Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

I can't say enough about this pie.  It's so good! Way back in 1997, when I first started thinking about becoming vegetarian, I found this recipe in Cooking Light. I subscribed to that magazine for years and found many, many, tasty and easy recipes that I could use at home.  Some recipes are good, but so troublesome to make that I just give up and don't make them.  And while this one takes a little more prep than usual, it's well worth it.
The other great thing about this recipe, is that everybody else liked it too.  Back in those days I used to do a meatless meal once or twice a week.  I feel so much better eating non-meat proteins. But that's not me trying to be preachy.  Eat what you like--just eat moderately--whatever it is!

It took me about 10 years to gradually make the leap to vegetarian, but I'm glad I did.

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded Anaheim chopped green chilies, drained (I've been using jalapenos that I keep frozen in a large plastic bag. Don't chop them or anything--just pop them in the freezer whole. They keep well.  Be sure to wear gloves to chop hot peppers and don't rub your eyes.)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups no-salt added tomato juice (Today I didn't have tomato juice so I put some leftover sun-dried tomatoes in the blender and added vegetable broth enough to make two cups. The flavor of the sauce was fantastic.)
• 2-15 ounce cans black beans, drained
• 2-15 ounce cans cannellini or other white bean well-drained. Or other white bean.
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
• cooking spray
• 7- 8 inch flour tortillas
• Cilantro sprigs

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add bell peppers, onion, and next five ingredients (onion through cumin); saute 5 minutes or until tender.  Add juice; cook 8 minutes or until reduced to 2 1/2 cups.
2. Combine black beans and half of tomato juice mixture in a bowl; stir well.  Stir cannellini beans into remaining tomato juice mixture.  Set both aside.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. Combine cheeses in a bowl.  Toss well.
5. Line a 9-inch pie plate with foil.  NEWS FLASH: THE FIRST TIME I TRIED THIS I USED A PIE PLATE.  THE PLATE JUST ISN'T BIG ENOUGH.  I USE A 12-INCH CAST IRON SKILLET.  IT WORKS PERFECTLY.  Using heavy duty aluminum foil, tear off pieces big enough that you'll be able to wrap and seal.  You should have two pieces of foil, forming a cross, so to speak, and fitted lightly into the pan. Lightly spray all surfaces of foil with cooking oil.
6. Place one tortilla in bottom of pan.  Spread 1 cup of cannellini beans over tortilla.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese mixture.  Place one tortilla over cheese, pressing gently.  Spread 1 cup black bean mixture over tortilla; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese.  Continue in this order, pressing lightly after each layer.  End with black beans and cheese.
7. Bring up edges of foil and fold to seal.  There should be no tortilla or mixture exposed.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven, and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
8. Remove foil packet from pan and unwrap pie.  Slide onto a serving plate and cut into wedges.  Garnish with more cilantro if desired.

8 servings (1 wedge equals a serving)

Nutritional Info: 423 calories (23% from fat); fat 11 g; protein 24.5 g; carbs 59.3 g; fiber 7.4 g; chol 18 g; iron 5 g;sodium 758 mg; calc 353 mg

You can cut fat and cholesterol by using less cheese or faux cheese (I happen to like half faux and half regular--I can't abide that reduced fat stuff).  You can also cut sodium by using unsalted beans.

Addicting Tempeh "Chicken" Salad

You won't believe how good this salad is.  Especially if you are yearning for some old fashioned chicken salad like granny used to make.  My grandmother made the BEST chicken salad anywhere.  I still make it on occasion for gatherings.  But for a healthier option at home, this is what I like. My husband can't make up his mind. Today he had seconds, but said, "it's not chicken salad."  I venture to say you can't tell the difference.  Thank you Carrie Price for getting me the Cookin' Southern Vegetarian Style, by  Ann Jackson.  This is your go-to recipe book if you are craving flavors from your childhood!

Addicting Tempeh "Chicken" Salad
From:  Cookin' Southern Vegetarian Style
By:  Ann Jackson
My notes in bold.

Yield:  4-6 servings (unless you eat it all up like I do.)

Important note:  You can purchase tempeh at most grocery stores these days.  Tempeh should be cooked before you use it in a recipe.  I steam mine in a rice cooker when I cook rice, but it can also be boiled or steamed on the stove.

