Tamale Pie , Vegan Veggilicious

This pictures reminds me so much of the
small rural Minnesota town where I
grew up. No horse carriages or sleighs
in the 1940's, but the rest seems so
familiar I just had to show it.

With Christmas sneaking up on us, most moms I know have swung into overdrive. Even all the grandmas I know, though our overdrive should really be called mini drive because that's how we get around--a mini bit at a time. Even so, nightly dinners that are fast and easy are the name of the game from now until next year because stopping at the nearest fast food chain or ordering up a pizza doesn't work for most vegans. Toward that end, I've been going through my recipe box of family favorites to find those easy hot dishes I could make vegan without giving up taste.

My dresses are shorter and my
hair is gray. Otherwise, glasses and
all, this could be me.

By now you know that I only post recipes that receive my seal of approval and this one does. It's fast, bakes in the oven so there's no standing over a hot stove, and prep work is minimal. By now you also know how much I hate being in the kitchen and always have, so my recipes are generally fast and dirty, taking up almost none of my precious time. After all, there are quilts to finish, knitted scarves to get done, aprons and hot pads that need their bias bindings sewn on, and then there's all that wrapping and mailing looking me in the face.

Phew, just writing it all down makes me tired. I'm going to take a nap.

Back again with the rest of the story. Yesterday I grabbed my decrepit 40 year old recipe box and spent some figuring out which favorite casseroles could be easily veganized. My eyes stopped at Tamale Pie and since the day was chilly, I figured it would be belly warmer. Now I don't always come up with a re-worked recipe winner the first go-around, but this time it worked. I hope it works for you too. Let me know what you think.

TAMALE PIE

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cups of corn, fresh or frozen
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 roasted red pepper, diced (I used jarred)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced, ribs and seeds removed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can refried beans
1 cup water or vegetable stock
1 cup salsa, (I'm addicted to La Victoria)
1 small can sliced black olives
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup vegan cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Add more water or vegetable broth if the mixture is too thick to spread easily.

Put the vegetable oil in a large fry pan.
Add the onion, bell pepper, roasted red pepper and all the spices.

Cook on medium heat until the fresh vegetables are limp. Then add both cans of beans along with the corn, salsa, olives, garlic, stock, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook till all the ingredients are blended. I used my potato masher to make sure everything jammed together quickly. I'm not against helping things along so I can get out of the kitchen quickly. When everything looks homogeneous, turn off the heat, cover the pan and ignore it for now.

Now it's time to make the substitute tamale dough.

Into a bowl put:

1 cup corn meal, (I always use Albers as I think it has the best taste)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Set aside for now.

Into another bowl put:


1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened soy)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Mix together and set aside.

Use your coffee bean grinder to turn 1 Tbs. flaxseed into powder. Move the ground seeds to a bowl and add 1 Tbs. water. Stir together and then set the mixture aside for 5 minutes. This is one of the egg substitutes that works quite well. If you don't have flaxseed, you can substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, but the cornmeal mixture will taste a little sweet.

Pour the flaxseed mixture into the bowl of liquids and mix them together. Now add the dry ingredients in 2 increments. Mix by hand. You will have some lumps. That is normal. Overmixing will make a tough cornbread that even the dog can't chew.

Grease a medium sized casserole dish and pour about half of the cornmeal mixture on the bottom. Spread out thinly. Top that with the bean/vegetable mixture and pat down smoothly.

Spread the vegan cheddar cheese over the top and then pour the remaining cornmeal mixture over that.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes at 350degrees or until the top is a light brown. Let stand a few minutes before cutting into serving pieces.

Serves 4-6 hearty appetites.

While this recipe sounds complicated, it's really quite easy. You will use a lot of bowls but the dishwasher can take care of washing and drying them. Believe me when I say this recipe is fast, for then it must be so. You know how much I hate being in the......well, you know.



Another idea:

If you'd prefer to make this recipe even easier, use a small bag of Frito's as a substitute tamale dough. Lay the bag on the counter and give it a good crush, breaking up the Frito's at least by half. Now pour half of the bag on the bottom of the pan and the rest of the bag atop the whole thing before baking it. I mention SMALL bag as compared to a personal size bag. Personal size simply does not have enough chips to do the job.

You're probably laughing because you think I'm joking!

Yummy Raw Food Tacos

I've been reading about the raw food diet lately and while I don't want everything I eat to be in the raw form, I did come across a recipe that intrigued me. So what the heck? I tweaked it to fit my own palette and gave it a try. Now I do confess that I made the bean and corn part of the recipe the day before and I was really glad I'd done that. The added time with everything sitting together in the refrigerator did a great job at marrying all the ingredients into a happy union.

The day I decided to eat my raw food, all I had to do was fry up my corn tortillas and chop some lettuce and set the taco sauce on the table--along with a few other toppings I thought might fit in with the raw food plan. How easy was that? I had my guests serve themselves and we all agreed, after much lip smacking, that the tacos were a big hit. They were earthy and crunchy and spicy and tangy all at the same time and were the perfect food for a hot summer day.

