Pozole Verde (Vegan)

I've been hearing about pozole for as many years as I've been married to my husband. The problem is, it's usually made with chicken or pork. And honestly, I've never thought about making a vegetarian option.

But when my sister started outlining her recipe for chicken pozole verde, I knew I had to try one out, vegetarian style.

The way it's served kind of reminds me of Vietnamese pho. The broth is really simply made, and the key is all the delicious stir-ins.

Soup Base:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups of clear vegetable stock
3 cups of water
1 Tbsp cumin
3 tsp. Mexican oregano (or more, to taste)
1 small can of salsa verde (about 7 oz.)
1 large can of hominy
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the onion and saute until soft. Stir in the cumin and oregano, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the stock, water and salsa verde. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.   Stir in the hominy and heat through.

Serve with:

chopped cabbage

lime wedges

sliced radishes

cilantro

avocado

sliced jalapeno

and fried tortilla strips

 

 

 

 

Stir in what you like and enjoy!

Spicy Green Torilla Soup

        We eat so much soup in this house that sometimes I think I need to rename this blog the "Yogic Soup Kitchen." In fact, I give so much food away to the neighbors, it would be a fitting name indeed!

This recipe reminds me of Pho, in the way that it is made, but with a distinct difference in flavor. It is very light in nature, but the jalapeno added at the end gives it a real kick.


Ingredients:
1 head of garlic, seperated and crushed
1 box of veggie broth
2 cups water
1 carrot, halved and sliced thin
1 head of broccoli, chopped
2 stalks celery
4 corn tortillas, chopped and fried until crispy
1 tbsp soy sauce

To garnish:
avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, chopped thin
cilantro


Combine the water, broth, soy sauce and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain and discard the garlic.

Add in the broccoli, celery and carrot, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls and add in tortilla chips, avocado and cilantro. For those who like it spicy, add in 3-4 jalapeno disks per bowl.

Veggie Tostadas and Homemade Salsa

I love Mexican food. It's all good, whether wrapped up or laid out. Mmm. We make it all kinds of ways, but this is as straightforward as it gets.

My son recently brought home this recipe for salsa, and it is pretty darn tasty!

Salsa Ingredients:
1 can stewed tomatoes (or 3 fresh, chopped)
1 small white onion
3 green onions
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3-4 sprigs of cilantro
1 roasted green chile (or 1 small can of chiles)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in the food processor and enjoy!


Tostada Ingredients:

2 cups cooked refried or whole beans (try black or pinto)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped spinach
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup each green onion and cilantro, chopped
salsa
guacamole
shredded cheese (optional)
pre-cooked tostada shells

Spread a thin layer of beans on each tostada shell and top with herbs, spinach, salsa, guacamole. Ole!

Coastal Mexi-Cali Bowls

Cilantro-lime rice, black beans and fajita veggies? Yes please! This bowl captures the quintessential flavor of coastal Californian cuisine, where taquerias abound and everyone has an opinion on which one is the best.

Make it vegan by using vegan sour cream, and make it salt-free by using rehydrated black beans instead of canned.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions
2 cups black beans, cooked and drained
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, halved and then sliced
1 tsp cumin
juice of one lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Toppings:
Salsa
Chopped fresh greens of your choice, like spinach or lettuce
1/4 cup chopped green onion
Cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

After your rice is cooked, let it cool, covered, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer your beans with a tsp. of olive oil and 1 tsp cumin, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, saute your onion and bell pepper in a large skillet, over medium heat, until soft and slightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Stir into the rice the lime juice and cilantro, mixing well.

Next up, the fun part! Begin to layer your bowls: Cover the bottom of your bowl with rice and top with a generous helping of beans, fajita veggies, salsa and green onion, then cheese and/or sour cream if using, and finish it all off with a ginormous handful of chopped salad greens.

Then contemplate heading out to the beach and soaking up the sand and surf!

Soyrizo and Potato Breakfast Burritos

I'm married to a meat eater. It's true. Sometimes people ask me if it is difficult, but truth be told, it's actually pretty easy. We eat vegetarian at home, and he eats meat at work when he wants it. He's not on the road to becoming a vegetarian any time soon, but one thing he has given up is chorizo. Chorizo is a kind of sausage that is made up of so many disgusting animal parts, I can't even attempt to type them here.

Thankfully, there is a nice soy version, called Soyrizo, that is just plain tasty. Here is the Misters breakfast burrito, with vegan options noted.

