Nopalitos! 3 Vegan Recipes in One: Vegan Enchiladas, Queso + Tomatillo Salsa or Salsa Verde

9/18/2017 4 Comments

You guys! This happened one late night when Gerald brought me a big batch of fresh nopales. At first they were nopales rellanos and then the morphed into these enchiladas or as Gerald loves to call them Nopalitos.

CONTINUE

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Black Bean & Potato Enchiladas

2/1/2016 0 Comments

Yesterday we decided to host a potluck and video to share a little about ourselves with our local community. I brought dessert(s) and enchiladas. First I was asked what the cheese was on top, saying it reminded her of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, very creamy, I told her it was made from cashews. Other feedback was "muy rico!" (very delicious) stating they'd never had enchiladas without meat before. Success in my vegan book. :) The turn out was kind of light but still fun. I didn't realize how much I enjoy cooking a whole bunch of food to share, it felt like Christmas to me, a reason to bake cookies and good food? Okay! We have since consumed the leftover enchiladas featured in this picture. Mmm! Potatoes, black beans, vegan cheese, enchilada sauce and you have a meal. These are a hit at home or at a get together. So satisfying.

Ingredients:

3 Cups Enchilada Sauce (click for recipe or store-bought)
1 Batch Mozzarella Cheese from my book or use this recipe (click here)
1 1/2 Cups Black Beans (precooked or 1 can)
1 Huge White Potato or 2 Medium
16-18 Corn Tortillas (Click for recipe or use store-bought)

Peaceful Preparation:

Cut the potato into 1/2" chunks, steam for 30-35 minutes until soft.
Mix together the beans and potato, season lightly with salt and pepper. Add any additional seasoning like chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper. Mash together with a potato masher until the potatoes are broken up and beans are combined, leaving it chunky style.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a pan with foil, lightly grease. Pour 3/4 Cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan, spread evenly.
Heat tortillas for 30+ seconds each side and set in tortilla warmer or cover with clean towel. Set up your station: sauce, cheese, bean and potato mixture, tortillas.
Put 1 tbsp of sauce in one warm tortillas, spread around leaving 1/4" space around the edge. Take 1-2 spoonfuls of potato mixture and place it in the center of the tortilla. Place a dollop of creamy cheese on top. roll and tuck, continue to roll and transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat until done.
Use the remaining sauce to cover the enchiladas, place the remaining cheese on top placing little dollops here and there, sometimes spreading the length of the enchilada.
Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot! Fabulous when served with extra enchilada sauce on bottom or the side, guacamole, Mexican rice and salsa.

Also check out this recipe with video for a different variety: Homemade Enchiladas with Habanero Cheese. Love & Light! Christa

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Sizzling Fajitas

1/9/2016 0 Comments

Warm up this season over sizzling hot fajitas served in a cast iron skillet with all of the glorious fixings. A gorgeous array of bright vegetables are sizzled in a cast iron skillet to perfection...

covered in lime and fajita seasoning served with hot corn tortillas from the tortilleria, rice and beans.

This meal is hearty, filling, satisfying, serves 4 hungry people or 2 with delicious leftovers. In 30 minutes or less you can be eating fajitas from your cocina / kitchen!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Rice
2 Cups Water
3 Limes, Freshly Squeezed
1 each Red, Orange and Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Lengthwise
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
5 Nopales Pads (Cactus) - Sliced in half, then lengthwise (Use green bell as substitute)
1-3 Large Jalapenos - Sliced
1 Small - Medium Onion - Sliced
1 1/2 Cup Kidney Beans, Pre-Cooked
4 Tbsp Fajita Seasoning, Divided
12-14 Corn Tortillas, Heated

Peaceful Preparation:

Place rice and water together in rice cooker. Press cook, set aside and prepare the meal while the rice cooks.
Wash and chop the vegetables.
Squeeze 2 limes into a cast iron skillet. Saute the bell peppers and jalapenos for five minutes.
Add nopales and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the other lime, juiced, and minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute.
Add the cilantro and 3 Tbsp. fajita seasoning. Mix together to combine. Turn off heat and cover.
Heat tortillas one by one on the stove. I like to use a small cast iron skillet and heat them for about 1 minute each side, until soft. Place in a tortilla warmer or between a clean towel.
While heating the tortillas, heat the beans in a little bit of water with 1 Tbps. of fajita seasoning. Heat to warm.
Serve hot tortillas with hot rice, hot beans and hot vegetables in a cast iron skillet for sizzling fajitas! Dig in!!!

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Sweet & Spicy Tacos Infused with Grapefruit & Jerry's Secret IceCream!

7/12/2013 0 Comments

Last night I made Sweet & Spicy Tacos Infused with Grapefruit, served in a fresh red cabbage roll on a bed of sprouts with homemade salsa on top. This meal is absolutely incredible. The flavor sensation is hard to beat. My taste buds were in heaven last night. As I write, I ask myself "why did I eat the extra one as a late night snack?! I want one!" They're so good, I'll be keeping this recipe handy for sure.