• 1-8 ounce package tempeh
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise (To make it vegan, use Vegenaise.  I use 3/4 cup because I like it that way!)
• 1/2 large onion, half grated, half chopped (I just chop mine.)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery (Not to finely.  You can also add celery see if desired.)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (This is not the same as yeast for bread.  Bob's Red Mill makes a good nutritional yeast.)
•  1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) I like a little salt on this.
• Black pepper to taste

 Steam tempeh lightly for about 25 minutes.  Chop into chunks and put into a bowl.  Add the other ingredients.  Mix.  Refrigerate and serve.  You can eat it in a sandwich, or on top of a tomato.

An Apple Pie in a Tortilla

SXM Strudel

This recipe comes from The Everyday Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon.  Yes, it's my favorite cookbook right now.  What I like most about it is that the recipes are easy, tasty, and healthy.  So, other than the fact that I need to learn how to wrap a tortilla, it turned out very well.  Both my husband and I loved it, and my daughter-in-law requested the recipe.  So here goes.  Enjoy.

SXM Strudel

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon  brown sugar

dash of ground cinnamon

1 whole wheat tortilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Toss the apples in a mixing bowl with sugar and several dashes of cinnamon, until the apple slices are well-coated.
3. If you want the ooey-gooey, apple-pie filling,  you'll need to pan-fry the apples while your oven preheats (otherwise, put raw apples straight in the tortillas as directed in # 4).  Line a skillet with a thin layer of water and saute apples over high heat until they start to soften and the water has cooked off.  About 4 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and quickly microwave your tortilla for 5 to 15 seconds, so that it's soft and pliable (perhaps longer if you kept it in the fridge, but it shouldn't be longer than 20 to 30 seconds).
5. Spoon the apples into the center of the tortilla, setting a few slices aside, then roll up the tortilla like a burrito.
6. Place it, crease side down on the baking sheet with a few apple slices over the top.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy, but not burned, or bake for less time if you still want it to be soft.

 

Any one who knows me, knows that I didn't make just one.  I must have quadrupled!  But they refrigerate well, and Mike and I had them for breakfast on days 2 and 3.

 

 Nutritional Info:  182 calories, 1 gram fat, 44.9 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 27.9 grams sugars, 1.9 grams protein

Chefs Note:  For a more decadent treat, combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of nondairy milk to form a thick glaze.  Adjust milk as necessary.  Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle it over the warm strudel.

And here's an idea:  Why not use a tortilla as a pie crust?  I haven't tried it yet, but I think it would work great as a single crust pie.

How to Fold a Burrito--I should have watched this first!

 

 

 

 

 

Butter Bean Cookies

Butter Bean Cookies

Butter Bean Cookies
From:  Everyday Happy Herbivore
By:  Lindsay S. Nixon

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt (optional) I didn't use!
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of ground cardamom (optional) I did use.
• 1-15 oz. can white beans, drained and unrinsed, reserving all the liquid
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips   As I didn't have vegan chips on hand, I used regular chocolate chips.

 To prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a large cookie sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside.  I used parchment paper.
2. Place 3/4 cups of the oats in a blender or food processor and pulse, about 15 times, until crumbly.  Don't let it get like flour. I used food processor.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Whisk to incorporate and set aside.
4. Place 1/2 cup of beans in food processor or blender and add applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved bean liquid.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into dry mixture and stir about 10 times. Again, I used a food processor.  And really, only stir about 10 times.  It won't be mixed together yet, but it will come along nicely in a minute.
5.  Add chocolate chips, remaining 1/4 cup of oats, and the rest of the reserved bean liquid, stirring until well blended. It should take on the consistency of cookie dough! If too wet, add more oats, if too dry, add a little water.
6. Drop tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, leaving an inch between cookies.  Flatten slightly.  They should look more like cookies than balls. This was just like putting regular cookies on a cookie sheet.  I just took the back of the spoon and flattened a little.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are just turning light brown and middles are firm.  The bottoms should become golden brown.  The cookies will firm a bit as they cool.  15 minutes was right-on for my oven.  I removed from parchment as soon as I took them out of the oven and allowed to cool on a cookie rack.  The flavor, texture, and aroma, would not give this away as a healthy cookie.

