Spicy Black Bean Tacos

 

 

One day my dining-out life changed when I discovered I could order black beans at my favorite Mexican restaurant.  Refried beans have always grossed me out.  Mashed up so they are unrecognizable, I just don't trust them!  What is in there?  Lard, indigestion, and gas is my best estimation.  But black beans were delicious served with their salty seasoned liquid and readily identifiable.  I loved these beans and started a quest to replicate this Mexican-food heaven.

Truthfully, I never was able to replicate it!  I tried making my own beans, using exotic spices like epazote, and using variations of seasoning.  In the process I developed my favorite spicy black bean recipe, which has been a staple in my house for many years.  Spicy and flavorful, it is equally delicious served up with tacos as well roasted veggies and quinoa.  So enjoy life on the spicy side…

Ingredients

For black beans:

2 tsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced
1-3 chipotles in adobo, chopped fine (increase or decrease depending on how spicy you like it)
2 cans black beans, partially drained (you want some of the dark liquid, drain out about half of each can)
2-3 tbsp Veggie broth

For Tacos:

Corn tortillas

1/2 yellow onion, sliced in thin strips
1 bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Favorite taco toppings: Romaine lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, salsa

Directions

Black beans, chipotle and garlic, oh my!

In a skillet, heat olive oil then add chipotles and garlic.  Sauté until fragrant (don't burn!) and then add both partially drained cans of black beans.  Stir to incorporate and add veggie broth.  Simmer on medium high heat until liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes.  Add more veggie broth if it gets too thick, or you need extra time to prepare taco fixings.

Because a meal isn't complete without peppers, mushrooms and onions...

 



In another sauté pan, heat on medium high heat and add olive oil, mushrooms and onions.  Sauté until mushrooms have shrunk and onions become translucent.  Add bell pepper and sauté 3-4 more minutes, until heated and slightly softened.  Turn off heat and set aside.  (Alternatively, if your kitchen is not 90 degrees like mine, spread chopped veggies on a cookie sheet and toss will olive oil.  Roast in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until caramelized.)

Thanks to my dear aunt from Texas, we just microwave them in this tortilla warmer!

 



Heat up corn tortillas in a dry skillet, over a grill, or just heat them in the microwave. 

 

Nothing quite like building your own tacos.

 

Serve up your tacos with all of your delicious fixings.

Shepherd's Pie

I originally intended to post this on Saint Patrick's Day, but given that was four months ago, it is not worth waiting another eight to share.  This was one of the first recipes I made when going vegan.  Oddly, I never *liked* shepherd's pie until this recipe.  My husband loves this recipe, and I must admit that I made it to solidify his commitment to veganism.  It's not all salads, beans and carrots!

It makes enough to fill a large casserole dish to the brim, and is so hearty it will feed two people for the better part of a week.  To give credit where it is due, the original idea came from the Peta Shepherd's Pie recipe, but since no stores in my area carried the dairy-free "Campbell's Mushroom Gravy" I had to come up with a gravy that would suit the flavors.  After several failed vegan gravy attempts, the gravy for this recipe is adapted from the Isa Chandra Moskowitz recipe, Savory Mushroom Gravy, just reducing the amount liquid and flour so it is a concentrated gravy produced. 

Since it is the middle of the summer right now I'm going to just dream of tasting this and wait for a cooler day to make it again.

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes

2 tbsp margarine
1/4 cup nondairy milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup dry white wine (I use cooking sherry)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 bag frozen peas (or mixed peas and carrots)
12 oz. or one package Veggie Crumbles or seasoned Textured Vegetable Protein

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Mmm... mashed sweet potatoes...

Chop and boil the potatoes in a large pot for 20 minutes or until soft.  Drain and mash
with margarine and nondairy milk.  Season with salt and pepper.

This looks like a lot, but it will cook down.

Nice and browned, smells delicious!

 

In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté onion, bell pepper and mushrooms until onions are translucent and slightly browned.

Add garlic, thyme, sage, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and sauté for about 2-3 more minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 more minutes to take the raw flavor out of the flour.

Gravy has a yellow tinge thanks to the nutritional yeast, but smells like heaven.

 

Add wine, stir madly,  and let it reduce for about 3 minutes. Add the broth/flour mix and the nutritional yeast, if using. Lower heat to medium and cook for about 10-20 minutes or until thickened.  If too thick, add some more broth.

You could use a mixed vegetable with carrots, but for me it's all about the peas.

Once thickened, add your frozen peas and ground veggie crumbles. 

Pretty full, as you can see.

Now it is filled to the brim.

Pour this into a lightly oiled casserole dish.  Cover your gravy veggie layer with your mashed potatoes on top.  Bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes until warm, bubbly, and potatoes start to brown.

