Hominy Quesadillas with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Hominy Quesadillas with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa
Vegan; Serves 8; 30 minutes or fewer

Welcome summer with this light tasty meal. Letting the grill and the food processor do a lot of the work, makes this a super easy meal to prepare on a weeknight. I soaked cashews in the morning, before going to work and was able to make a cashew cream to take place of the goat cheese that the original recipe from Vegetarian Times called for.

3 large or a combination of small and medium equal to 1/2 cup, husked and halved
1 large poblano chile, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded (I used 1 1/2 smaller poblano chiles)
1/2 onion cut into chunks
1 Tbs. lime juice, plus extra to cut into lime wedges for serving (about 3 limes total)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup cooked hominy or canned hominy, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked pinto beans or canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
8 flour tortillas (I used green chile flour tortillas)
1/2 cup cashew cream
1/2 cup pepper jack daiya cheese
hot sauce

1. Preheat over medium heat, you may have to coat the grill grate or the grill pan with cooking spray. We didn't and didn't lose any veggies...

2 Coat tomatillos, poblano, and onion chunks with cooking spray. Grill for 10 minutes or until charred.

3. Pulse grilled onion chunks and tomatillos to coarse puree in a mini food processor. Add poblano and lime juice; blend until poblano is chopped. Transfer to bowl, and stir in cilantro.

4. Pulse hominy, pinto beans, and 2 Tbs. of tomatillo mixture in food processor until just beginning to stick together.

5. Press one-quarter hominy mixture over half of each tortilla. Add cashew cream and sprinkle pepper jack daiya cheese and fold tortillas in half. Grill quesadillas for 6 minutes or until filling is heat through, turning once. Let stand for about 2 minutes and serve with hot sauce.

Poblano White Chili

Poblano White Chili
Vegan; Gluten Free

This is a thinner chili, then the usual stick to your ribs chili. Instead of the goat cheese that the original recipe (adapted from Vegetarian Times) called for, to keep the tangy flavor that this needs, I used cashew cream. Hope you all like this. Serve over rice and blue corn organic chips!

3 cups cooked white beans, black beans, or kidney beans (I used a combination)
1 recipe Rajas (see recipe in blog)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 Tbs. lime juice, divided
3/4 cup hemp milk
2/4 cashew cream (see recipe in blog)
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
white pepper to taste

1. Bring beans, Rajas, broth, oregano, and cumin to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 2 minutes more.

2. Warm milk in separate saucepan. Add cashew cream, 1 Tbs. lime juice, season with white pepper and stir until smooth. Serve chili garnished with cashew cream sauce, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro.

Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls
Vegan; Raw (Almost); Gluten Free

I made these last week and the boys LOVED them. These are really easy to make, I will tell you right now that the rice paper doesn't keep too nicely. Mine have really become brittle, I guess the dry air in Colorado. Anyways, there are ideas listed below, so the sky is the limit!

1/3 head of red cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup Udon noodles (to make gluten free use a rice or gf noodles)
1/4 cup fresh herbs (use cilantro, basil or mint, your choice)
1 zucchini, julienned
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated (optional)
juice from 1/2 lime
soy sauce or dipping sauce of choice
I added slices of pan fried tofu to each roll (omit to make raw)
slices of seaweed

Other Ideas:
1/2 cup bean sprouts
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup carrots, grated or julienned

Preparation:

1. To make this easy, if you have a food processor use it. I used mine with the red cabbage, ginger and zucchini to shred evenly. Squirt with lime juice and set aside.

2. Pan fry tofu slices, or skip to make raw.

3. Submerge spring roll wrappers in hot water until pliable, about 15 seconds. Layer with noodles or rice, about 2 tablespoons of cabbage mixture, tofu, seaweed and I used mint on wrapper and wrap your spring rolls. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!

Traditional Mexican Salsa

Traditional Mexican Salsa

The history of Salsa sauce originated with the Inca people. Salsa (combination of chilies, tomatoes and other spices) can be traced to the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. The Spaniards first encountered tomatoes after their conquest of Mexico in 1519-1521, which marked the beginning of the history of Salsa sauce. Aztec lords combined tomatoes with chili peppers, ground squash seeds and consumed them mainly as a condiment served on turkey, venison, lobster, and fish. This combination was subsequently called salsa by Alonso de Molina in 1571.