I honestly don't eat very much grapefruit, I bought one on a complete whim. It's been in the fridge and I wasn't sure what to do with it. Something told me to add it to the meal. I must have tried to put the grapefruit back 3 times, not trusting it would be okay, but I listed to my spirit and added it even as in my head I was very fearful it would ruin the meal. I came to terms that at worst, I could modify the seasoning. I added the grapefruit, I added 1 tsp of agave. I mixed it together for about a minute, tasted it and said "Oh my god, it really is good!" as if in disbelief! Faith is funny that way. I think we can learn faith lessons all the time, even in the kitchen. If you are ever cooking, and you feel inspired to add an ingredient you wouldn't normally add, give it a try, it be the best meal you've had in a long time. My best meals are created in that moment.
Want some? Here is how you can make them!

Take 1/4 of the onion plus an extra slice, 2 cloves garlic and a couple of serrano peppers and pulse in food processor until finely chopped.

Pre-heat a tbsp or two of oil in a medium-sized pan over medium high heat, add the chopped garlic and onion mixture and saute for 1 min or two.

Crumble the tempeh with the food processor or your hands and add to the dish.

Begin to add seasoning and mix throughout, reduce heat to medium-low.

Take 1/2 of the peeled grapefruit and squeeze the juice into your "taco meat."

For the salsa, take the balance of the onion, garlic, serranos, add in 2 ripe tomatoes, the juice of 1 lemon, handful of cilantro and add salt, cumin, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

Take a head of cabbage, carefully peel back a cabbage leaf, place fresh sprouts or lettuce on the bottom, add the Sweet & Spicy Taco mixture, and scoop the fresh homemade salsa on top!

Serve hot, roll them up to eat! They surprisingly stay together very well and make a low-cal, corn free alternative!

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons oil (I used grape seed)
1/2 red onion
5 garlic cloves
2 Serrano peppers
1 package organic tempeh
To taste: Taco seasoning (about 1/4 package)
1 tsp cumin
To taste: red pepper flakes, dash of black pepper and pinch of garlic salt
1/2 grapefruit - juiced
1 tsp agave
2 large tomatoes
1 very small lemon - juiced
Few sprigs fresh cilantro
handful fresh sprouts (I used mung bean sprouts)
4 cabbage leafs

Sweet & Spicy Taco Mixture:

Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
Chop 1/4 of the onion + 1 slice, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 Serrano pepper in a food processor and place in the pan. Saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Crumble the tempeh and add to the onion and garlic mixture.
Saute and add the taco seasoning, cumin, red pepper flakes, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix through out. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Squeeze the grapefruit juice into the mixture, add the agave and mix throughout. Reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally and prepare the salsa.
Take a cabbage leaf, place a small handful of fresh sprouts on the bottom, cover with sweet & spicy taco mixture and top with homemade salsa. When you eat it, wrap it up and dig in! Serve with a napkin. :)

Homemade Salsa:

Take the 2 large tomatoes, dice into chunks and place in food processor.
Add the balance of the onion, garlic and Serrano pepper. Add the cilantro, juice of the lemon.
Sprinkle garlic salt, black pepper, cumin and red pepper flakes to your liking and then process until a salsa consistency is formed.

Makes a filling, healthy and low-cal dinner for 2! Increase quantity as needed.
For dessert my husband made the most amazing ice-cream! He even gave me his recipe and is letting me share! Here you go!

Best wishes for a fabulous weekend!
Christa

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Fresh Quinoa Taco's

6/24/2013 0 Comments

With all the fresh produce I recently purchased I had to have some fun and play with my food. When I was growing up I loved finger foods. If I could eat it with my hands I was so happy! It turns out that love never went away.

I wanted something delicious, quick and easy for dinner this weekend so I started some quinoa in my rice cooker. I find it's the easiest and quickest way to make quinoa. While the quinoa was cooking, I put on some tunes. It really helps the creative juices flow.

While I grooved to the tunes, I chopped up some veggies. I honestly let our food processor do the work as much as possible. It makes it quick and easy. The colors are so BRIGHT and VIBRANT!

I heated some corn tortillas on the stove over low heat in my wok! It worked great since it gets so hot, who knew! I added enchilada sauce with taco seasoning to the quinoa, placed it in a warm tortilla and topped it with fresh veggies. It made 6 tacos for dinner and leftovers!

I took the leftover quinoa and fresh veggies and mixed them together. The next day I heated up the quinoa 'n veggie mix, some tortillas, added some avocado on top and served it with fresh fruit on the side. It made 4 more tacos for a grand total of 10. Not bad! :) Economical, quick, easy and so tasty!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
3 tbsp enchilada sauce
To taste: Taco seasoning
Top with favorite veggies! I used aprox: 2 avocado, 2 tomatoes, 2 serrano peppers, 1/2 yellow bell pepper, 1/4 red onion, 1 cup chopped red cabbage
10 corn tortillas

Directions:

Add water to quinoa and cook in rice cooker. It will take about 20 minutes to cook.
Meanwhile, chop fresh veggies.
Begin heating corn tortillas on stovetop and cover to retain heat and moisture.
Add enchilada sauce and taco seasoning to pre-cooked quinoa.
Place seasoned quinoa on warm corn tortilla, top with fresh veggies and dig in!

