Tempeh Fajitas

Here's yet another fun way to put your grill to vegan use.

Cut 1 (8-ounce) package of five-grain tempeh in half crosswise, then cut each of those halves into 6 strips (so you have 12 pieces of tempeh total). Place the tempeh strips in a shallow bowl and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup pineapple juice (such as R.W. Knudsen), 1/4 cup soy sauce (preferably low sodium!), 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons canola oil, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1 minced garlic clove. Bring the mixture to a boil, then pour over the tempeh strips.

Let marinate at room temperature for at least half an hour, and up to 2 hours, depending how busy your night is! I marinated mine for about an hour and a half.

When it comes toward serving time, preheat a grill or indoor grill pan over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray.

Grill 2 cups (1/2-inch thick) vertically sliced onion and 1 and 1/2 cups (1/2-inch thick) green bell pepper slices until light browned, turning occasionally. The original recipe said this step should take about 5 minutes, but I like onions and peppers best when they're really tender, so I gave mine 10 minutes. Note: if you're using an outdoor grill, you'll want to use a grill basket for this step so the veggies don't fall through the cracks!

Remove the tempeh from the marinade and grill for 2 minutes on each side, basting with the reserved marinade occasionally; you can discard any leftover marinade.

Heat 4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas - the quickest way is in a microwave, wrapped in paper towels, for about 30 seconds. I like the brand Maria & Ricardo, because their tortillas are certified vegan.

In the center of each tortilla, arrange 3 tempeh strips, 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture, and 1 tablespoon chipotle salsa (such as Frontera). Roll up the tortillas and serve! Each fajita is 260 calories.

Cost:
five-grain tempeh $1.99
limes $1.00
onion $1.40
green bell pepper $1.49
whole wheat tortillas $2.99
chipotle salsa $4.39