This is the traditional Mexican Salsa from the Mid section "DR" Mexico City region:
Four plump Tomatoes or six Roma Tomatoes
1/4 cup on white onion (best onion for salsas is the vidalia)
One Jalepeno
One yellow or red pepper
One Tomatillo-used to cut down on heat and bitterness of Jalepeno
One cup of Fresh Cilantro
1 1/2 to 2 limes depending on how tangy you like it.

Instructions:
Cut or use a food processor to cut vegetables finely
Mix together in a bowl
Add salt to taste
Squeeze one 1/2 to 2 limes in bowl (to taste)

Let sit for 45 minutes

Add Mango or Pineapple to give a different dimension.

Cumin and Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Cumin and Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4; Vegan; Gluten Free

I made this for a potluck last week, and it was a huge hit. Super simple to make, the longest part of this is the roasting time. I added a few things to the original recipe, so I’ll add stars to them. Happy Eating!

1 large sweet potato or garnet yam (1 ¼ lb.), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
**¼ onion, coarsely chopped (those who follow me, know I never put the amount of onion called)
Original calls for 1 large yellow onion (about 2 cups)
**1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
**1 tsp. Safflower oil (I added a little extra, the potatoes were drying out)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 lime, halved
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Toss sweet potato, onion and jalapeno with oil on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cumin and paprika, and season with salt if desired. (I didn’t add salt, I added lime zest instead.) Squeeze juice of half lime over the sweet potato mixture. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour (mine took 42 minutes), tossing halfway through cooking time.

2. Remove vegetables from oven; squeeze juice of remaining ½ lime over top, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Per 1 cup serving: 135 cal.; 3 grams prot.; 2 grams total fat (<1g sat fat); 29 grams carb.; 0 mg chol.; 36 mg sod.; 5 grams fiber; 10 grams sugars

Found: Vegetarian Times Sept. 2012 2nd place winner in readers contest

Not Your Mothers Potato Salad

Not Your Mothers Potato Salad
Vegan; Serves 4

Using the Chipotle Mayo (recipe in the blog) as the perfect pairing to this recipe.... Depending on if your taking this to a picnic or a potluck, adjust the measurements accordingly.

1/2 a pound of blue potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
zest and juice of 1/2 a lime
2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tablespoons of chipotle mayo
2 Tablespoons of WayFare Pig Out-Whole Grain Bacony Bits (I picked up from Nooch in Denver, CO)

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place blue potatoes in a small to medium casserole dish. Drizzle with oil. Bake for 50 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a bowl, and prep the rest of the ingredients.

3. Make the chipotle mayo and mix in with the potatoes, until well coated. Add the lime zest, lime juice and the cilantro, mixing again. Toss bacony bits and serve warm or room tempature.

Spicy Tomatillo Banana Pepper Salsa

Spicy Tomatillo Banana Pepper Salsa
Vegan

While I was visiting friends in San Antonio, TX. I was able to hit my usual farmer market (Legacy Oaks) and got caught up with my farmers. Mr. Estrada (one of my favorite people) had the banana peppers, tomatillos and the tomatoes. Bruce got to go with me, and asked what I had in mind, well.... I wasn't expecting the salsa to be the kind of spicy that you feel in your ears, but his oldest finished the half that was mango free. My friends liked the mango version, even with the heat level.

1 pound small sweet tomatillos, shucked
1/2 pound banana peppers, seeded (save some of the seeds-to taste)
1 pound cherry tomatoes (I used an orange variety that was more sweet then tart)
1 habanero pepper, seeded
1/4 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 Tbs. lime juice
salt to taste

**NOTE: To cut the heat add 2 mangoes (which I had to, so I could leave for friends) or 1 cup pineapple and cut the salsa recipe in half.

1. Heat a pot of water and add tomatillos. They will change to a lighter green-white color, remove before they burst. Depending on size, this can take up to 15 minutes.

