ENCHILADAS DE LA HUERTA!!

Went to San Antonio to visit friends. Had a lovely Sunday lunch in a local restaurant with patio under the oaks - wonderful weather that day. Best of all, I tried the enchiladas de la huerta and they were a revelation!! Okay, that phrase means 'enchiladas from the vegetable plot.' So, veggie enchiladas. (You expected something else? 😁 )

So, home we went and a couple days later, I tried my hand at making veggie 'chiladas.  They turned out great!   Here is what I did.

Dice all:

2 chayote squash - peeled, seeded

1 zucchini - ends removed

1 or 2 bell peppers - seeded 

1 medium onion

3 or 4 large ball radishes - tips removed

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 dozen uncooked corn tortillas.

Shredded cheese for topping

Saute veggies with a bit of oil (I used canola) until soft.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a baking dish or shallow pan, assemble the enchiladas:

Using a small spoon apply sauce to bottom of pan.

Place a small amount of sauce on a tortilla, then a larger spoonful of veggie filling in center of tortilla.  Roll gently together and place in pan with edge down to hold the roll closed.  Spread a small amount of sauce on the top of roll using the spoon.  

Continue until pan is filled with enchiladas.  Spread another layer of sauce over the top of the enchiladas. 

Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then remove foil and add shredded cheese.  Continue to bake until cheese is melted and turning a bit brown.  Remove from oven to cooling rack.  Serve.

Roasted Carrot Hummus

New Recipe - by Ve 

Ingredients
3 large carrots with ends removed
1 medium eggplant
1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder or to taste.
Salt to taste.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
Drizzle 1 Tbsp of oil on flat pan and roll carrots to coat.  Roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. I usually keep them covered until they just begin to get tender, then uncover for a roasted flavor.  When done, remove from oven and from pan.  
Using same pan, remove top from eggplant, slice in half lengthwise, and place cut side down on pan.  Roast until well done, when eggplant looks collapsed and is puckered.  

In food processor, place drained chickpeas and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice; process until smooth.  Add tiny amounts of reserved chickpea liquid as needed to keep the mash moving.  Mash should have a thick paste consistency.  Remove chickpea mash to large mixing bowl.
Add carrots to processor and process until smooth.  Remove to mixing bowl.  
Scoop pulp of eggplant out of skin, discard skin.  Add eggplant pulp to food processor and process until smooth.  Add to chickpea/carrot mix.  
To the mash mixture, add cumin, turmeric, and garlic and remaining 2 Tbsp of oil.  Stir until well mixed, adding salt to taste.

Tip:  Vegetables may be roasted the day before, cooled completely, and refrigerated until ready to use.

This recipe makes approximately 3 cups of hummus.

CHOCOLATE TYRANNY

This is from my old blog, was dated somewhere in 2010, but needs to be moved forward and REMEMBER this!

*****

So, I have this one friend who eats frosting,  I think as a food group (you GO! woman).

And I have another friend who fed her children chocolate frosting spread on graham crackers and made into a sandwich.

Thus have I been swayed into evil behavior - by the 'bad association' of these 2 friends.

Last week I bought a can of chocolate frosting that did NOT have a corresponding cake mix tied to it - just to eat it - - by itself. That almost feels like a sin. :)

Well, I also bought cinnamon graham crackers, thinking I could not go wrong there. I was so right!

Cinnamon graham cracker sandwiches with chocolate frosting middles - double YUM!

(I think I should make some coffee..............)

p.s. I am thinking of writing in chocolate frosting as a food group on my Food Pyramid wall chart!

UNSQUASHABLE PIE

(for the husband who HATES squash)

2 medium patty squash (or equivalent other squash)

2 cups bread crumbs, croutons, or leftover breads

2 eggs

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup + liquid (I use soy milk)

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

salt to taste

1/2 jar chile con queso

Cook squash in salted water until very tender, drain. In large bowl combine drained squash and all other ingredients. Mix with electric mixer on low speed to help break up bread pieces. Blend until no large pieces visible, adding liquid as needed for smooth mixture. Pour into 2 8-inch pie pans and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Worthy of Moosewood

I am really proud of today's sandwich for lunch.

Yes, I think it worthy of Moosewood - the famous vegetarians!

Start with homemade whole wheat bread - toasted.
Add:
Miracle whip (your kind)
2 slices of fried eggplant
carrot hummus spread on thickly
bean burger patty

Serve beside a bowl of homemade tomato soup.

Yes - good.

Vegan Burgers

Some friends showed us a new burger place that had a great vegan burger - which, of course, made me eager to figure out a good recipe of my own!  I have been working on it.....  

