JACKFRUIT and Mushroom Fajitas

This recipe provides a short tutorial on how to use jackfruit. Jackfruit is a very large fruit from southern India and is commonly used in asian cuisine. The uniqueness about jackfruit is its 'meaty' texture, similar to pulled chicken or pulled pork and its ability to mimic the favours it is cooked in. This makes it a great natural substitute for meat dishes. In addition, jackfruit is a good source of nutrients and dietary fibre with at least half of the calories of the same amount of chicken or pork. Jackfruit is high in protein in comparison to other fruits, but still much lower if being used as a meat substitute. In this recipe I have added cannellini beans to boost the protein content of this meal.

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 6 (cost per serving £1.75)

Ingredients:

Mushrooms – 1 Pack

Tomatoes – 4 Medium

Onion – 1 Medium

Pepper – 1 Medium

Chilli Pepper – 1 Medium

Garlic – 4 Cloves

Cannellini Beans – 1 Can

Jackfruit – 1 Can

Wholemeal Wraps – 1 Pack

Olive Oil - 1 Tablespoon

Fajita Seasoning:

Hot Chilli Powder – 1 Teaspoon

Smoked Paprika – 2 Teaspoons

Ground Cumin – 2 Teaspoons

Garlic Powder – 2 Teaspoons

Ground Coriander – 1 Teaspoon

Dried Oregano – 2 Teaspoons

Guacamole:

Avocado – 2 Large (soft)

Lime – 1 Small

Chilli Flakes – ½ Teaspoon

Onion Powder – ½ Teaspoon

Ground Coriander – ¼ Teaspoon

Optional:

Vegan Sour Cream or Coconut Cream

Jalapeños

Salsa

Method:

1) Begin by roughly chopping the tomatoes and placing them in a pan on low to medium heat. Add to the pan ½ a cup of water. The tomatoes should begin to soften and release their juices, place a lid on the top and continue onto the next step, occasionally checking to ensure they are not sticking to the bottom.

2) Begin to prepare the jackfruit. Drain the water from the tin and spread the chunks of jackfruit onto a chopping board. With a fork or with your fingers, squeeze the chunks to break them apart. They should pull apart into small strips, creating a ‘pulled chicken’ effect. Put this aside for later.

*In this case, the jackfruit used was already shopped into small pieces. Some jackfruits will come in larger triangle shaped chunks. At one tip of these chunks is a firmer piece that won’t pull apart. This is similar to a pineapple where there is a firmer part forwards the centre of the fruit. With the jackfruit, this can still be used as it will soften when cooked. In this case, you will need to cut this piece off and chop with a knife, pulling apart the rest of the fruit as above. If using jackfruit for a different recipe, it should be cooked for approximately 15 minutes. It looks roughly the same once cooked, so use the time as a guide*

3) Next, chop the garlic, onion and chilli pepper. Place in a larger pan or wok with the olive oil on medium heat. Begin to lightly fry ensuring to stir regularly and add splashes of water if necessary to prevent the food from sticking.

4) Chop the mushrooms and pepper and add to the pan, at this stage add the fajita seasoning. Stir well until all the food is covered.

5) Add the prepared jackfruit and the cannellini beans. Stir well and cook the whole mixture for 10 minutes.

6) During this time, you are able to prepare the condiments. You can buy these pre-prepared, however it is easy (and often healthier) to make your own. To make a simple guacamole, take the two avocados and remove the flesh and mash with a fork. Add to the avocado, half of the lime juice, and the spices above. Mash altogether and present in a bowl. You can use the other half of the lime juice as a condiment later.

7) Add the tomato. Cook for a further 5 minutes stirring frequently.

8) Optionally, you can heat the wraps in the microwave for thirty seconds. Remove the mixture from the pan and serve.

In my case, this was a lot of food for two people eating. For most of my recipes this is purposeful. I find it is easier to use all of the ingredients as when ingredients are left over, they often go unused and spoil. I also do it to make my life easier. These recipes don't take long to cook, but for a busy lifestyle it can seem impossible to fit time in. Cooking a larger meal means you not only have lunch/dinner for that day but also for the next day too, this saves time and can be helpful, especially take to work with you!

Nutritional Content:

Kcal: 383

Protein: 13.9g

Carbohydrate: 43.9g

of which sugars: 9g

Fat: 13.6g

Fibre: 15.2g

Sodium: 300mg

High in:

Fibre

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Copper

Protein

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Love Always,

Lottie x