homemade enchilada sauce

Enchilada sauce is one of those things that I never anticipated making. Ever. I have no idea what kind of spices go in it, and I like the canned El Paso stuff just fine, so why would I ever try to make it myself? Well, an ever-shrinking budget and a very expensive speeding ticket have me looking through my cupboards like I'm on Chopped, and who woulda thunk that I had all the ingredients for homemade enchilada sauce just hanging out at home? It was easy, seriously tasty, and probably one of the best things I've made in quite a while!

Homemade enchilada sauce adapted from food.com

Stuff you need: 1. 2 Tablespoons Butter or margarine 2. 3 Tablespoons flour 3. 1 cup tomato sauce 4. 1 cup+ water 5. 2 Tablespoons chili powder 6. a shake of garlic powder 7. something spicy :)

Start by melting your butter in a warm skillet, and then stirring it together with the flour to make a roux kind of thing. Next, stir in your tomato sauce and 1 cup water. I'd start with 1 cup, and then you can add more later depending on how thick you'd like your sauce.

Finally, add in the chili powder, garlic powder, some salt, and something spicy to give it a little kick. Cayenne or diced jalapeño would both be nice. I used red pepper flakes, since that's what I had on hand, it worked just fine.

When everything is incorporated together, let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, and that's it! Your sauce is ready for whatever cooking adventures you have in mind.

It looks like the real thing, right? I used tonight's sauce for a big batch of kidney bean, green onion, and vegan cheese enchiladas, topped with a little avocado and some chopped greens. It was absolutely delicious!

I love everything about this. The flavor was great, it was surprisingly easy to make, and, let's be honest, anything made from scratch is going to be way better than the stuff in the can. Homemade enchilada sauce for the win! :)

smashburger

In order to save money and calories, I very rarely eat out during the weekdays. Today, however, I neglected to pack a lunch, and Julie didn't want her frozen pot pie, so we figured we'd try some new restaurant neither of us had ever been before- Smashburger! I always thought this place was just another burger and fries joint, but I was really excited to find out they also have a meat-free black bean burger!

Julie and I both got the black bean burger- hers with smash fries, and mine with veggie frites, and we both absolutely loved it! The texture is great- soft, mashed beans on the inside, and perfectly grilled on the outside. Some veggie burgers to mush together too many ingredients, but this black bean patty was simple, tasty, and just right.

The veggie frites, while pretty good, were more of a sautéed vegetable stick than a fry. The smash fries were also pretty good, but the haystack onions were totally delicious! Julie and I both snuck some of Greg's fried onion strands and they were super tasty. The veggie frites are definitely the healthy choice, but the haystack onions are definitely the scrumptious one!

I must say this new dining adventure was a total success. If you're in the mood for a fast, delicious, meat-free burger, definitely check out Smashburger. I was pleasantly surprised, and I hope you will be too! :)

southern beans and rice soup with kale

With the temperature dropping and snow falling, it's becoming the perfect weather for warm, comforting dishes, especially soup! Tonight a few of us got together for a bottle of wine, a hot meal, and new episodes of Dexter and Homeland. We grabbed some cheap bread bowls from Whole Foods, and tried out a recipe from Robin Robertson's cookbook 1,000 Vegan Recipes- Southern Style Beans and Rice Soup with Collards.

We replaced the collards with kale, since that's what we had on hand, and added 2 additional cups of liquid to thin out the soup, since it was just a bit thick for our liking. Otherwise, it was a fantastic, hearty soup with great flavors, and healthy ingredients. We served our soup with a big 'ol helping of hot sauce, and I think it really brought out the Southern flare with just the right amount of heat. If you want a healthy, wholesome, yet substantial soup for a cold night, definitely look this one up.

black bean tostadas

I love corn tortillas because they're usually low-calorie, gluten-free, and a really versatile food, but I hate how fragile they are. Every time I make myself a big plate of veggie tacos, I pick the first one up, the bottom breaks, and I've got food explosion all over the place. Ugh.

However, today I decided to solve this problem, and make myself a light, tasty lunch of black bean tostadas. It's like all the delicious-ness of the taco, without the mess.

Stuff you need: 1. Corn tortillas 2. Olive oil 3. Black beans 4. Any toppings of your choice- tomatoes, salsa, cheese, lettuce, etc.

While your oven is preheating to 350, take this time to prepare all your other ingredients- chop lettuce, slice tomatoes, shred cheese, and fix up anything else you've got around the kitchen- I used lettuce, salsa, and veggie green chili on mine. I also measured out 1/2 cup black beans and mushed them up with a fork, refried-beans style.

When the oven is hot, place 2 corn tortillas on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Pop in the oven for 5 minutes, and then flip them over and bake again for another 4. After those 4 minutes, spread the beans on the now-crispy tortillas and pop it back into the oven for another couple minutes, til the black beans are warm.