So far, here it is - warning, I am still tweaking it.  I am trying to make them chewy and not too mushy/wet in the center.  They should not fall apart when touched, which is really hard to achieve.

Update 2/13/18- I tweaked it and it was great!
Vegan Burgers

Ingredients
1 can chick peas
1 can black beans
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons ground chia seed
3 ounces water (6 tablespoons)
seasoned salt
1 packet onion soup mix (optional)
2 to 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour

Directions
Day or 2 days before - prepare mixture as follows:
Add water to chia seeds and stir.  Set aside.  
Rinse and drain black beans.  Mash with potato masher, set aside.
Drain liquid from chick peas and reserve.  Process chick peas in food processor until completely disintegrated, adding a very small amount of reserved liquid if needed.  Be careful not to add too much liquid.  
Drain mushrooms.  Process in food mill to small bits.
In a medium mixing bowl, add chick peas, black beans, rice mix, mushrooms, and chia.  Mix thoroughly.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over mix and stir in completely.  Add seasoned salt to taste and onion soup mix if desired.  Add more flour as needed to make mixture stick together.  Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

Day of cooking:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Form patties on a lightly oiled baking sheet at least 2 inches apart to allow for moisture to escape while cooking.  Brush tops with oil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.  Turn oven off and allow patties to sit in oven until completely cool before removing, (to help with firmness).  Before serving, warm patties on a hot lightly oiled skillet.

GARFIELD'S FAVORITE GOES VEGAN! (lasagna)

Wow!  I found something great!   It started at a website where I found a recipe for vegan lasagna that was different from most - it has no tofu, no vegan cheese, and no expensive cashews for a cheese substitute, either.  The secret was a bechamel sauce used in place of cheese, which browns on top and is very thick and creamy like melted, gooey cheese!

That caught my eye.  I love lasagna and the thought of eating it without cheese now that I am trying to be vegan was just not pleasant -  I actually thought I might not eat lasagna again.  

So, I marked the site, read it again the next day and decided to get the ingredients on grocery day and try it.  I will have the link at the end of my recipe, but here I am going to present you with the version I made, which included making fresh sauce and using my personal selection of all fresh veggies.   Warning, it took a few hours, but was SO worth it!

Ve's Vegan Lasagna (the world's most perfect food according to Garfield the Cat)

INGREDIENTS
9 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 diced onion medium to large
1 package of fresh whole button mushrooms, sliced
1 large bag fresh spinach, sauteed until tender
1 medium eggplant, peeled, sliced 
2 large fresh broccoli heads trimmed, and chopped 

2 cups unsweetened plant milk (I use soy milk)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

3 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
Seasonings of choice for marinara sauce - I used oregano, basil, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt and about 2 Tbsp sugar.

1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles

INSTRUCTIONS
Marinara sauce:  Place diced tomatoes in food processor and process to a thick, barely lumpy state.  Place in saucepan with tomato sauce and spices.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, until flavors are melded and sauce is fairly thick.  (I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes and it made just barely enough sauce to make the lasagna - so I have recommended 3 cans of diced tomatoes.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Veggies:  Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil to saute (fry) onions and mushrooms until soft and starting to brown.  Remove and set aside.

Steam broccoli until tender enough that florets will crumble readily.  Set aside.

Saute spinach until very tender in 2 Tbsp of olive oil, adding a spoonful or 2 of water as needed.  Cool, then chop.  Set aside.

Lightly coat a cookie sheet with 1 Tbsp of oil.  Place sliced eggplant on sheet and broil at 500 degrees until it is lightly browned.  Set aside.  

Bechamel sauce:  Combine plant milk and vegetable stock in a bowl.  Add remaining 4 Tbsp of olive oil to a pan over medium heat and sift in the flour.  Stir well.  Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often until the flour begins to brown and gives off a nutty smell.  Add the plant milk mixture a little at a time and whisk really well until evaporated.  Continue adding liquid and keep stirring until you get a creamy sauce.  Stir in the nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp of salt.  Heat until thick and creamy.  Remove from heat.  You want it to be smooth, so if lumps appear while cooking, you can press the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to break them up.  

Okay, now to build the lasagna:
Place a thin layer of tomato sauce and bechamel sauce in a 9 x 13 glass pan.  Next place a layer of lasagna noodles.  Next, layer the spinach over the noodles, followed by a thin layer of sauce.  Continue layering in the noodles with veggies, and sauce.  There should be enough bechamel for a bottom layer, middle layer (wherever you like) and a top finishing layer.  Spread the last layer of bechamel over the lasagna so that it covers the way melted cheese would.  

Cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes then remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.  If top is not brown enough, place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to complete browning.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes before cutting.  

Here is the website for the inspirational recipe
http://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/vegan-lasagna