Nutritional Information: (1 cookie)
 61 calories, 0.7 grams fat, 12.4 grams carbohydrates, 1.4 grams fiber, 5.2 grams sugars, 1.3 grams protein

How to Use Over-Ripe Bananas

I love smoothies.  I first had one when I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Buchanan, West Virginia.  We were the only guests that weekend and the chef took a lot of time preparing our breakfasts and lunches.  The only problem with smoothies is that most are high in calories.  This smoothie, from Everyday Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon, is absolutely amazing.  Smooth and rich, my husband Michael said, "It can't be healthy, it's too good."  It comes in at 334 calories, which is still nothing to snicker at, but as smoothies go, on the light side.  It's also a great way to use up those bananas that ripen a bit too quickly.  Just peel, and pop into a zip lock baggie and put in the freezer.  Then when you're ready to rumble, so are your bananas.  Enjoy! (My comments in bold.)

Banana Smoothie

Serves 1 (I often double--my blender handles it just fine.)
Ms. Nixon calls this a "cheater" recipe because it has peanut butter.

2 frozen bananas
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter (I like chunky and I get it from a local store that just grinds the peanuts and adds nothing else.)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I usually add a few tablespoons more for consistency)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth, adding more non-dairy milk as necessary.

Nutritional Information:  334 calories, 10.1 grams fat, 65 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 31.9 grams sugars, 9.1 grams protein

Sorry I don't have a photo, but I'll try to add one later.
 

Apple Fritter Cups or Baked Apple Fritters

Always looking for something healthy in the snack line, I came across this in the Everyday Happy Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon.  I've been very pleased with every recipe I've tried from this cookbook.  My comments are in bold text.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped apple (skin optional)  If it's organic I use the skin.  If not, I peel.
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup light brown or raw sugar
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
dash of ground nutmeg or ground ginger (I used nutmeg this time.)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Basic Glaze (to follow)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Fill muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.  If planning to eat warm, lightly spray papers with oil to prevent sticking.  If you cool, papers will peel off nicely without oil.)
3. Toss 1 cup of chopped apples with a few dashes of cinnamon and a little brown sugar until well coated and set aside.  (This is the topping.)
4. In a small bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, plus a dash of nutmeg or ginger, and stir to combine. Whisk in sugar, then pour in milk mixture.  Add vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup of apples and stir to combine.
5. Spoon into muffin cups, filling just a tad more than halfway.  Add sugar-cinnamon apple topping to each.
6. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  I did 15 minutes, but I have a very hot oven.
7. Meanwhile, make Basic Glaze, substituting1 teaspoon of liquid with 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup (optional).  That's what I did.
8. Drizzle warm fritters with glaze.

Nutritional Information (1 fritter without glaze):  102 calories, 0.4 grams fat, 20.9 grams carbohydrats, 2.4 grams fiber, 5.5 grams sugars, 2.7 grams protein



Basic Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
5 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Combine sugar with non-dairy milk and stir until a glaze forms.  If it's too thick, add more liquid.  If too thin, add more sugar.

Nutritional Information for 1 tablespoon:  61 calories, 0 grams fat, 15.2 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber, 14.9 grams sugars, 0.1 grams protein.

By Request

Seitan And Mushroom Stew
From: The Everything Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook
By: Amy Snyder and Justin Snyder

Ingredients / Serves 4

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced (I always use sweet onions)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup carrots, chopped (this was two regular size carrots)
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)
• 2 cups seitan, cubed (You can used homemade or store bought.  This time I used store bought--Upton Naturals, traditional flavor, 8 ounces)
• 3 cups of your favorite vegetable broth (I made my own)
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used red, and I didn't peel)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon
•  salt1/4 teaspoon pepper (I go light on the salt and heavy on the pepper)

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, add the extra virgin olive oil, onions, and garlic, and saute for 3 minutes.
2. Add the sauteed vegetables and all remaining ingredients to a 4-qt. slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.

 Per serving:  Calories 207 / Fat 7 g / Protein 9 g / Sodium 891 mg / Fiber 9/5 g / Carbohydrates 28.5 g / Sugar 10 g

This is a very flavorful soup. I serve with homemade bread.  Even the hubby who isn't a huge fan of seitan likes it.