Showing posts with label green chilies. Show all posts

Enchiladas

Several months ago Matthew and I traveled to my sisters house in Salt Lake to stay for a while. We needed a break from St. George and a change of scenery. It's always wonderful to spend time with Jill and her family. She has been changing her family's diet and has done some amazing things. She introduced me to kale chips and I shared with her this Enchilada recipe. It was one of those clean out the fridge recipes...I seem to have a lot of those, what can I say, they get the juices flowing...in more then one way :) Anyway, her family loved it which is saying something. Jill's husband Mike is not exactly on the bandwagon yet. In fact, Jill, in her wifely efforts made lettuce wraps one night. Mike looked at the wraps, then at Jill, then at the wraps and with eyes pleading looked up to Jill and said, "so, this is our life now huh?" So the fact that Mike ate these enchiladas and enjoyed them is saying something.

Enchiladas


1 can enchilada sauce
vegan cheese
brown rice
black beans
chopped tomatoes
cilantro
1 small can green chilies
chopped green peppers
onion chopped
corn or flour tortillas

Mix everything together in a bowl except the tortillas. In a baking dish pour some enchilada sauce to cover the bottom. Scoop the mix into the tortillas wrap and place in the baking dish. Cover the enchiladas with enchilada sauce and then with foil. Bake in the oven on 350 till bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes and then enjoy!

Special: Mango Salsa

Ok, mango salsa isn't Polynesian either, it's more of a tropical, mexican, quasi, international marriage thing. Kind of like Izzy marries Jenifer Lopez but with less calories and drama. This works up really fast and goes well with so much. Add a little lettuce and you have a salad...wallah.

Mango Salsa
1 mango cubed
1/2 red onion chopped
2 sweet chilies chopped (or hot chilies if you like it hot...some do)
1 cucumber chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
juice from 1 lime
salt to taste

Mix it up and there ya go........wallah.....

Day 20: Cous Cous Salad

Several years ago I lived just down the street from my fantastic sister-in-law. Those were good times! We were at their house on a regular basis (a little too regular they thought). We had adventures at the park, carved my brother-in-laws head on a pumpkin, and put up their Christmas tree for Halloween. I know he won't admit it but even my brother-in-law felt magic in the air.

I want to apologize to my sister-in-law in advance for her "honorable mention" on this blog but our adventures in the kitchen never fail to bring a smile to my face. If there were to be a cooking show like Tool Time, my sister would be Tim. I say that with all the love in my heart! I really look up to her in SO many things!

One evening we went to their home for dinner and I brought warm cous cous as a substitute for rice. The family, having tried some of my other concoctions and not being fans, took a little coaxing. After the first bite they loved it. My sister asked what it was. I told her it was cous cous and she gave me a confused look. I told her she could get it at any health food store.

To my surprise, the next day I got a call from my sister. She had gone to the health food store, I think for the first time. She had bought cous cous, cooked it up, and it was terrible - nothing like mine. I asked her what spices she put in it, "spices, what spices? You didn't say anything about spices." Which was true. This reminded me of the time when I was telling her how to make gravy. I said, " you start out by making a rue." To which she replied, " rue, isn't that Kangas baby? You're just making these words up right?"

I adore my sister-in-law, and in her defense I have recently heard that she makes scrumptious homemade rolls. I can't wait for her to teach me and for many more memory making moments in the kitchen...which will be posted soon. For now, Here comes the cous cous

Cous Cous Salad
1-2 c cous cous
1 can black beans
1 can corn
cilantro
1 green chili
EVOO
lemon or lime juice

In your loyal rice cooker cook your cous cous in double the amount of water (2 water to 1 cous cous). Drain, wash, and drain your black beans. The beans need to be clean with no juice or they will turn your cous cous black. Drain your corn. Mix cous cous, beans, and corn in a bowl. In the food processor or blender, add your cilantro, green chili, EVOO, and lemon juice. Puree and place everything in the fridge. Let everything cool. Just before serving, drizzle the salad with the dressing. This is a great refreshing meal.

Day 9: Tacos

As a teenager I moved to Utah from California. It may as well have been a different planet! We moved from a 4 bedroom townhouse to a house with 4 acers. I was in culture shock to say the least. This was only compounded one day when we invited a friend over for dinner.

"What ya havin," he asked.
"Tacos"
"What are Tacos?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at him to see if he was joking....he wasn't, and rightly so! You don't joke when it comes to Tacos!

But, I ask you, how on earth, in a civilized society, can someone not know about Tacos? I'm sorry for bringing this traumatic story up but I promise it has a purpose. This story is sad and upsetting to the mojority of us. Thus proving that Tacos are a staple, a basic, a necessity! And that inner basic need for tacos is no different for vegans. Thus, The Taco


Tacos

1lb lentils
1 pkg taco seasoing
refried beans
1/2 bunch of lettuce
2 large tomatoes
1/2 an onion
1 bunch cilantro
2-3 green chilies
1 lime
garlic powder or fresh
taco shells

Pull out that trusty, loveable little rice cooker and cook up some lentils. Add water, lentils and taco seasoning. Now, in a food processor add tomatoes, onion, cilantro, chilies, the juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of salt. Pulse to make fresh salsa. Wash and chop lettuce. Heat your refried beans and taco shells. We serve everything family style and make our own but you can pre-make them for a more elegant approach.