Mexican Shepherd's Pie

I was recently lamenting in the Herbie Parents Facebook Group that my daughter is getting sick of all my usual dishes. She told me last week that she never wants to eat tofu scramble "EVER again.!" In her defense I do make it a lot, like a lot-lot. I can't help it! Isa Chandra's recipe over a stovetop-heated corn tortilla with a bunch of fresh guacamole on top is the greatest breakfast known to mankind.
Anyhoo, the point is that I requested new recipe ideas in Herbie Parents and I got a lot of great suggestions in return, including a recipe called "Katie's Mexican Tamale Pies," from the Chocolate-Covered Katie blog.
I am far too lazy to make teeny pies out of anything that isn't sugary sweet and/or doused with chocolate, but I definitely liked the looks of this recipe. So, I took the basic idea of the recipe, tinkered with it and added a a few new things, then casseroled the whole thing and topped the finished product with guacamole.
The verdict from my five-year-old? Total success! She loved it. I hope you will too. Special thanks goes out to my peeps in Herbie Parents for this one!!

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 small package frozen corn (about 2 cups)
1 12-ounce package LightLife Smart Ground
2 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup vegetable broth, or water
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 2/3 cups water

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the beans, tomatoes, corn, SmartGround, taco seasoning and broth into a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until corn is thawed and all ingredients are well-seasoned. Taste, taste, taste to make sure it's perfect. 
• While your filling is warming up, go ahead and prep your polenta topping. 
• Mix the cornmeal, salt, garlic powder and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until boiling. Then, reduce the heat the low and allow the mixture to simmer until thickened, still stirring frequently.
• Spray a medium-sized casserole dish with a light coating of oil. Place your bean filling into it, then top with the polenta, spreading it evenly over the top.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit for five or ten minutes, until bubbling stops around the edges.
• I highly recommend that you whip up some homemade guacamole while your casserole is cooling. It tastes A-M-A-Z-I-N-G on the top!
• The next time I make this, I will probably throw in some onions and fresh cilantro, or maybe some fresh homemade pico de gallo. I think any or all would be fantastic additions! I just didn't have any on hand tonight.
• Enjoy!

P.S. I know Mexican Shepherd's Pie is a dorky name, but I couldn't think of anything else to call this dish. It looks remarkably like a shepherd's pie when you cut into it! Check this out...

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Welcome Vegan Potluckers!

As part of the Virtual Vegan Potluck blog tour this year, I am happy to be a part of the "Bread Course." At first I was going to make the huge loaves of bread that I put into my Thanksgiving meal a couple of years ago, but then I would be forced to butter and consume said loaves, which might not do flattering things to my arse. So, since avocados were on sale at three for a dollar last week, and I have a ton of them to eat, I thought to myself, "Tortillas! Yes, tortillas!" They are perfect for dipping into AwesomeSauce (we have seriously made a meal of this), or slathering with guacamole (again, a full meal of just this), or my favorite thing of all - a wrap consisting of guacamole, alfalfa sprouts, and halved cherry tomatoes. It doesn't sound like much, but it's seriously amazing. And, between you and me, you will BM like a soldier for the rest of the day after you eat it. Woo hoo!

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS
4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups cold water

Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until mixed. Add oil and stir. Add water in 1/2 cup increments, stirring or mixing with hands after each addition. Knead gently in the bowl, for just a minute or so, until dough resembles photo above. Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Pinch off a piece of dough no larger than the cup of your palm,
and roll it into a ball.

Lightly flour your rolling surface, as well as your rolling pin.
Roll out your dough ball, getting it as thin as possible.

Place rolled dough onto a hot ungreased cast iron griddle. 

Allow to lightly brown on both sides. 

I like to roll out my next dough ball while the first is cooking. 

Repeat until all your balls are rolled flat and cooked up right.

Enjoy!

www.passtheveggies.com

www.themisfitbaker.com

Awesomesauce Food Porn

Ever since the introduction of AwesomeSauce into our home, I have put that stuff on every freakin' bite of food that will stand still in my kitchen. I am so in love with it! To prove it, I've snapped a few photos for ya. Maybe this will give you some ideas for pouring/dribbling/injecting AwesomeSauce into your next meal.