In good health and happiness,
Christa

I'd LOVE to hear from you! Leave a comment below!

P.S. Today I'm working on my new site behind the scenes. It's new and fresh and much more user friendly! Pressure is on; my goal is to release the new site no later than July 4th! Once released, I'll begin posting from the new site. Exciting! :)Wishing you all a bright week!

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Taco Salad

12/14/2012 0 Comments

I love tacos, especially quick and easy tacos that require minimal effort. Corn chips, salad, a beef alternative and beans provide a hearty salad with healthy benefits! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Corn chips
Organic lettuce mixture
1/4 Red onion - sliced
2 garlic cloves - diced
3 jalapeno's - sliced
1 can red kidney beans - rinsed & drained
1 cup TVP w/1 cup boiling water
1/4 package taco seasoning
Tofutti "Sour" cream

Directions:

Boil 1 cup of water, add to TVP and set aside.
Place chips on a plate
Add lettuce, sprinkle fresh vegetables on top.
Add taco seasoning and kidney beans to TVP, combine and place on top of chips.
Add "Sour" cream and dig in! We add Sriracha hot sauce as well to kick things up a notch!

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TVP Tostadas

10/24/2012 0 Comments

TVP is such a great staple, it's so quick and easy. Last night we made tostadas and tonight we had the leftovers. Heat some corn tortillas, add some cheese, TVP, beans, fresh vegetables and vegan sour cream and dinner is ready. "Absolutely delicious" my husband raved. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 corn tortillas
6 pieces of vegan cheese
1 cup of water - boiled
1 cup of TVP
1 can red kidney beans - or black beans - rinsed and drained
1/2 package taco seasoning
Dash of cumin
1/4 white onion - sliced
2 jalapenos - sliced and/or hot sauce to taste
1 can sliced olives - drained
1 ripe avocado - sliced
Vegan sour cream - I use tofutti
Few spinach leaves to garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Pour water over TVP. Add taco seasoning. Mix together and set aside.
Heat kidney beans on stove over low heat, add dash of cumin to taste.
Place tortillas on pan, heat until crisp. 5+ minutes.
Add vegan cheese and heat until melted.
Remove from oven, place on plates.
Load with TVP, beans, veggies and sour cream. Yum!

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"Cheese" Quesadilla

9/29/2012 0 Comments

We wanted a simple yet tasty afternoon treat so we made "cheese" quesadilla with corn tortillas. They turned out fabulous! Feel free to double the recipe and mix it up. Simple and satisfying!

Ingredients:

Sunflower Oil
2 corn tortillas
2 slices of soy cheese
1/4 small white onion - chopped
1 jalapeno - sliced in half and chopped
1 tomato - sliced
1 tbsp - Sriracha hot sauce
Vegan Sour Cream

Directions:

Heat sunflower oil in pan over med-high heat.
Place corn tortillas in pan and heat both sides.
Add the soy cheese, and heat.
Add onion, jalapeno and fold it in half.
Once the cheese is melted, remove from pan.
Add "sour cream", hot sauce and tomatoes. Enjoy!

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Vegan TVP Tacos

7/13/2012 0 Comments

Who doesn't love tacos for dinner? I know I do! These tacos are fresh, delicious, vegan friendly, easy to make and absolutely amazing! I took the easy route in a few places....it's Friday night after-all. ;) Enjoy this quick and easy delicious meal.

Ingredients:

2 cups of boiling water
2 cups of TVP
1 package Taco Seasoning (I used Trader Joe's)
2 tbsp Oil (I used Sunflower)
1 small red onion
1/2 - 3/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 diced avocado
Vegan Cheese
Tofutti Sour Cream
Taco Shells
Cajun Style Black Beans - Trader Joe's (can) :)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
Boil 2 cups of water, add to TVP and set aside.
Heat black beans to warm throughout.
Heat oil in skillet, sauté onion for 2 minutes, add TVP and taco seasoning and heat throughout for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup diced tomatoes to taco mixture. Heat throughout.
Place taco shells in oven for 2-3 minutes.
Place taco mixture into shells, add vegan cheese tomato avocado and anything else you fancy!
Place soup in bowl with a dollop of "sour cream" and touch of avocado. Dig in!

To health & happiness,
Christa

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Nopalitos! 3 Vegan Recipes in One: Vegan Enchiladas, Queso + Tomatillo Salsa or Salsa Verde

Black Bean & Potato Enchiladas

Sizzling Fajitas

Sweet & Spicy Tacos Infused with Grapefruit & Jerry's Secret IceCream!

Fresh Quinoa Taco's

Taco Salad

TVP Tostadas

"Cheese" Quesadilla

Vegan TVP Tacos

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