 Bubbly and delicious!

Pesto-Perfect Pasta

When it comes to summertime, the one think I dread doing is turning on the stove.  So when I cook with heat, I try to make sure it is something that makes a gargantuan batch that can last for days!  My favorite big-batch meal is this pasta salad.  It tastes just as good hot as it does cold.

Ingredients

Box of penne pasta

Eggplant (optional but delicious)

1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped, or 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

 

For pesto:

1 bunch of basil (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted in skillet

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus 2-3 tbs of the oil

3 cloves of garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

The first thing I do in this recipe is cook the eggplant.  My favorite method is using a nonstick George Foreman grill.  You know you have one tucked away in a cupboard somewhere, or if you know anyone of the male persuasion, they may let you borrow theirs!  I cut the eggplant into four chunky slices lengthwise and put it on the grill (without oil) for 15 minutes to cook.  Then once slightly browned and cooked-looking, I take it off the grill and wrap it in tinfoil to stay warm.  This allows for some carryover cooking, so that your eggplant will be deliciously cooked without having to use any oil.  Right before combining the pasta, I unwrap it and chop it into cubes.  Don't have a grill?  It can be cooked on a nonstick stovetop grill, or baked in the oven but you will need to brush on olive oil in these cases to prevent sticking. 

While the eggplant is cooking, I start a big pot of water heating up for the pasta. 

Next I heat up a small skillet, dry, and toast the walnuts for 3-5 minutes.  Watch them closely, they will burn easily.  Once nice and fragrant, remove from the skillet and set aside.  Then I chop up the mushroom and bell pepper and sauté them with a little olive oil in the same skillet until softened, adding salt and pepper while cooking (10-15 minutes). 

Then comes the delicious pesto.

In a food processer, combine the basil, toasted walnuts, garlic, sundried tomato, nutritional yeast, salt & pepper and oil from the sundried tomato jar.  Let that sucker run until all ingredients have been combined into a pesto-y paste.

By now, your water should be boiling.  Add salt to taste and cook your pasta per directions.

To finish, put all of the ingredients into a big mixing bowl - garbanzos, chopped tomatoes, pesto, cooked mushrooms and bell peppers, and chopped cooked eggplant.  Once your pasta is ready, drain and toss it in with the rest of the ingredients.  Now stir, and you will have a delicious pasta dish that you can eat then (you know you want to), or chill in the fridge for lunch and dinner for the next few days.

Chick'n N' Pasta with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Some nights lets face it, we just don't feel like cooking.  Today I was exhausted but wanted to get something healthy ready quick before my husband took off for Taekwondo practice. So this recipe is a weekday-exhaustion invented recipe that is healthy, balanced, and done within 30 minutes.

Talking with friends, part of the issue many of us having with eating vegan is that it seems like a lot of work.  I mean you have to cook?  And wash dishes and stuff?  Yes, I am afraid to eat well turning on an oven once and awhile is necessary.  As someone who usually cooked meals on weeknights anyways, I find dishes like this one even quicker than what I ate as a carnivore.  I mean, no sanitation to worry about, no separate cutting boards for the meat, no having to make sure you hit 165* F so you don't get salmonella poisoning, which adds extra cooking time.  Nope, when it is warm it is done.  That is the miracle of veggie-based proteins.

A warning to those with veggie-unloving spouses or family members - though I happen to think roasted brussel sprouts are delicious, you can substitute any vegetable you can pass off to your loved one.  Really.  The magic of roasting vegetables is that if you chop it up, coat it with olive oil, and roast it on a cookie sheet at 425* for 15 minutes, it will be delicious.  Just don't crowd the pan, or you will end up with steamed veggies instead of getting the yummy caramelization you want.  My favorite for easy prep is asparagus (in season right now!).  Red peppers, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes and mushrooms are also pretty awesome done this way.  Do one veggie, or do a mix of whatever floats your boat. 

I use a silpat (silicone baking mat) on my baking sheet for roasting veggies, as it is easy to clean and I got tired of using aluminum foil all the time.  If you use a silicone baking mat, please don't use one that you would like to use for any other purpose.  It will totally absorb the smells of roasted veggies.  Mine smells like roasted onions!  Not something you want to use to bake cookies in the future!

So here it is...

Ingredients

Brussel sprouts (or asparagus), washed, trimmed and cut in half
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Whole wheat pasta
2 Vegan chick'n fillets (I used Gardein Chick'n Scallopini)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
Vegan mozzarella (I use Daiya Mozzarella)

Directions

Cooking a meal in 30 minutes is all about timing.  So turn your oven on to 425*F now.  Also fill a pot with salted water to cook your pasta and start heating that sucker to boiling. 