Bell Pepper Enchiladas over rice, topped with AwesomeSauce and Guac (recipe coming soon!)

Three-Bean Chili with Quinoa, over a Roasted Poblano Pepper, topped with AwesomeSauce

Simple Steamed Asparagus, topped with AwesomeSauce and Sesame Seeds

Baked potato with AwesomeSauce and Steamed Broccoli

AwesomeSauce makes the BEST (and cheapest) vegan Mac N' Cheese you will ever eat!

CLICK/SHOP/SUPPORT

The Sexy Vegan Cookbook

The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook

The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

"Plant-Powered 15" Black Bean Soup

The most popular post, of all time, on this blog is the one where I lauded Dreena Burton's fantastic chocolate chip cookies from her cookbook Vive le Vegan! It's the most pinned of all the recipes on this site, and it's the most searched for. And all I can say is... "Thank you, Dreena Burton, for bringing these fantastic cookies into our lives!"

Not only is Dreena a lovely health-conscious mom, and the perfect example of a glowing-from-within vegan, but she's also friendly and sweet. And she has graciously offered to allow me to reprint one of the recipes from her latest cookbook titled Plant-Powered 15.

Plant-Powered 15 is an ebook that features 15 gluten-free, oil-free, and totally-vegan recipes.

"These recipes were selected with a few criteria in mind. To give you recipes that will delight your taste buds, that are not too time consuming or difficult to make, and that are chocked with whole-foods goodness! Yes, these recipes feature whole-foods ingredients: whole grains, whole-grain flours, beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, natural sweeteners, and no oil. They range from breakfast and baked goods to sauces, soups, burgers, and even a few sweet treats!" 
-- Dreena Burton, Plant-Powered 15

Dreena generously allowed me a peek at the cookbook, and let me tell you, it looks amazing!

Here is a list of the 15 mouth-watering recipes featured in the ebook:
Almond Zen Granola
Pumpkin Seed and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Creamy House Dressing
Green Goddess Dressing
Orange-Miso Dressing
Wonder Spread 
Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes 
Presto Pistachio Pasta
“SweetBalls” 
Umami Sun-Dried Tomato and Almond Burgers 
Sneaky Chickpea Burgers 
Mac-nificent! 
Coconut Pillows 
Sticky Almond Blondies 
Peanut Butter Munchy Squares 

Ever since I watched the The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue, I've been toying around with all of my staple recipes, experimenting with removing as much added oil as possible while keeping a delectable flavor and texture. Thank you, Dreena, for giving me a leg up on going oil-free with this fabulous cookbook!

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH SWEET POTATOES

"'This soup has an irresistible quality, the flavors are deep and earthy with some sweetness from the potatoes. Don't let the number of ingredients intimidate you - they build layers of flavor, but this soup is not at all difficult to make!'

• 1 - 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups chopped onion (one large onion)
• 1 1/2 cups combination of chopped red and green peppers
• 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (generous is good)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice (rounded)
• 1/4 teaspoon (or less/more, to taste) red pepper flakes
• 4 medium - large cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 4 1/2 - 5 cups black beans (reserve 1 cup; this is three 14 or 15 ounce cans)
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups cubed (in small chunks, about 1/2") yellow sweet potato (or can substitute white potato)
• Chopped cilantro for serving
• Extra lime wedges for serving
• Chopped avocado tossed with lemon juice and dash of salt, for serving

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add water, onions, red and green peppers, salt and pepper, cumin seeds, oregano, allspice, and red pepper flakes. Let cook for 5-7 minutes until onions and peppers start to soften. Add garlic. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and let cook another few minutes to soften garlic - if sticking/burning, add another splash of water. After a few minutes of cooking, add 3 1/2 cups beans (reserving one cup of beans), water, tomato paste, vinegar, lime juice, and maple syrup (start with 1/2 tsp). Using an immersion blender, puree soup until fairly smooth. Increase heat to bring to boil, add bay leaf and diced sweet potatoes, then once at boil reduce and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add remaining cup of black beans and extra maple syrup if desired (taste test). Stir through, let simmer for another few minutes, then serve, topping with cilantro if desired and with lime wedges. Also delicious to top soup with some chopped seasoned avocado or a simple guacamole.  Serves 4-5 as main course.