2. Pulse in a blender or a food processor tomatillos, banana peppers (some seeds) and tomatoes. Add habanero pepper, onion, cilantro and lime juice, pulse again.
** Add the mango or pineapple if using, and pulse

Autumn Vegetable Tagine

Autumn Vegetable Tagine
Vegan; Serves 6 (Can be made Gluten Free)

This recipe shows you how to quick-soak dried chickpeas in a pressure cooker in about 5 minutes—a good technique to know because you can use it with any dried bean. When cooking beans, adding a tablespoon of oil to the pressure cooker minimizes foaming. This dish calls for harissa, a North African chile paste available in Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets. If you can't find harissa, substitute sriracha sauce and 1/4 tsp. each of ground cumin and ground coriander. To make the tagine gluten free, substitute quinoa for the couscous.

Ingredient List

1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (3 1/2 cups)
1 lb. collard greens, coarsely chopped (8 cups)
1 lb. plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1 Tbs. harissa
1 10-oz. pkg. whole-wheat couscous
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine chickpeas and 4 cups water in pressure cooker; bring to a boil. Lock lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes. Release pressure using automatic pressure release, or carefully transfer cooker to sink, and run cool water over rim of lid. Remove lid, tilting away from you to let steam escape. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Set aside.


2. Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add chickpeas and 3 cups water. Lock lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes. Release pressure using automatic pressure release, or transfer cooker to sink, and run cool water over rim of lid. Remove lid, tilting away from you to let steam escape.


3. Stir in squash and collards. Lock lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 5 minutes. Release pressure using automatic pressure release, or transfer cooker to sink, and run cool water over rim of lid. Remove lid, tilting away from you to let steam escape. Stir in tomatoes; cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in harissa. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.


4. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions. Fluff with fork. Serve tagine over couscous. Sprinkle with cilantro, and garnish with lemon wedges.
Nutritional Information

Per serving (1 1/3 cups tagine; 3/4 cups couscous): Calories: 414, Protein: 16g, Total fat: 8g, Saturated fat: <1g, Carbs: 74g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 142mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugars: 8g


Found: Vegetarian Times Issue: October 2009

Sweet Potatoes with Coconut, Pomegranate and Lime

Sweet Potatoes with Coconut, Pomegranate and Lime
Vegan; 15 min. prep.; 45 min. bake time

Happy New Year Everyone! From my family to yours we wish you a safe and wonderful holiday!

In honor of the holiday I chose this recipe because of all of the beautiful jewel tones.....

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup light coconut milk (divided)
1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup pomegranate seeds
2 limes cut into wedges
Kosher salt or sea salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Arrange sweet potatoes, pricked with a fork, on rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. To toast coconut flakes: heat a pan on medium heat and toss in flakes, stirring until they turn golden and become fragrant.

2. Slice tops and mash sweet potatoes with a fork. Divide coconut milk, toasted coconut flakes, cilantro and pomegranate seeds among the sweet potatoes.

3. Season with salt if using. Garnish with additional sprigs of cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Per Serving: 272 cal.; 8 grams sat. fat; 1 gram unsat. fat; 0 mg chol.; 44 grams carbs.; 58 mg sod.; 5 grams prot.; 9 grams fiber.

Found: Whole Living December 2010

Spicy Thai Soup

Spicy Thai Soup
Makes 6 1-cup servings

What a delicious way to enjoy healthy green vegetables!

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
4 cups Vegetable Broth
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 - 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (or more to taste)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup bite-size broccoli florets
1 cup packed finely chopped bok choy
1 green onion, finely chopped, including top
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Mix broth, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño pepper in a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add mushrooms and simmer 2 minutes.

3. Add broccoli and bok choy. Simmer until broccoli is tender but still bright green and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook.

4. Stir in green onion and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Per 1-cup serving

Cal.: 59; Fat: 0.8 g; Sat. Fat: 0.1 g; Cal. from Fat: 12.4%; Chol.: 0 mg; Prot.: 3.2; Carb.: 10.8 g; Sugar: 1.3 g; Fiber: 2.8 g; Sod.: 152 mg; Calcium: 43 mg; Iron: 1.3 mg; Vitamin C: 17 mg; Beta Carotene: 914 mcg; Vitamin E: 0.5 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Bertron, R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Tacos

Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Tacos
Serves 4; Vegan

Ingredient List

3/4 lb. fresh whole tomatillos, husks removed
1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro, divided
1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeño pepper
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
4 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
1 small avocado, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed, optional (organic)
1/4 cup low-fat vegan sour cream, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to broil. Place oven rack 3 inches from heat source. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray, and spread tomatillos, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic on prepared baking sheet. Broil 12 minutes, or until tomatillos are blistered and charred, and onion and bell pepper are softened and charred, tossing once halfway through cooking time.

