Enchilada Bake

ENCHILADA BAKE          
1 12-oz bag burger crumbles
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
2 Tbs. veg. Oil
½ c. minced scallions
2 Tbs. flour
1 c. vegetable stock
2 cans pinto beans, drained
2 cans enchilada sauce (or equivalent fro. pkg. mix)
12 corn tortillas
1 bag shredded cheddar soy cheese
1 4.5-oz.can dices green chilies
1 bag Fritos, crushed (or corn chips)

•  Mix burger crumbles with taco seasoning & toss to coat. Set aside.
•   Heat oil in skillet, med. Heat. Add the scallions & cook for 3 min. Stir in flour & cook for 1 min. Add the stock & cook, stirring, about 1  min. Add beans
•  Preheat oven to 375 degrees
•  Spray 9x13 pan with oil.
•  Layer, in order:
            ¼ enchilada sauce
            4 corn tortillas
            pinto bean mixture          
            1/3 cheese
            ½ chillies,          
            ¼ enchilada sauce
            4 corn tortillas
            burger crumbles          
            1/3 cheese
            remaining chilies
            ¼ enchilada sauce
            remaining tortillas
            remaining enchilada sauce
            remaining cheese
•  Cover and bake for 30 min.
•  Uncover, top with crushed chips & bake 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly & browned.

Black Bean Brownies

Black Bean Brownies

2-½ Tbs. flaxseed meal

6 Tbs. water

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, well rinsed & drained

3 Tbs. coconut oil, melted

¾ c. cocoa powder

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heaping ½ c. raw sugar

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

           

Toppings:

Crushed walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees & lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan.

Put water & flaxseed in blender, pulse a couple times & then let rest a few minutes.

Add beans, oil, cocoa, salt, vanilla, sugar & baking powder & puree about 3 minutes.

It should be slightly less thick than frosting, add water if needed.

Fill muffin cups & smooth tops.

Optional: sprinkle walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.

Bake 20-26 min. or until the tops are dry & the edges start to pull away from sides.

Let cool for 30 min. before removing from pan. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seen too moist – that’s the point.

Store in airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.

The Producers

We spent our first free saturday visiting a couple orchards in the area and picking blueberries and peaches.  We've both been amazed at the number of small local orchards and farms and how much fresh, locally-grown produce is available.  As well as how cheap it is to get it!  Both the blueberries and peaches were only $1.75 a pound (if you were willing to pick them yourself).  We filled up two bags of each and spent the afternoon peeling and pitting peaches so we could freeze them for future use.

Southwestern Veggie Burger

This is a veggie burger I came up with over the summer while living in Salt Lake.  It's sloppy, gooey, and even juicy; like a good burger should be.  Yet, somehow it's also vegan.  Yum!

Ingredients:

1          Morningstar Spicy Black Bean Veggie Patty

1          Non-Dairy Cheese Single - pepper jack flavor

1/4       Yellow Onion - sliced

1/2       Anaheim Green Chili Pepper

2 oz     Guacamole

1/8       Tomato - sliced
1/2 c    Green Leaf Lettuce - Chopped

1          Whole Wheat Roll

Additional Condiments (ketchup, mustard, veganaisse, etc...)

Directions:

- Roast green chili by cutting it in half length wise, placing halves skin up on a cookie sheet and broil on the top rack of oven on high until skin is blackened and blistered.  Remove chilis and place in ziploc bag and let sit for 10 minutes.  Remove skins from chilis and discard.  Chop the chilis and set aside.

- Sautee onions in olive oil until they start to brown.  Set aside

- Grill veggie patties, add cheese a few minutes before removing from heat.

- Assemble burgers and enjoy!

Serves 1

Rating: 5/5 sleeve tattoos

Veggie Stir Fry

Stir fry is pretty straightforward, so this post is less instructive and more just about providing yet another idea of something that could be eaten as part of a plant-based diet.

Ingredients:
2 c         Brown Rice - cooked
14 oz     Assorted Vegetables (we used red onion, green peppers, red peppers, broccoli, snap peas, and water chestnusts)
1 c         Teriyaki Sauce

Directions:
- Cook brown rice and set aside.
- Sautee vegetables in teriyaki sauce for 7-10 minutes
- Serve

Serves 2

Rating: 4/5 Vinyl Records of Songs You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Vegan Lasagna

This is an adaptation on a PETA recipe and it's pretty darn good.  Both Natalie and I couldn't keep saying how it's not good FOR being vegan, it's just plain good.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb      Lasagna Noodles - wheat
20 oz      Spinach - frozen, chopped, thawed and drained
1 lb         Soft Tofu
1 lb         Firm Tofu
1 Tbsp    Sugar
1/4 c       Soy Milk
1/2 tsp    Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp    Lemon Juice
3 tsp       Basil - Fresh, Minced
2 tsp       Salt
4 c          Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp    Olive Oil
14 oz      Veggie Protein - Ground Beef Style
7 oz        Non-Dairy Cheese - Shredded, Mozzarella Flavored

Directions:
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside.
- Place the tofu, sugar, soy milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil, and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Stir in spinach.
- Break up and cook protein with oil in a frying pan for 5-10 minutes.
- Cover the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles (use about 1/3 of the noodles).  Follow with half of the tofu filling and half of the protein.  Continue in the same order, using half of the remaining tomato sauce and noodles and all of the remaining tofu filling and protein.  End with the remaining noodles, covered by the remaining tomato sauce.
- Spread non-dairy cheese on top
- Bake for 25-30 minutes

Makes 6-8 servings

Rating: 5/5 Organic Cotton Knit Hats

Brown Rice and Mango Salsa Wrap

Natalie and I came up with this on the fly while at the grocery store.  It turned out really good and filling, so we thought we'd formalize it into a recipe for sharing.

Ingredients:
1          Wheat Tortilla
1/4       Yellow Onion - chopped
1/4       Tomato
1/4       Lime
1 oz     Guacamole
1/2 c    Brown Rice - cooked
1/3 c    Mango Salsa
1/2 c    Spinach - Fresh
1/8 c    Cilantro - Fresh, minced

Directions: Pretty self explanatory.  The cilantro and lime (just the juice) can either be put in the wrap whole, or mixed in with the rice after cooking it.  Enjoy!

Makes 1 wrap

Rating: 4/5 Ironic Moustaches

Ruffage Fluffing...

What is ruffage fluffing?  We don't know, but we're willing to find out. And this is the place to do it: a compendium of recipes, tips, and topics related to plant based eating.  Are we experts?  No.  Do we know some?  Yes.  And with their input, we are certain this blog can become all that we hope and dream for it: a resource for all aspiring ruffage fluffers out there.