Sweet Potato Tip: Sometimes I have leftover sweet potato home fries that have been seasoned with just sea salt. If so, I take a recipe and chopping shortcut and simply add these to my soup during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, just to heat through.

Recipe from 'Plant-Powered 15' by Dreena Burton. For more recipes and information, visit www.plantpoweredkitchen.com. Photo credit: Nicole Axworthy."

WIN A COPY OF PLANT-POWERED 15!

Dreena has offered up a free copy of her new ebook to one lucky winner. Just visit the Rafflecopter widget below and enter to win. Good luck!

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Quinoa with Roasted Corn and Cilantro

My husband, believe it or not, does the majority of grocery shopping for our family. My daughter goes with him and they make it a fun outing, which gives me a nice little break every week. But it also means that I sometimes wind up with weird stuff, and missing some key items too. No offense to my shoppers, they are great! There's just a gap in the way I shop and the way my husband shops. He has to have a definitive list, with every detail on it, or he will not pick up what might be missing in a future recipe. Like, I might see quinoa on the grocery list, and I will immediately know that I want to make quinoa-tabouleh salad and, even if the remaining ingredients aren't on the list, I still know what else to grab. He doesn't shop like that. But that's okay because, really, the wonderful thing about it all this shopping business is that it often forces me to be creative, and it is this exact thing that most often helps me to create new recipes. Like this southwestern version of my quinoa-tabouleh salad. I wasn't sure that cilantro was going to taste good with quinoa, but when I found three full bunches of cilantro, which is easily my favorite summer herb, in my fridge, I knew I had to find more ways to use it than just slapping it into my homemade pico de gallo. That's where this new quinoa salad comes in. It was really light and delicious, oil free, and perfect for any end-of-summer shindigs you might attend.

2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup quinoa
1 large ear corn, roasted (I roast mine right on the gas burner)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Big handful of cilantro leaves (about half a bunch), coarsely chopped
Juice from one large lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Bring vegetable stock to a boil. Add quinoa. Stir, reduce heat and allow to simmer (stirring occasionally) until quinoa is soft. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Use a sharp knife to saw the kernels off of your corn. Don't cut yourself!
• Add all ingredients to quinoa. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate.
• Enjoy! 

Fiesta Vegan: 30 Delicious Recipes from New Mexico

Vegetarian Southwest: Recipes from the Region's Favorite Restaurants 

Southwestern Vegetarian

Easy Tempeh Tostadas

I've been in a real Tex-Mex kind of mood lately. I think it's because the days are getting hotter and sizzling, steamy dishes that make me sweat just aren't as appealing. Tostadas have always been a Manriquez Family favorite because they're easy to make and even more fun to eat. Jason picks his up and eats it bite by bite, like a mini pizza, while I crunch mine up with a fork and eat it like taco salad. Another great thing about these is that you can mix up the ingredients based on what you happen to have on hand. Sometimes I'll add a cheesy sauce made from nutritional yeast, and when the price of avocados allows, I'll top with guacamole. Roasted veggies are also great on these! If you don't have tempeh, use textured vegetable protein or quinoa. Feel free to get creative.
Also, this recipe fills a lot of bellies. You can get 8 good-sized tostadas, if not more. So, go for it champ! Here's my basic recipe...