2. Pulse garlic, 1 Tbs. cilantro, jalapeño, and tomatillos 10 times in food processor, or until chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Toss 1/4 cup tomatillo sauce with black beans, red bell pepper, and onion.

4. Fill tortillas with black bean mixture, avocado, and queso fresco. Garnish with remaining cilantro and corn kernels, if desired. Serve remaining tomatillo sauce and sour cream, if desired, on side.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving: Calories: 226, Protein: 8g, Total fat: 7g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 36g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 457mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugars: 7g

Found: Vegetarian Times April/May 2010

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Tacos

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Tacos
Vegan; 30 minutes; Serves 4

This is adapted from one of the farmer market vendors. She used Japanese eggplant and sweet bell peppers. (Feel free to substitute what you have on hand.) My tortillas didn't come out exactly round, but Bruce and the boys LOVED them anyways....

2 med. or 1 large yellow squash, cut into strips
2 med. or 1 large zucchini, cut into strips
1 cup of Portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet red bell pepper cut into strips
1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat the pan)
1/2 lime
2 Tbs. cilantro
tortillas
arugula
salsa (I used a blackberry, peach, chipotle salsa)

1. On medium heat coat pan with olive oil. Add yellow squash and zucchini. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes until brown. Add red bell peppers and while that's cooking add cilantro and squeeze lime. Cook till heated through.

2. Serve on heated tortillas, arugula and add salsa. Enjoy!

Herbed Tomatillo and Grape Salsa

Herbed Tomatillo and Grape Salsa

from Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini by Elizabeth Schneider
Look for the small sweeter tomatillos; I picked them up from one of my farmers back in San Antonio, and wow! I took this to a pot luck and there was nothing left. For added color I threw in some edible flowers, such as marigolds and save some for garnish on top. Serve with organic blue corn chips for a great balance.

3/4-1 pound tomatillos
1 to 3 small green chiles, such as serrano or jalapeño, halved and seeded (I had to use 4, since I like it spicy)
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
1/4 cup lightly packed basil or mint leaves (I used both)
1/2s cup stemmed seedless green grapes
about 1 tablespoon lime juice
2-3 marigolds (optional)

1. Barely cover husked tomatillos with cold water; cook very gently until gender, the time can range from 2 to 15 minutes, depending upon size and thickness. Check often to prevent bursting. Cool in liquid.

2. In food processor container, combine 1 chile(or more to taste), garlic, salt, and half each of the cilantro and basil(or mint). Whiz to mince.

3. Drain tomatillos if needed. Add to container, with grapes, marigolds and 1 Tablespoon lime juice. Whirl to a chunky puree. Taste for heat and tartness, adding lime and minced chile to suit. Scoop into a bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

4. To serve, mince the remaining cilantro and basil(mint). Stir into the salsa. Salt to taste.

Pita Quesadillas with Cilantro Hummus

Pita Quesadillas with Cilantro Hummus
Serves 8; 30 minutes or fewer; Vegan

There is no need for cheese when you use cilantro-laced hummus to hold pita quesadillas together. Serve with salsa.

Hummus-

1/2 cup cilantro leaves (I like to tightly pack the cilantro in)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained)
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Quesadillas-

4 7-inch whole-wheat pitas, split crosswise
4 jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced into strips
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
**I add crushed red pepper flakes to the quesadillas before putting them in the oven.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make Hummus: Process cilantro and garlic in food processor until chopped. Add chickpeas, lime juice, oil and 1/4 cup water; puree 3 minutes, or until creamy.

2. To make quesadillas: Place 4 pita halves on baking sheet. Spread each with 1/2 cup Hummus. Top with peppers, spinach and remaining pita halves. Bake 10 minutes, or until crisp. Cut into triangles, and serve.

Per Serving (1/2 quesadilla): 193 cal.; 7 grams prot.; 5 grams total fat (1 gram sat. fat); 32 grams carb.; 0 mg chol.; 393 mg sod.; 6 grams fiber; 4 grams sugars

Found: Vegetarian Times