It’s customizable and isn’t time-consuming. The only downside of this was finding Halloumi cheese. I went to four different grocery stores/co-ops before I finally found it at HyVee. It was also $12 per pack (I only needed one pack), so it did have a higher cost to it than regular fajitas.
All in all, this was a very delicious recipe that I know I will be making again!