Now prep your brussel sprouts.  Depending on how good yours look, it can take a little bit of prep time.  I usually trim the ends, take off any bad leaves, and then cut in half.  Put all of your cut brussel sprouts on a lined cookie sheet (parchment paper, tinfoil, silpat, it's up to you).  Drizzle with olive oil, then use your hands to make sure they get evenly coated with olive oil.  Spread them out on the cookie sheet so they are in a single layer.  Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste, and then stick in your 425* oven to roast.

Next, heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add a tiny bit of olive oil to coat.  Add your chick'n to the pan and lightly sear each side.  While the chick'n is searing, drop your pasta and set your timer so you don't forget it!  Remove your chick'n from the skillet and set aside (don't worry if they aren't cooked all the way, you will finish cooking them in a minute). 

Add your garlic to the pan, followed by the can of diced tomatoes.  Add your oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.  Once that is mixed and nice and hot, add your chick'n back to the pan and cover it with some of the tomatoes.  Layer some mozzarella on to the top of each breast, then cover the skillet with a lid to melt the cheese.  By now I hope you are hearing your pasta timer!  Drain your pasta.  If veggies are done in the oven, take them out, too.  As soon as your mozzarella is melted, plate it up - a little bit of pasta, the cheesy chick'n, tomato sauce, and roasted veggies.

Tofu Scramble

Lets face it. Every vegan or vegetarian makes a tofu scramble once and awhile. The concept was never appealing to me until I had a frozen Amy's Tofu Scramble in Texas on vacation, and this became our go-to meal while visiting. Well, one Saturday morning I really wanted one, but I was fresh out. So I came up with this version that turned out damn tasty.

Ingredients 
1 container extra firm tofu, pressed
2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet potato, diced small (about 1/2 inch)
1 1/2 cup of sliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 yellow onion, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp nutritional yeast
Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
Sprinkle of paprika
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
Wedge of lemon (1 tsp or so lemon juice)
 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed in microwave (or use 1-2 cups fresh)

Directions 
First, press your tofu.  Though I usually don't for most recipes, I've found that this one benefits from getting some of the extra moisture out of it.  How, pray tell, do you press tofu?  Wrap your tofu block in a clean dish towel and/or lots of paper towels.  Them place a plate on top of the block and weight it down with cans.  Be sure to check how well you have it balanced, or use a metal pie pan instead.  I have broken at least one plate doing this!

Next, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add your oil.  Next add the diced sweet potato and start to brown (5 minutes or so).

While the potato gets some color, finish chopping the rest of your ingredients. Once the sweet potato starts to brown, add your onion, mushrooms and red pepper.  Cook, stirring often until the onions are translucent and everything starts to brown slightly.  Now add your garlic and crumble your tofu into the pan.  Stir to incorporate and then add the Roma tomato, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, thyme, paprika, tamari and lemon juice.

Cook this mixture for 3-5 minutes until tofu is cooked. Now add your fresh or thawed spinach.  If using thawed frozen spinach, squeeze out some of the extra liquid before adding it to the pan.  Continue to cook until spinach is heated through.

Serve and eat this awesomeness with some coffee.  You can thank me later

Lynn's Beefy Beefless "Beef" Stew

Ingredients

1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped thick

1 zucchini, quartered and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces

1 small sweet potato, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Gardein home style beefless tips

1/2 cup brown lentils

2 tsp flour

2 tsp nutritional yeast

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tbs thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp coriander

2 bay leaves

1-1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions

(suggest adding 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds, if only my husband liked cooked carrots!)

2 cups cheap burgundy or pinot noir

1 quart sized container veggie broth

Directions

Heat up a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot. Add a light coating of olive oil and brown "beef" tips, may take two batches. Don't crowd that pan and watch closely. Once browned, remove from pot and set aside in a bowl.

Add a little more oil to coat your Dutch oven's bottom. Sautee onions, bell pepper and mushrooms until softened and mushrooms have shrunk some. Add your zucchini, sweet potato and garlic and cook for 2-4 more minutes.

Add your spices - thyme, paprika, salt & pepper, coriander and nutritional yeast. Get fragrant (about 1 minute), then add your 1-2 tsp flour and cook slightly. Next add your wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for a minute, then add your veggie broth, bay leaves, pearl onions and lentils. Cook for 30 minutes, or until lentils and potatoes are cooked. Mixture should thicken as you cook. If it is getting too thick or there is not enough liquid, add more wine and just be sure to cook alcohol flavor out before you get ready to serve it. Once it's all cooked through, take your bay leaves out and then add your "beef" tips back in and heat through. Serve and enjoy!