Ingredients (serves 5)
6 small white potatoes, diced and roasted in olive oil at 400 degrees, for 30 minutes.
1/2 to 1 tube soyrizo
1 onion, diced
4 eggs (optional)
tortillas, one for each person

Saute the onion until soft, then add in the soyrizo and break up any large pieces. If using eggs, add them in and continue to cook until the eggs are done. Mix in your potatoes and serve the soyrizo mixture on warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.

East Meets West Fusion Burrito

Sweet and savory at the same time, my husband was extremely skeptical that this recipe would come together. But oh boy, did it ever. Veggie-full and delicious!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar (or to taste)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Get the above ingredients into a large skillet and simmering. Then add:

1 each: carrot, zucchini, green onion and red bell pepper, cut into thin sticks
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 small head of broccoli, cut into small florets
2 cups pinto beans

Simmer for twenty minutes. Then strain out the liquid and discard. Serve in warm tortillas, with a fresh tomato salsa and maybe some fat-free sour cream.

Vegan Flour Tortillas-Lard Free

Sundays for me usually entail cleaning and cooking adventures. Today: Tortillas. I never knew homemade tortillas were so easy to make! Just set aside about 45 minutes and you've got homemade goodness.

A little thicker than the store bought variety, but so much more substance! I imagine myself trying out all kind of ideas in the future, like adding spices to make flavored tortillas!

2 cups flour
3/4 cup warm veggie broth
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil. Add in the broth and stir until it forms a ball. Remove and knead the ball on a lightly floured surface for about 2 minutes.

Then place the ball in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rest for 20 minutes.

After the time is up, divide dough into 6 or so balls and place them on a plate (not touching each other). Again, cover with a damp cloth. Let rest another 10 minutes.

One at a time, place a ball on the floured surface and flatten with your hand into a circle. Roll with a rolling pin until very thin, about 8 inches wide.  Place the tortilla-to-be on a hot, un-oiled cast iron skillet and cook for about 30 seconds per side.

The tortillas get bubbly as they cook, this is a good indicator it's time to turn them!

Keep warm by placing them on a cloth covered plate and covering with a dry towel, until ready to eat.

Vegetable Tamale Pie and Garlicky Kale

Today's recipe comes in two versions for your culinary pleasure: one vegetarian, and one vegan.

I recently was a guest at a dinner that served tamale pie. It looked so good, and I've been wanting to make one for so long, that I finally got off my keester and began to look up recipes. Little did I know what I was getting myself into!

I guess there is some tamale war out there in blogosphere, on how exactly to make the right tamale pie. Do you put the masa on the bottom? The top? Bottom and top? Do you use corn flour, masa, or polenta? Not being the purist, I tend to cook with what I have on hand. So I'm offering my recipe as I made it, with notes on other options you might try.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups masa flour (or polenta, or corn flour, but skip baking powder if using polenta)
1.5 tbsp fat (butter, vegetable oil, etc)
1 cup water or stock
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp each cumin and chili powder

Mix this all up until blended. It should be thick like play-doh, not runny. Press into the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

For the middle:
2 cups cooked pinto or black beans
1 15 ounce can of diced or stewed tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup of salsa or green sauce
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup of sauteed onion and zucchini, corn, peppers...whatever you have on hand!

In a large bowl mix and roughly smash (not too much!) the above ingredients. Spread this on top of your masa in the pan.


For the topping:
Vegetarian: 1-2 cups of cheese
Vegan: Another layer of masa! Make up another batch and spread or drop it by the tablespoon on top of the filling.

Bake at 375 until the middle is bubbly and the masa is set, about 20-30 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

While it's cooling, make your Garlicky Cumin-Scented Kale:
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 cups kale, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp cumin

Heat some olive oil in a pot, and saute your garlic and spices for about 1 minute, or until they are fragrant. Add in your kale and toss to coat. Put a lid on the pot and cook until your kale is as desired. For crisper greens, cook just a few minutes, or longer for more tender greens.

Serve with chopped green onions and salsa.

Tortilla Soup

I've been living off of tortilla soup for three days, it's that good. So I finally decided to stop procrastinating and post the recipe already. Here it is:

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bag frozen corn, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chopped green chilis (or 3 fresh chilis, roasted and chopped)
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 box veggie broth
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the corn until charred around the edges, then add in the onion and bell pepper, cook until soft. Add in the spices and saute another minute or so, to release the full flavor of the spices. Combine the rest of the ingredients and cook until bubbling. Serve over fresh tortilla chips and top with sour cream, cheese, a slice of lime, chopped avocado, cilantro and hot sauce. Or skip dairy and have it vegan!

