Grilled Eggplant Fajitas

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I’ve been spending some time revisiting a few of the classicslately, and finding ways to make them fit into my vegetarian lifestyle, whetherthey want to or not! ;) This week’s lucky dish was fajitas, and with the help of one of my favorite nightshades, I can now add this usually meat stuffed delight back into my rotation - yay!
I’ve actually hadthis idea since I made the Vegetarian Gyros a couple of weeks ago, and finally decided to give it ago. I used eggplant in place of meat, which gave it a great texture andsoaked up all the flavors of the fajita mix really well. I almost usedmushrooms (as I’m prone to do), but was glad I chose the eggplant in the end. It was very yummy, and healthy to boot!
Getting Started

To get started, you want to prepare the eggplant. This takesabout 30 minutes, so make sure you give yourself enough time, and also that you’renot starving already, as this is likely to cause you to eat most of your guacamolewith chips beforehand. Cut off the top and bottom of the eggplant, then standup on one end and slice into approx. 1/2in pieces (see picture below). Depending on the size ofyour eggplant, this should give you about 6 pieces. Lay the slices on a cookiesheet, or other flat surface, and sprinkle generously with salt; flip over anddo the same to the other side. Let sit for 30 min, then rinse well to removethe salt. This process removes any bitterness from the eggplant, and is wellworth the extra time!
While your eggplant sits, slice your onion and bell peppers(remove the seeds first) into strips, and prepare the fajita mix by blendingall the fajita seasoning ingredients in a bowl. I had never made my own fajitaseasoning before, so I found a recipe from food.com, and justmade a few alterations to make it vegetarian…it was really yummy! If you aremaking homemade guacamole, go ahead and make that now. Also, if you are using an outside grill, make sure to get it going.
Once your eggplant is ready, rinse off the salt and pat dry.Next, drizzle each slice with olive oil and sprinkle generously with the fajita seasoning.I only ended up using about half of the seasoning mix, and saved the other halffor future use; just use as much as you like. Rub it in really well, then flipover and do the same to the other side; if a little dry, add more olive oil. Youreggplant should look very pretty and fajita-ey at this time. 
Place your slices on the grill, grill pan, or something ofthe like (I used my Foreman, and just flipped them over when needed) and cook untiltender and displaying the proper grill marks, a few minutes per side (sorry, I forgot to take pictures of this step - I blame the Coronas my hubby brought home!). At thesame time, sauté the onion and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat. Addsalt to taste, and cook until tender and taking on a beautiful golden color, approx.10min.
When everything is done, cut the eggplant into long strips, heat upyour tortillas, and stuff them full of all the goodies!
Wrapping it up
I really loved this recipe. Whether a fellow veg or not, these are a great, healthier alternative to classic fajitas, without sacrificing taste. The eggplant soaked up all theflavors of the fajita seasoning, and went perfectly with the sautéed peppersand onion. Topped with homemade guacamole, sour cream, and a squeeze of fresh lime = heaven in a tortilla!
 Ingredients
1 eggplant1 red bell pepper1 green bell pepper1 large yellow onionCoarse salt to tasteOlive oil for sautéing veggies andcoating eggplant (approx. 2-3 Tbs)8 flour fajita tortillas (aka smalltortillas)Guacamole and sour cream fortopping
Fajita Seasoning Ingredients
1 Tbs cornstarch2 tsp chili powder1 tsp salt1 tsp paprika1 tsp sugar1/2 tsp onion powder1/4 tsp garlic powder1/4 tsp cayenne pepper1/2 tsp cumin1/4 tsp crushed oregano
Servings: 4-6

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