RAW FOOD TACOS

Into a bowl put:

1 can black beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed up just a bit
1/4 cup salsa of your choice

1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted but not heated
4 green onions, white and green, diced
1 large ripe tomato, small dice
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

The longer it sets, the better it will be but you can serve it immediately if you wish. Allow to come to room temperature if you make it the day before.

Fry or warm 8 corn tortillas. I like mine fried crispy, so that's how I fixed them.

Set bowls on the table so guests can help themselves to:

Lettuce, shredded
Vegan Cheddar cheese, shredded
Vegan sour cream
Mashed avocado drizzled with fresh lime juice
Hot sauce for those who like lip burn

Serves 3-4, allowing 2 tacos per person

Fajita Fiesta--Baby Bella Style

I love fajitas. I especially like ordering them in a restaurant because the food comes to the table on a cast iron plate that sizzles all the way from the kitchen to my table. I know that for sure. I've heard it sizzle time and again.

But woe is me. Now I'm a vegan and sticking to it. Not only has the intestinal disease I've battled for at least 15 years subsided, but I've lost 45 pounds in the process. In addition, my 70+ year-old skin has never looked fresher or dewier. People who have known me for a long time stop and look, then look again, then just plain stare. One of my doctors told me I looked like a whole different person. Another doctor told me that obviously the vegan diet was just what I needed. Acquaintances not only stare but outright ask me what I've done to myself.

When I tell them I've given up eating meat or dairy, they grimace like I've just forced a lemon down their throat. Then they insist they love meat and cheese so much they could never give it up. I just smile. I refuse to argue the points of being vegan. After all, I was an omnivoure all my life till recently. And I'm still not a dedicated vegan, for I wear leather shoes and carry a leather bag. Yet healthwise, I'm in far better shape than I was in my younger years. Last week a long-time friend insisted she would never become vegan because she liked her fried foods and sauces and butter too much. My sister said she liked steak and fish and couldn't even think about going without. My neighbor suggested being vegan was too expensive and she didn't know any vegan recipes anyway.

Now mind you, I'm not the one bringing this vegan business up in conversation. It just happens when I mention that I'm now a plant eater. I'll be honest and say it was hard to make the change. I had no idea how to put a meal together that would satisfy and nourish me. But I learned by scouring the net for vegan blogs and websites and Googling "vegan recipes" till my fingerprints no longer existed. I've learned how to make my own vegan dishes and gotten good enough to create some new ones. All this from a person who really hates to cook. Figure that one out.

As I was saying, I was in the mood for fajitas so I took my favorite chicken fajita recipe and tweaked it. Then I had the nerve to serve it to guests--all without first tasting it myself. By the raves I got, I guess everyone liked it. I know I sure did. Let me know what you think.

My recipe made four overstuffed fajitas. I served home made refried beans alongside and then had to roll into bed because I was too stuffed to walk.

FAJITA FIESTA

Use a resealable plastic bag for the marinade and put into it:

1 pound mushrooms, sliced. I used baby portobellos

2 Tbs. neutral vegetable oil

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Dash of hot sauce, I used Frank's

Salt

Black pepper

Let set for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a large cast iron skillet until it is sizzling hot.

Add 2 Tbs. oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red  bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced--I used a fresh jalapeno

Cook till the vegetables are translucent.

Add the marinade ingredients to the skillet and fry everything together, still at a high heat so you get that sizzle.Stir fry till all the liquid evaporates.

Warm 4 flour tortillas in the oven or the microwave.

Stuff 1/4 of the fajita mix into each tortilla.

Top with chopped cilantro, guacamole, a drizzle of lime, red salsa, vegan sour cream, and vegan yellow cheese, shredded.

As a side, serve refried beans or red rice or a bean/corn salsa. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Tomatillo - Cilantro Salsa

What would rice and beans be without salsa? For that matter, roasted vegetables, a taco, a burrito, an enchillada, a tortilla chip, a taquito....? Salsa is the exclamation point. Salsa is sassy and hot. Salsa can make a bland meal special. Today it's Tomatillo Salsa.

Again I have gone to Fresh Mexico by Marcela Valladolid for the recipe. I modified it just a little. Her's calls for Chicken broth, and I left it out.

Salsa Verde (green sauce)

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved

2 smal onions, quartered

1 serrano chile, halved, stemmed, and seeded

(A serrano, remember is twice as hot as a jalepeno pepper, today my serrano made my eyes water just cutting it in half and seeding it - steaming hot.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

One head garlic, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil

1/2 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Put the tomatillos, onions and serrano chile on a baking sheet, all cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkel generously with salt and pepper. Put the foil wrapped garlic on the same baking sheet.

 Roast for 45 minutes, or until the garlic and vegetables are soft and the edges of the vegetables are beginning to brown. Let cool.

Transfer the tomatillos, onions and serrano chile to a blender. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the garlic cloves from their papery skins into the blender. Puree to a chunky texture. It doesn't take long.