Irish Nachos

A teensy  (hey I said teensy!)  bit better for you than traditional nachos, this "Irish" version is made with potato slices and then topped with traditional nacho toppings. It tastes almost like an exploded baked potato supreme from heaven.

To make the potatoes:
 Slice 4-6 potatoes thinly and place in a single layer on 1 or 2 oiled baking sheets.
Bake at 425 for 12 minutes, then flip. Bake another 12 minutes or so, then remove from heat and pile them up onto one baking sheet.

Top with cheese, beans, chilis and bake until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and finish by topping with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole!

Vegan Pumpkin Enchiladas

Born of the wonderful bounty of pumpkin puree I had in my freezer, these pumpkin enchiladas had all my meat-loving friends and family *almost* in tears. Hands-down the best enchiladas I've made, ever. Don't be put-off by the strange ingredients, they're completely, freakin' awesome.

Pumpkin Enchiladas

Sauce:

2 cups unseasoned pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
1 cup water
1 cup veggie broth
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 seeded jalepeno
3 cloves of garlic
handful of fresh cilantro

Puree all ingredients in the blender until smooth.

For the filling

4 red potatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup green beans, ends cut off and chopped
5 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 each, orange and red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup corn kernels (frozen works nicely)

Saute the potatoes 5 minutes in olive oil, stirring occasionally. Add in onion and mushrooms, cook another 3 minutes. Add in bell pepper and corn, continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with pumpkin sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat corn tortillas (the recipe makes about a dozen or so) to prevent cracking while handling ( I do this over my gas burner for a few seconds).

Fill each torilla with a small amount of filling and roll. Place seam-side-down in the pan and continue to roll tortillas until the pan is filled. Cover with a bit more sauce (not too much or it will all be soggy) and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Top with salsa, vegan sour cream and fresh sliced green onions.

I served ours with my "Santa Monica Pilaf" that used a mix of couscous, lentils, rice and quinoa
that was cooked with a bit of garlic and olive oil and topped with cilantro. I'll post that recipe at a later date!

Tofu Tacos

I've never met a meat lover that didn't love my tofu tacos! You can spice it up or down, depending on your heat tolerance. It also makes a good burrito filling. So the question really is: soft or crunchy shells?

Tofu Tacos

1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

2 tbsp. chili powder

2 tbsp. cumin powder

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 chopped and seeded jalepeno, optional

Heat up some olive oil in a large frying pan and add in your tofu. With a wooden spoon, smash each cube until they become crumbly. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add in onion, garlic, jalepeno and spices. Continue to cook until the tofu is browned.

Fill your taco shells or tortillas with refried beans and tofu and pile on the toppings! Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and guacamole!

Chili Rellenos with Garlicky Beans and Chili-Scented Greens

This was the first time I've attempted Chili Rellenos and I have to say they came out quite perfect! They taste like a tortilla-free enchilada. Even the smallest natives ate to their hearts' content. The best approval there is!

Chili Rellenos

1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
5 mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
10 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled (these come canned and pre-peeled as well)
15 slices jack or cheddar cheese (or about 1-2 cups shredded)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
1 large jar of green sauce
1/2 cup of sliced olives

Saute the onion, zucchini, mushrooms and spices until soft. Then spread the mixture on the bottom of a glass-bottom baking dish.

Stuff, carefully, each pepper with 1/2 slice of cheese (again, you can use shredded, but slices are easier to handle here). Then coat each pepper in the egg wash, followed by a coating of bread crumbs and lie carefully on top of the onion mixture. Continue until all peppers are stuffed and coated.

Bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Then remove the pan of chilis from the oven and top with enough green sauce to cover the spaces in between (not too much on top of the chilis, but around them). Top each chili with 1/2 slice of cheese and sprinkle olives on top. Bake another 12 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

After you plate each chili, top with red salsa, cilantro and green onion, and sour cream!





Garlicky Beans

I didn't want to use too much of the same spices here, so these beans were really simple. I used canned pinto beans and cooked them in a bit of olive oil, splash of veggie broth, and sprinkled with garlic salt and pepper. Cook until hot.


Chili-Scented Greens

3 cups (or more!) of greens of your choice. I used mixed greens like mustard, collard and spinach.
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
salt and pepper

Combine greens, water and oil in a large pot and cook, over medium heat, covered, until the greens are wilted. Sprinkle with the remaining spices and mix well. Serve hot.