8 prepared tostadas (mine were store bought, but you can fry up some corn tortillas if you like)
1 8oz package of tempeh
1 packet of taco seasoning 
1 15oz can of vegetarian refried beans (Central Market has organic for a buck fifty right now)
Your favorite salad greens
1 small can of red enchilada sauce
Homemade or store bought salsa
Vegan sour cream, to taste 

• Place tempeh in a pot of shallow, boiling water. Reduce heat and let the tempeh sit, covered, for several minutes, until softened.
• Drain water and place the taco seasoning, along with the amount of water it calls for, into the pot with the tempeh. Prepare according to package directions, breaking up tempeh with a wooden spatula as taco sauce thickens. Once it's cooked, stir, remove from heat, cover and set aside.
• Now, open your can of refried beans and heat up its innards in another small pot. You can use the microwave if you want to, but we're hippies and we fear microwaves.  
• Now, start assembling your tostadas! You can go in any order you like, but I prefer to always start with a nice base of refried beans and build from there. Have fun with it.
• When you've got all your goodies piled up on the tostadas, top 'em with some vegan sour cream and a light drizzle of enchilada sauce. Or top with guacamole and "nooch" or whatever else you have on hand. Up to you. You can't screw up this dish.
• Enjoy!

 Vegi-Mex: Vegetarian Mexican Recipes

A Vegan Taste of Mexico (Vegan Cookbooks)

Vegan Fire & Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes

My Favorite Summer Salsa

In several recent recipes I've referenced homemade salsa, and the only link I have takes you to a hummus quesadilla recipe wherein the salsa is defined. So, I figured it was high-time to give my favorite salsa a place of its own. And when I say "favorite" I mean it! I make a veritable troff of this stuff once a week and we ladle it on everything we eat. When we want a snack, we grab a bag of Santitas (hey, they're 2 bucks) and go to town. It's delicious! Give it a try. Here's the recipe...

8-10 large tomatoes, diced
1 white onion, diced
3 - 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can of sweet corn, drained
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup lime juice (or less, to taste - I like it "lime-y")
1 tablespoon paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)

• Throw it all in a big bowl, stir it up real good, cover it and stick it in the fridge.
• Tastes best after it's had a few hours in the fridge.
• This makes a HUGE bowl. Perfect for parties. If you don't want so much, try cutting the recipe in half.
• It will keep well in the fridge, covered, up to a week.
• Enjoy!

A Vegan Taste of Mexico

Viva Vegan!

Vegan Fire & Spice

Delicious and Healthy Tex-Mex Dip

I know this picture just looks like a pile of mushy goo, but trust me, this stuff was awesome!! I was craving the traditional Tex-Mex 7-layer dip, but I didn't have the ingredients for that, so I dug around in my pantry and fridge and created my own super-flavorful, highly addictive Tex-Mex extravaganza. Try it!

2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
8 ounces vegan sour cream (I used Follow Your Heart brand)
1 packet taco seasoning (read ingredients - avoid MSG, dairy, and trans fats!)
1 cup store-bought or homemade guacamole
1 cup store-bought or homemade salsa
1 15-ounce can of vegetarian refried beans
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheddar
1/4 cup sliced black olives

• Stir sour cream and taco mix together until well-blended.
• In a medium casserole dish, layer ingredients in the following order:
• rice
• refried beans
• salsa
• guacamole (or "mockamole" - see below)
• sour cream
• shredded cheese 
• black olives

• Dip your favorite tortilla chips in and enjoy! Keep very well in the fridge, covered, for several days.
• Perfect for a party!!
• If you use my homemade salsa recipe, you'll be adding tons of extra fiber to an already fiber-rich dip via the addition of black beans.
• If you want to make it even MORE fiber-rich, do what I did and make "mockamole" instead of the fatty traditional avocado stuff. I love avocados (they definitely have their health benefits too), and I LOVE guacamole. But I didn't have any avos on hand, so I mixed 1 1/2 cups of sweet green peas (I used frozen), a 15oz can of white kidney beans, about 1/4 C lime juice, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and some fresh cilantro in the blender until smooth. I wouldn't recommend eating it straight if you're craving guacamole, but it works like a charm to replace missing guacamole in Tex-Mex recipes and adds a ton of extra fiber and vitamins! (Yep, that green stuff in the picture is actually mockamole. No one will know the difference.)

 Party Food for Vegetarians 

Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan Sides & Snacks

Raw Food Celebrations