Before serving, fold the avocado and cilantro into the salsa, and season to taste with salt and pepper. You don't have to wait for a meal, just grab a bag of chips and dig in.

Sonsie's Cranberry Salsa

Where Mid North meets South West

A Work in Progress

12 oz Fresh Cranberries, ground

1/2 orange with peel, ground

1 Tbls Jalapeno pepper chopped

2 scallions sliced (2 Tbls)

1 Tbls diced fresh ginger

2 -4 Tbls Watercress

1 - 2 Tbls lime juice

1.5 Tbls agave syrup

salt and pepper to taste

Somewhere in your cupboard you may have a meat grinder. I do. It took some time but I found it and washed it up to make cranberry salsa. I looked at many cranberry salsa recipes and was tempted to copy one until I went shopping. I was at Lassens in Ventura where I found Upland Cress. It's a watercress on steriods. So beautiful, it called out to me, "take me home I'll be great in the cranberry salsa". What could I do? I had to invent my own cranberry salsa to accommodate the super cress. If you don't have Upland Cress in your market, watercress will work.

In the meat grinder, grind the cranberries and the orange. Meat grinder for a vegan salsa. It's poetry.

Chop the jalepeno, the scallions, the ginger. Super Cress has to be chopped. Watercress may not, just pull off the leaves and measure 2-4 Tbls. Add the lime juice, agave syrup, salt and pepper and taste.

My challenge to you. Make a batch. Improve my recipe and let me know about it. It could be a prize winner.

Rooster's Beak

Rooster's Beak - Pico de Gallo

The Story goes that Fresh Salsa is called Pico de Gallo because it was eaten with the thumb and finger(s) pinched together like a rooster's beak. Now who does that? You might try it. Let me know what you think. Do you feel authentic?

Saturday is Farmer' Market day and I needed some fresh tomatoes and peppers. This is my story.

Saturday Morning, crisp and bright.. no it was overcast and damp.

I grabbed my woolen hat and zipped up my jacket and headed out.

I brought my brightest bags. " The better to see you my dear."

Yes, I need tomatoes and peppers, but it's the holidays. In CA the holidays would not be the holidays without tamales. I picked up a dozen for the freezer. It was early so I didn't have to wait in line and tamale man even posed for a picture.

I heard music. It was the local high school band, playing Christmas Carols.

Joyful.

Three laps around the market and I couldn't find peppers. They must be out of season. How can that be? I had tomatoes, tamales, grapes, strawberries, persimmons, apples, lemons, limes, baby spinach and arugula.
On the way back to my car I started searching for my keys. Not in my pockets. I stopped, put down all of my bags and opened my purse. I unzipped every zipper, I unsnapped every snap. NO KEYS. I checked the bags. Then I did it all over again. Well, the bags were heavy and the wind was coming up, I decided to walk toward the car.
There. What was that behind my car? That spot of something. Could it be?

MY KEYS. INDEED.


PICO DE GALLO
I chose Organic Cherry Tomatoes.
They looked like the heirloom tomatoes I grew one year. Not exactly Green. Not exactly Red.
I stemmed and quartered one basket, about 2 cups.
( Keep your tomatoes at room temperature to preserve their flavor.)


I found peppers at my local Albertson's. The little ones are Serrano Peppers. The bigger ones are Jalapenos. What's the difference? Those little guys are TWICE as spicy hot as the Jalapenos.
I decided on the Jalapenos and finely diced up half of one.
No two peppers are alike. Best to be conservative and add more later.
A note. Chop peppers and onions on a separate cutting board. I use a plastic one. When you are cutting up fruit tomorrow, you don't want them to taste like peppers and onions.
Also. Wash your hands after chopping peppers and onions. Touch your lips or your eyes before washing and you will know it.

Cilantro. Not Parsley. But her cousin.
The first time I used Cilantro my daughters told me it smelled like old ladies. It does smell a little like mothballs.
A friend told me the first time she ate cilantro, it was in a burrito. She took the burrito back to the chef and said, "There is something wrong with my burrito. You may have a food poisoning problem here."
I love cilantro. It's not salsa without cilantro.
I pulled the leaves off several stems, chopped it a little and measured out about 1/4 cup.
I love cilantro. You may not. Give it a chance. It will not dominate this salsa.
Salsa is a dance. Spicy. Interesting. Pretty. Her skirt flares up. She kicks her heels.

Scallions. Some recipes use red onion. Some red onion and scallions.
I like scallions.
I thinly sliced 5 up to the green part.
1/8 cup.

Lemons or limes?

Either will do, I like limes.

Get a couple extra for the tequila later.

One lime made about 2 Tablespoons of juice, just right for this batch of salsa.

And there you have it. Pico de Gallo.

A little salt, a little pepper.

taste it

adjust with more jalepeno, more cilantro, more s&p

What to do with it? I've seen Dutchmen spoon it on bread.

It's a dip for chips.

It's a sauce for just about any dish.