Pull the sheet out, top with all your sauces and veggies, and plate it up! It's warm, it's crunchy, and it was seriously easy to make.

It was the perfect light lunch, for a day around the house filled with cleaning and projects. Did I mention I'm FUN-employed this week? With all the time in the world, I think I'll be gymming, projecting, and hopefully devouring lots of other great, easy meals like this one.

crockpot curry

Between the office, the gym, and the social life I try to balance, sometimes it's hard to find time to make an exceptional dinner. This, of course, is why I love my crockpot. Whenever life is feeling hectic, I pull out my slow cooker, throw everything in, and come home to fantastic meal after a long day. How great is that?

Last week I decided to make No Hurry Vegetable Curry from Robin Robertson's cookbook Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. I made this same dish sometime last year, but added waaaay too much liquid, and it turned out really soupy. This time around, I stuck to the recipe, and it was simply amazing!

It definitely needed a bit more coconut milk, and a good helping of salt, but otherwise the recipe was perfect as it is. We also substituted broccoli for green beans, but any veggie would be great in this dish. It was a hot, delicious meal, that was ready the minute I walked in the door. It also fed me, my roommate, and Jenna- who took this beautiful photo- and we still had plenty of leftovers for the next day's lunch. If this recipe wasn't a total success, I don't know what is! :)

roasted green chiles 2 ways

You know what I love? Summer produce. Everything is beautiful, in season, and delicious. When I went to the grocery store last night, I was excited to see that green chiles were cheap, so I scooped up a handful of Anaheims, and began to hunt for tasty recipes. After browsing all the great ideas on Central Market, I decided to make my own version of the black bean stuffed bell pepper, and then add a chili cheddar biscuit on the side.

First and foremost. Stop everything you're doing, and roast your peppers! I didn't know this was necessary, but a chat with my mom confirmed that roasting your chiles is the best way to go. Simply plop your peppers onto a baking sheet and let them cook under the broiler approximately 5-10 minutes or until they're brown and blistering. Make sure you flip the chiles half way through to get both sides cooked, and when they're looking browned to perfection, take them out, peel off the skin, and use them up!

You can immediately use them in your recipes, or seal them in a plastic bag for future use. Tonight I did a little bit of both-I used 2 for my dinner, and stored the rest for stew, or burritos, or something else amazing.

For the quick-fix chili cheddar biscuits you need: 1. Bisquick Heart Smart mix 2. Milk- I used rice milk 3. Cheddar cheese 4. Roasted green chiles

I know using Bisquick is like, half cheating, but when you work all day, and want something delicious and fast, then shortcuts are often the answer. Besides. The Box said Heart Smart, so it can't be all bad, can it? :)

Follow the directions on the back of the Bisquick box stirring together the dry mix with your milk product. Add a healthy 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, 1 diced, roasted green chili, and pop those babies in the oven. 9 minutes later you will have yourself 5 soft, moist, cheesy biscuits, with just a slight hint of heat. They were absolutely to die for, but note for next time: more cheese & more chiles. Yummm

For the stuffed bell pepper you need: 1. 1 Bell pepper- I used red 2. Cous cous 3. 1/2 cup black beans 4. Cheddar cheese 5. Your favorite salsa 6. 1/4 diced onion 7. 1 roasted green chili diced

Start off by preparing your cous cous. You can also use rice, or any other grain, but I used cous cous since I had it on hand, and it cooks very quickly. While your grain is cooking, cut off the top of your bell pepper and scoop out anything that's inside. Now chop up your onion and green chili, measure out your cheese, black beans, and salsa, and when the cous cous is ready, mix everything together in a bowl and stuff it inside of your hollowed out bell pepper. You will definitely have lots of extra filling, but you can serve it as a side, or snack on it while your pepper is cooking.

Place the stuffed bell pepper into a baking dish with about 1/4 inch of water in the bottom, and put it into a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes. The recipe I based mine off of said 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, but just check on it occasionally, and when the pepper is soft and the stuffing is heated through, you're good to dig in!

Biscuits and stuffed peppers? A slightly strange combination, but both fantastic uses for my roasted green chili peppers. The slight hint of spicy heat in both recipes was perfection. I think my first time roasting peppers was incredibly successful, and now I can't wait to try my roasted green chiles in all sorts of new recipes! Yayy!

wrap week

I try to pack my lunch as often as possible, both to save money and calories, and sometimes I feel like I'm just eating the same old stuff day in and day out. Last week, I thought I'd give myself a fun theme, and pack my lunch everyday accordingly. Thus, last week became wrap week! Each lunch had to include a whole what tortilla stuffed with something new and delicious, and it was a total success.

