Honey Lime Enchilada Casserole

I've recently been on a kick of attempting to re-make some of our old favorite meals.  At the beginning of going "heart healthy" and eating more plant based meals, we thought we'd eat meat only once a week.  Truth be told, I haven't purchased meat in almost 2 years and the only time I eat it is if we're at a friends house and it's in something.

This enchilada recipe was one we said we'd make over and over again even though we'd gone plant-based, but it never happened.  A few weeks ago, I got an itch for that Honey-Lime enchilada sauce and couldn't get it out of my mind.  I just had to figure out how to make the meal plant-based!

So here is what I came up with.  It ended up being a little too spicy for our little guys, but if it weren't for that I think I could easily eat this dish once a week.  Until they're older, I'll be making this for friends when they come over!  I was going to go the traditional route and roll the "stuffing", but it was too wet, so I made it into a casserole.  It worked out perfectly.  You can't taste the tofu at all, and you'll be scraping the plate for one more drop of the sauce.  Believe me, I took a spatula to the baking dish after putting leftovers away, and let me tell ya, I don't think I've seen a cleaner dish enter my sink!

Top these babies with whatever you wish.  I had olives on hand, but avocados or finely chopped lettuce would have been nice.  I served some slightly seasoned brown rice with these along with roasted green beans and a salad.  We were stuffed.

A time note: these are best if the tofu/bean mixture has all day (or even all night!) to sit in the sauce.  It takes all of 5 minutes to prep that part, so I strongly suggest thinking ahead.

Another note: you can combine 3 cups cooked brown rice with the tofu mixture before layering to help soak up all the goodness and have a less "wet" dish.

Don't forget -- Cinco de Mayo is just under a week away!

Honey Lime Enchilada Casserole [almost vegan]
serves 6 hungry men or 8 "regular" servings

• 1 block firm tofu, drained
• 2 cans white beans (cannellini, great northern...) rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1 (heavy) TBLS chili powder
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3 10oz cans green enchilada sauce 
• corn tortillas
• enchilada toppings of your choice: salsa, lettuce, cheese, olives, guac or avocados 

-- Crumble the tofu into a large bowl until it's small chunks.  Add the beans.

-- In a small bowl, combine the honey, lime juice, chili and garlic powders with 2 cups enchilada sauce.  Stir until honey is dissolved.  Pour sauce over tofu/bean mixture and mix. The best thing to do at this point is let this mixture sit in the fridge until you're ready for it (up to a day!)

-- When you're ready, preheat your oven to 350.  While that's heating up, layer the casserole like this:  Start with the rest of the sauce from the opened can (a scant 1/2 cup) and spread it into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.  Next, lay down a layer of corn tortillas (you may have to cut them in half so the flat parts are against the side of the dish).  Next, pour in half the tofu/bean mixture followed by another layer of corn tortillas and the rest of the tofu/bean mixture.  End with a final layer of corn tortillas and an entire can of enchilada sauce (1 1/4 cups).

-- Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes (just enough time to make rice!) until the top begins to brown ever so slightly.  Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

Zucchini Bisque

I got this recipe out of the Forks Over Knives cookbook (a great cookbook, by the way!) and tweaked it a little.  Thankfully, I planned to use it as a small side instead of half of a main dish.  It doesn't make a lot, but what it does make is delicious.

Initially, Scot and I were a little taken back by the lemon flavor, but halfway through our small bowl, we both knew we wanted seconds!

The soup is very light and refreshing.  It would be perfect as a small side or a starter soup.  It's elegant and easy to throw together, and perfect for all the zucchini available in gardens in just a few weeks!  Easier still, if you have an immersion blender!

Zucchini Bisque
serves 6 side dishes

• 1 lg onion, chopped
• 6 cups chopped zucchini, skins on
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 t dry thyme
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 2-3 t lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• salt and pepper to taste

-- In a medium sauce pan, heat some oil and saute the onion until translucent.  7-8 minutes.  (Meanwhile, chop your zucchini)

-- Add the zucchini, broth, spices and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until zucchini is completely soft.

-- Puree until smooth using an immersion blender or VERY CAREFULLY transfer to a traditional blender.

-- Add in the milk and stir to combine.

-- Serve with a turn or two of freshly ground black pepper

Chickpea Salad Wrap

This is going to be a family summer favorite.  It was easy to throw together and I can see it gracing many a picnic dinners.  It's so versatile, too.  Eat it in a pita or a wrap, with crackers or naan, or with just a fork.  The flavors mixed in with the chickpeas were all very reminiscent of the tuna salad sandwiches my mother used to make when I was a kid.  They were, hands down, one of my favorite sandwiches she made.  Always a little mayo and mustard with some sweet relish and raisins.  Mmmmm....made with slightly toasted bread, they were perfection.

