Deconstructed Burritos

This was such a simple dish to make. Basically you throw everything in a skillet, heat, serve up a bowl and garnish it with your favorite toppings.This recipe is based on the Beefy Crunch Skillet recipe I found.

• 1 package Tofurky ground beef style
• 1 package Tofurky Chorizo style
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
• 1/2 cup grated vegan cheddar cheese (Daiya or Follow Your Heart is what I usually have on hand)
• 5 soft taco size flour tortillas, cut into 1-1/2" strips
• 1 can Original Ro*Tel
• 2  cans tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• Garnishes: tortilla chips, crumbled on top (I also served whole ones for crunch on the side as we ate), pickled jalapeno slices, Topffuti sour cream, sliced green onions

 

In a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, add oil and onion and saute for 5-6 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Add ground beef, chorizo, chili powder, cumin, sugar, rotel, tomato sauce, cheese and tortilla strips to skillet and combine. 

Simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until mixture has thickened and heated through. Just before serving, crumble corn chips over the top, and add whatever garnishes you choose (see above).

This was comfort food!!!! Enjoy!

Mango Peach Smoothie

We have been juicing and making smoothies lately. I have some recipes to use as guides most times. But last weekend I just threw together some stuff we had and this is what I came up with. No your eyes aren't deceiving you, this turned out green from the hemp protein. Next time I'll use a different form of protein to keep this a beautiful peachy color.

• 1 ripe peach, sliced
• 1 ripe mango, sliced
• 1/2 package frozen Guanabana
• 1 can coconut water
• 1/4 cup Hemp protein powder

Add all ingredients to your blender and let it rip. I think I used high power for 1 minute.

Yes, green- but it tasted wonderful.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

I follow a great site called Skinnytaste and that's where I found the idea behind this recipe.  The sausage filling was absolutely delicious and I'm sure it would be good stuffed into anything! I used 2 large zucchini so we had dinner twice - feel free to increase the recipe below to feed more folks.

• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 package Field Roast Italian Sausage, crumbled
• 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella, shredded
• 2 teaspoons vegan Parmesan cheese (homemade, store bought, whatever)

Preheat toaster oven to 400°. (I try to not use my big oven in the summer. So I cooked two zucchini halves for dinner and while we ate I cooked the other two in the same casserole dish.) Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh of the zucchini, leaving 1/4" thick.

Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside. Cook zucchini halves in microwave for about 45 seconds on each side. This helps ensure they will be soft after you cook them.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Add the sausage and cook a few more minutes. 

 Add chopped zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes.

Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/4 of the cooked sausage/veggie mix, pressing firmly.

Place 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, and place zucchini halves on top.

Top each with 2 tablespoons each of sauce (or a little more if you wish.)

Top with about 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese.

Add 1 teaspoon of parmesan cheese. 

Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.

I served these with White Acre Peas topped with hot chow-chow. Yum Yum!!!

Summer Salad with Feta

This was a delicious, light and tasty lunch one day last week. I used an Italian Dressing I had on hand but am going to offer some ideas for do it yourself dressing. I don't have store bought on hand very often but took the opportunity to make this even fast by grabbing the Italian. Makes 2 large salads.

• 1 package organic Italian Salad mix (or whatever you prefer for greens)
• 1 tomato, chopped (not too small)
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 8-10 kalamata olives
• 1 small  or about 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced or chopped (depending on the size you want)
• 1/2 cup soy feta
• Dressing: 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of ONE of the following: balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar or lemon juice

Layer all of the salad ingredients on a plate.

Add dressing of your choice.  Toss to combine. Serve.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made this Spanish Rice last week. Next time I'll use 1 can of Rotel and no salsa and I'll use 4 cups of water instead of 3 1/2. I served this as a side dish to some enchiladas we were having for dinner. This recipe makes a lot so what to do with all those leftovers???  Stuffed bell peppers of course. These were really delicious (and I still had rice leftover!)

• 2 large bell pepper, cut in half, seeds and membranes removed
• 3 cups Spanish Rice (see recipe above)
• 1 package Field Roast Chipotle Sausage
• 1 can Rotel (if you make the rice with rotel you may want to use plain diced tomaotes)
• you favorite vegan cheese sauce (or you could just use some shreds on top)

Heat the rice in a large non-stick skillet.

Add the crumbled sausage and saute til the sausage is good and hot.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking oil and put a thin layer of the rice mixture in the bottom of the dish. This will help the bell peppers balance while cooking.

Place the bell pepper halves on top of the rice.

Fill the peppers with the rice mixture.

Pour cheese sauce over peppers (or add shredded cheese).

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes. You want the peppers to be soft but not overcooked.

You can serve this with garlic bread, or a side salad to round out your meal.

Enjoy!

Potato & Chorizo Tacos

I love the flavors of Chorizo - I use Tofurky and Field Roast brands. Each has a different unique texture so I use them both in recipes. I'm still trying to clean out the freezer since it's hurricane season - the less to go bad if we have a storm the better. I whipped these up the other day and they were a sure hit!

• 1 package Tofurky Chorizo Crumbles
• 1 package taco shells
• 3-5 potatoes, depending on the size, medium dice
• 1 Vidalia onion
• 1 large jalapeno, diced
• cilantro, chopped
• pico for garnish
• lettuce, shredded for garnish
• I also heated a can of vegetarian refried beans for a side

Dice potatoes (not too small) and put in a microwave safe covered bowl. Toss with a little neutral flavored oil (so they don't stick together) and microwave for 5 minutes. This gets them cooked through and now we just have to brown them.

Add potatoes with the oil (you may need a bit more oil) to a large non-stick skillet. Let the potatoes start to brown.

Once the potatoes start to brown add the onion and jalapeno and cook til tender.

Move the veggies to one side of the skillet and add the Chorizo. Break it up and let it start to get warm.

Using a spoon or spatula stir every thing in the skillet up well.

Sprikle the top with chopped cilantro.

I heated my taco shells in the toaster oven. Just drape them over the wire rack and keep a close on eye on them, they go from hot to burnt fast!!

To assemble your taco: add the potato/chorizo mixture to your shell, top with some shredded lettuce and a good spoonful of pico. (You can always add sour cream, cheese, pickled jalapenos, etc - but I kept these fairly simple.)

Serve with your side of choice - refried beans, chips to go with the extra pico, Spanish Rice (watch for that recipe this week.)

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

Garlic, Spinach & Noodle Stir-Fry

This dish is based on the one I found at here. I made a few changes in ingredients and added some Sirachi to spice it up a notch. The recipe only uses 1/2 of a package of tofu and this was so delicious, I made it again the very next night with the rest of the tofu. Sooo I'd recommend you just double everything you see below, yeah, it's that good! Recipe below serves 4-6 - if you double it's alot, but it's so delicious.

• 3/4 cup frozen edamame
• 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons Braggs
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Sirachi
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 8 ounces firm tofu, cubed
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno (optional) - mine was huge - I'd use two if small
• 5 ounces fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add the edamame. Cook for 4 minutes, strain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Make the sauce by whisking together the hoisin, 2 tablespoons of the Braggs, the Worcestershire, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sirachi and corn starch.

Blot the tofu dry on paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a very large non-stick skillet or wok. Add the tofu and stir fry until golden brown. Season with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add the remaining coconut oil along with the green garlic and chili peppers. Stir fry until starting to soften.

Add in the spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted.

Turn the heat up to high. Whisk the sauce again if it has separated and add it to the skillet.

When the sauce starts to boil and thicken, add in the cooked noodles, edamame, and tofu. Cook for another minute or so.

Add the cilantro at the last minute and serve.

Enjoy!!!!