Monday: Whole wheat tortilla with spicy brown mustard, cucumbers, spinach & avocado
Tuesday: Whole wheat tortilla with broccoli slaw & a Boca spicy chik'n patty
Wednesday: Whole wheat tortilla with BBQ tempeh & BBQ onions and bell peppers
Thursday: Whole wheat tortilla with kale, rice, tomatoes, feta cheese & black beans
Friday: Whole wheat tortilla with pesto, spinach, tomatoes and zucchini slices

Look at that! 5 fabulous wraps over a course of 5 days. By creatively mixing my leftovers with the staples in my fridge, I managed to make a handful of really different, and delicious meals on a small budget- what a great challenge! Also, all the fillings were super tasty, and would be equally great stuffed in a bagel, pita, or sandwich of some kind. I must say, it was an excellent wrap week, indeed :)

slow cooked black beans

As of recently, I've decided to start tracking my eating habits through Live Strong. They have a feature called MyPlate, and it allows you to see exactly what you're eating- how many calories, nutritional breakdown, etc, etc. While this is probably a bad thing, since I now count every morsel of food that enters my body, it has also been incredibly eye-opening. Among other things, I never knew how much sodium I ingested!

I come from a family with high blood pressure and cholesterol, which is partially one of the reasons I stopped eating meat in the first place. I always thought my newfound vegetarianism was so healthy, but I was surprised to find out, that some things I thought were so great, were secretly not. Did you know that 1 serving (1/4 cup) of Newman's Own Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce has 620 mg of sodium? That's like, 40% of my recommended daily intake!

Moral of the story, is that after looking at a whole lot of nutritional totals, I've decided to take some steps toward better eating and healthier living. From this day forth, I will no longer have canned beans in my household. 1 half cup of canned beans contained 390 mg of sodium! In the long run, I'm sure that's not so bad for me, but if I take enough baby steps, I think it will really pay off in the end.

Stuff you need: 1. Bag of dried beans 2. Water 3. A crockpot

Before going to bed, take that bag of beans, pour them into a large bowl, and fill the bowl with enough water to cover the beans by a few inches. Now let them sit overnight. In the morning, drain the beans of last night's water, and place them into the slow cooker. Cover the beans with water- I used 7 cups-, turn the crockpot onto low, and now get to the office! When you come home 8-12 hours later, you'll be rewarded with home-cooked beans out the wazoo!

This one bag made around 8 cups of prepared beans! I used a little for dinner tonight, and then divided the rest into 1 cup portions, and stuck them in the freezer for future use. Home-cooked beans are healthier and cheaper for you, and I love the feeling of accomplishment I get from doing something really good for my body. I think my next step in sodium reduction will be eliminating prepared tomato sauce, but for tonight, I couldn't be happier with my beans :)

enchilada lasagna

I've been meaning to try this recipe out for a while now, but life keeps taking me out to dinner or requesting a movie night with friends, so finally, after much ado, I had a chance to try out my ingenious enchilada lasagna. I've seen tons recipes for enchilada casserole, and I love the concept. So, tonight I winged this one, and made up my very own version.

Stuff you need: Corn tortillas- although, I 'spose wheat would work too 2. 1 can enchilada sauce 3. 1 onion 4. 1 can black beans 5. cheese of some sort (optional) 6. Your fave spices

Start by preheating your oven to around 350. My ghetto oven doesn't have an "I'm preheated alarm", so I turn on the oven while I prep, and then throw everything in and hope for the best. While the oven is preheating, open and drain your can of beans. Chop up your onion, and add that and the beans to a good sized bowl for mixing. Add your favorite spices (I like garlic salt and cumin) and mix everything together.

Pull out a small baking dish, and pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan- just enough to cover the entire base. Then cut 2 tortillas in half so they fit flush against all 4 sides of the dish. You will put each half on one side of the pan, and then one whole tortilla goes in the middle. Thus, each layer of the casserole will use 3 tortillas total.

On top of the tortilla layer, put more enchilada sauce. Then top that with the bean/onion mixture, and cheese if you're using it- I only had a little cheese, but more cheese and tomatoes would have both been a fine addition :)

Keep layering your casserole in this fashion until the pan is full or you're out of ingredients. Sauce. Tortillas. Sauce. Filler. Sauce. Tortillas. Sauce... etc. etc. etc.

Finally, throw everything in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through. Cut your portions, and serve it up with some chopped lettuce and your favorite salsa on the side.

For my first attempt, this was a total success. The flavors were great, and it was just what I had been hoping for. Next time, I think I'll definitely add more cheese, sauté my onions before assembly, add fresh tomatoes to the filler, and cook it with foil on top, instead of just bare. Try your own alterations to make this dish your own too! After a few more tweaks, this will definitely be a winning recipe :)

chili

After a surprisingly cold and snowy Sunday, nothing hit the spot more than a big bowl of vegetarian chili with some of my best friends. Not just this, but my omnivorous companions, made sure to make it meat-free for me. Aww I love those guys! So straight from Chef Michael's kitchen, here is his version of veggie chili.