Seeing as most all the other components were present in this recipe, I decided to add those raisins in.  They aren't pictured because I didn't decide until after we were all seated at the table, but believe me when I tell you they brought the meal from good to great!  I think craisins would work wonderfully, too!

This recipe is adapted from the recipe here, on Oh She Glows.  Angela just has some of the best recipes, doesn't she?

Serve this with some gazpacho and a green salad.

Chickpea Salad Wrap
serves 4-6 (4 cups total)

• 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained, and slightly mashed in a large bowl
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 packed cup raisins, craisins, or currents
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red or sweet onion
• 1/3 cup sweet relish
• 2-3 TBLS lemon juice (start with 2, taste once salad is done, and add more to liking)
• 2 tsp dijion mustard
• 1 tsp dry dill
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Pitas, whole wheat wraps, naan, crackers...

-- Add celery, raisins, and onion to the large bow with the chickpeas and stir together.

-- In a smaller bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir into the larger bowl and mix until everything is well-coated with the dressing.

-- Eat right then, or (best option!) chill until needed to give the salad time to marinate in all the amazing flavors

Pineapple Black Bean Burrito Filling

I think one of the hardest challenges of eating plant-based is finding main dishes.  That aren't soup, that is.  After 2 years of cooking this way, a "dinner" to me is still a main protein with a starch and a vegetable as a side.  Yes, I'm getting a lot better at adapting, but especially in the cooler months when soup is such a comfort, it's trying at times to find new dishes for us that aren't soup.

For me, soups are just the easiest all-in-all meal to throw together.  I have everything I need in one pot. Add a salad and some bread and there's a full and delicious meal on the table.  I'm sure, if left to myself, I would eat soup every single night.  Thankfully, I have my boys who keep me well-balanced.

When I saw this recipe, I was naturally drawn to it.  It was soup. What's not to like?  In reading the description on the blog, though, I realized I could make this into a burrito filling by just omitting the broth.  Since I'm constantly on the hunt for good and filling main dishes that aren't soup and don't call for meat-look-a-likes or have weird/expensive ingredients, I considered this a find.

We ate this as a burrito filling, but beware, if you don't simmer the mixture until almost all the liquid is gone, you will end up with messy plates.  I realized it would be very easy to serve this over some brown rice.  In that scenario, you wouldn't have to make sure the liquid was simmered off -- in fact, it would be a quicker dinner because you'd really just have to make sure the vegetables were soft enough and the extra liquid would actually be welcome with the rice.

In case you're curious, the pineapple flavor was very subtle.  There was a sweetness to the dish, but I had to tell my husband what he could attribute it to.  All in all, a dish we'll be seeing again, but probably over rice.

No matter how you choose to consume this delicious chili adaptation, just enjoy.  (If you want to enjoy this as a chili or soup, just add broth to desired consistency)

Pineapple Black Bean Burrito Filling
serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (I used a green one, but a red one would have been really pretty)
• 1 lb zucchini or yellow squash, diced
• 4 t minced garlic
• 2 t mild chili powder
• 2 t oregano
• 1 t cumin
• hot sauce if you want it for a kick (opt)
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• whole wheat tortillas OR 3 cups brown rice

-- In a large skillet, heat some oil and saute the onion, pepper, zucchini/squash, and garlic 10 minutes until the zucchini/squash has started to soften and the onions are translucent.

-- Add the spices and saute for 2-3 minutes

-- Add the beans, tomatoes, and pineapple and simmer 10 minutes (for burrito filling) until the liquid has all simmered off, or just heat through (if using rice).  

-- Season with salt and pepper!

Oatmeal Cookies [vegan]

A couple weeks ago it was cold.  It was more than just cold, really.  The snow was falling heavily, and if it had been December I'm sure I would have been overjoyed.  Seeing as it's not December, I needed a little something in the afternoon to make the day seem a little more fun than the gray skies looked.

Growing up, I loved afternoons when my mom would have fresh cookies and tea out for my brother and me after school.  While my boys aren't school-aged yet, they do take naps still.  On this particular day I had cookies, hot out of the oven, waiting for them when they woke up.  Is there anything better on a snowy day?