Stuff you need: 1. 2 cans diced tomatoes 2. 1 can kidney beans 3. 1 can black beans 4. 1 can chili beans 5. 1 can corn 6. 1 onion 6. a few bell peppers 7. your choice of faux meat 8. chili powder or a chili spices seasoning packet

First and foremost, chop up your onion and bell pepper, and sauté them in a little olive oil, until they're starting to get tender. You can do this in your giant soup pot or in a separate skillet- your choice. When your veggies are starting to get soft, throw everything else into the pot. That's right. The beans, the corn, the spices, and the fake meat. Plop it all in there!

Last night, Michael used Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style, which was delicious, but we both agree that we prefer Boca ground crumbles in our veg chili- highly recommend you try that version too.

After everything is combined in the soup pot, throw the lid on, turn the heat to low, and let it simmer as long as you can fight off the urge to devour it on the spot- the longer the better :)

When we could take it no longer, the three of us dug in and devoured! I've found a lot of meat-free chili recipes, but I must say that Michael's is one of my favorite. It's simple, hearty, and always ends up tasty. Great company. Great food. Thanks Michael!

apocalypse enchiladas

For those of you enjoying weather in the positive digits today, I am jealous. Denver had a high of -1 this afternoon, and the rest of the day has been impossibly frigid. This is why when my roommate and I got home tonight, neither of us wanted to leave the house to get dinner. So we looked around the kitchen, gathered what ingredients we could find, and put together a Mexican feast- we refused to leave the house to buy real items, so the strange recipe we created felt like we were scraping the bottom of our supplies during some kind of global disaster. Thus, our apocalypse enchiladas :)

Stuff you need: 1. Some kind of enchilada sauce 2. some kind of tortilla 3. some kind of filler

Tonight, our kitchen yielded 5 corn tortillas, chili beans, half a red onion, a bag of Frontera green chili enchilada sauce, and some leftover Daiya vegan cheese (from my breakfast burritos, which I must say, have grown on me).

While the oven is preheating to 350, combine the chopped onion, chili beans, and cheese in a bowl with some garlic salt and cumin for the enchilada filler. When the oven is ready, put a enough sauce in a baking dish to cover the bottom, and nuke the tortillas in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Take the tortillas out one at a time, fill them with the bean mixture, toll them up nice and tight, and place them in the baking dish til it's full. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce, and then sprinkle on some cheese to top it off.

Cook up the concoction for about 15 minutes, until it's bubbly and warmed through.

Look at that! A delicious meal created from what we found in the pantry. As long as you have some kind of sauce and tortilla on hand- green, red, flour, corn- you can really be creative with this dish. Any kind of cheese will do, and your filler could be any assortment of vegetables and/or beans and/or whatever your cupboard's hiding! Let me tell you, when the apocalypse rolls around, you're gonna want to be dining with us :)

hearty vegetable crockpot soup

You know what I love about slow cooker meals? They're easy to make, the food simmers all day for a soupy deliciousness, and when you come home from your first Monday back at the office, there's a hot, AMAZING meal waiting for you. I've made this recipe a few times before, but I think that this is the best one so far.

The recipe inspiration is from Robin Robertson's book Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker (one of my favorite cookbooks from my vegan idol). I used a couple of recipes for the basis, but added my own twists too.

Stuff you need: 1. 6 cups vegetable stock (I only had 4, so I used water for the other 2, and it was still great) 2. 2 cloves garlic 3. Lots of veggies all chopped- I had on hand onion, celery, carrot, potato, yellow squash, and zucchini 4. 1 can chickpeas 5. 1 can diced tomatoes 6. About a cup or so ditalini or other small soup noodle

After you're out of the shower, just before work, turn on your crockpot and throw in the garlic, onion, carrot, and celery to let them soften up while you dry your hair. Just before you run out the door, throw in the rest of your chopped vegetables, the can of chickpeas, the can of diced tomatoes, the 6 cups of vegetable stock/water, and a little salt and pepper for good measure.

Now go to work, go shopping, or do something fun for the next 8-ish hours and leave your crockpot on the low setting. When you get home, throw in some raw ditalini noodles and let cook an extra 45-ish minutes, or until it's to your desired tenderness. Season with more salt, pepper, garlic salt, or whatever else you think it needs- I used poultry seasoning, and I really liked the outcome.

Finally, serve it up! After 3 heaping bowls of soup between me, my boyfriend, and my roommate, there was still PLENTY for lunch leftovers today, and the rest of the week (see it still looks tasty day 2 in my tupperware!)

Next time: Maybe 2 cans of diced tomatoes instead of 1, and for a less intensely-hearty soup, I would pick potatoes OR ditalini, but not both. So far, this is definitely my best slow cooker meal yet! I'm proud :)