These totally vegan cookies were amazing.  Slightly crispy on the outside and still soft and chewy on the inside.  If I had used chocolate chips, I don't think there would have been as many for the boys.  I will say, though, the next time I make these with raisins, I'll use almond butter for the more muted flavor, but if I use chocolate chips, I'm sticking with peanut butter.  The batter was so good, too!  And since the boys were napping when I made these, I didn't have to share the spoon or the bowl!

Oatmeal Cookies
makes 1 1/2 doz

• 1/3 cup smooth peanut or almond butter
• 2 T canola oil
• 1/3 cup almond or soy milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2-3/4 cup raisins, craisins, or chocolate chips

-- Cream together the nut butter, oil, milk, sugars, and vanilla until very smooth

-- In a smaller bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Slowly stir into bowl with wet ingredients.

-- Stir in raisins or chocolate chips.

-- Drop in spoonfuls onto non-stick mat (silpat) or parchment paper lined cookie sheet

-- Bake for 10 minutes at 400 (until lightly brown)

note: you may want to very slightly flatten. they do spread out a little, but not a whole lot.  to avoid a totally gooey middle, flatten just slightly. 

4 Weeks of SUMMER Dinner Meal Plans

WEEK 1

• Black Bean Burgers or either of these(1 or 2) with baked sweet potatoes, or fries, and sweet and sour slaw
• Curried Chickpea Mash  with naan or tortillas and a green salad/cut veggies, and a good tabbouleh 
• Sweet Potato Tacos or Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad (in a wrap) with a spinach salad
• Thai Pineapple Curry with a small side salad
• Quinoa Black Bean Salad with grilled asparagus (or other green veggies) and gazpacho 

WEEK 2 

• Lentil Tacos with all the normal taco toppings, chips & salsa, and cut veggies or sweet potatoes 
• Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad (make extra quinoa for sweet potato hash) with a hearty green salad
• Caribbean Black Beans with Mango Salsa with a hearty green salad
• Sweet Potato Hash with cucumber tomato salad
• Cold Lentil Salad over barley with a spinach salad and/or gazpacho

WEEK 3

• Falafel Burgers with Carrot Raisin Salad (or sweet and sour slaw) and grilled zucchini or salad
• Avocado Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas in a pita (if desired) with baked sweet potatoes
• Veggie Lo Mein, chilled if desired, with a side salad 
• Black Bean and Rice Skillet Dinner (in a wrap) with broccoli on the side
• Black Rice & Lentil Salad with a hearty green salad, and any leftover sweet potatoes

WEEK 4

• Simple Corn and Bean Burritos with sauteed zucchini and carrots
• Chickpea Medley over Barley with Tomato Basil Avocado Soup 
• Lentils with Italian Tomatoes and Spinach with baked sweet potatoes and a small side salad
• Quinoa Burrito Bowl with a salad, if desired
• Peanut Yum Sauce (with vegetables and rice) with a small salad, if needed

4 Weeks of SPRING Dinner Meal Plans

4 Weeks of Spring Dinner Meal Plans

Week 1

• Orange Vegetable Soup with a green salad and hearty bread
• Sweet and Sour Edamame Stirfry with steamed green beans
• Inside Out Stuffed Shells with a hearty green salad
• Red Lentil Dahl with kale wilted in, if desired. Steamed carrots and broccoli on side.
• Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Kale Quesadilla with Zucchini Bisque on the side, or other green veggie.

Week 2

• WF's White Bean & Kale Soup with hearty bread
• Cumin Rice with Eggplant and Peas with hummus and veggies
• Zucchini Quinoa Casserole with green beans or broccoli
• Lentil Pasta Sauce  over pasta or Polenta with a hearty salad
• Turkish Red Lentil Soup with naan and a hearty green salad 

Week 3

• Minestrone Soup with Quinoa with some bread and a small salad (if desired)
• Sweet and Spicy Black Beans treated like a burrito bowl with all sorts of cut vegetables for "toppings".  Avocado, chopped spinach, celery, carrots, scallions, cilantro, etc..
• Split Pea Soup with hearty bread and a hearty green salad
• Skillet "Stuffed" Peppers with baked sweet potatoes and broccoli 
• Thai Wraps with creamy spinach soup or other green vegetable/salad

Week 4

• Chickpea Soup with Pesto with a small salad and some bread
• Curried Red Kidney Beans over brown rice with green beans
• Southwest Quinoa Bake with creamy sweet potato soup (simple version)
• Shepard's Pie with creamy sweet potato soup (simple version)
• Peanut and Broccoli Pasta with edamame mixed in or on the side, small side salad