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Chipotle Tamale Pie

For a vegan version top it with a thick layer of chopped avocado or make it vegetarian and top it with grated cheese.

Either way it’s delicious!

GREASE a 9×13 casserole dish.

PREHEAT oven to 425*.

CRUST

Mix together the following ingredients in a medium sauce pan:

  • 2 1/4 cups corn meal
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups almond (or your unsweetened milk of choice
  • 1 teaspoon salt

STIR over medium-high until mixture is thickened, about 6 minutes.

FOLD IN

  • 4 ounces canned diced green chiles

SET ASIDE 2 cups of the cornmeal mixture, cover.

SPREAD remaining cornmeal mixture into baking dish and up sides.

BAKE for 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking prepare the filling.

FILLING

SAUTÉ

  • 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

ADD

  • 3 cups cooked Pinto beans
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chipotle chili powder
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1/3 cup of sliced olives
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Stir until warm through.

Spoon filling into baked cornmeal crust. Spread remaining cornmeal mixture over filling.

BAKE 20 minutes.

VEGAN OPTION:

After baking garnish with 1 cup chopped avocado and 2 tablespoons sliced olives. Serve.

OR

VEGETARIAN OPTION:

After baking, sprinkle with cheese, bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts. Garnish with 2 tablespoons sliced olives. Serve.

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Chick Pea Salad

You can use this scrumptious Chick Pea Salad just as you would a traditional Chicken Salad recipe. I love to use Veganaise instead of regular mayo and if I’m feeling adventurous I throw in a few handfuls of dried cranberries.

  •  2 cans (drained and rinsed) or 4 cups slightly chopped Chick Peas
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2/3 cup salad dressing or one avocado, mashed
  • 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 T.  brown or regular mustard
  • 1/4 t. black pepper
  • 1/4 t. garlic salt

In a mixing bowl combine Chick Peas, celery, green onions, lemon juice, and black pepper.  Stir in Veganaise or mashed avocado, green pepper and mustard.

Cover.  Chilling for an hour or so is recommended, but you don’t have to wait to enjoy this delicious Salad.

Looks beautiful served on a bed of salad greens or sprouts.  Also works great as a sandwich filling.

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A Pesto For All Seasons

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 ½ cups packed basil or parsley
· 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
· 1 teaspoon sea salt
· ¼ cup soaked almonds
· ¾ cup olive oil
· Pepper to taste
· ½ c nutritional yeast flakes or non-dairy Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a blender or food processor, combine the basil or parsley, and garlic.

Add the salt, soaked almonds, and olive oil. Blend to a creamy butter consistency.

Add more oil, if necessary, and pepper to taste.

Finally, add the nutritional yeast flakes. Blend.

Drizzle over steamed pumpkin in the fall, sweet potatoes in the winter, new potatoes and salads in the summer. Makes a great topping for steamed veggies, (onion, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas and much more) any time of the year.

 

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Lentil Stoup

I can’t call it stew and I can’t call it soup. . .so “stoup” it is. You have to say “Stoup” like you are being mysterious, it tastes better that way.

This is SToupER easy!  It’s comforting and just an all around yummy stew/soup for colder weather.

(The following makes a very stewy dinner, if you want it more soupy add another 1-2 cups of water or broth.)

  •  1 cup lentils (sort them first – you don’t want to eat any rocks)
  •  3 cups water or broth – even better
  •  1 onion chopped
  •  2 stalks celery chopped
  •  1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings or basil

Put everything in your favorite soup pot. Stir.
Bring to a boil, then simmer 45 minutes or so.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle with Olive Oil to serve. We like this with garlic bread and a big salad.

Works beautifully in a slow cooker 6-8 hours on low – you will need to add  an extra 1-2 cups of water to keep the right consistancy.

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Honey Mustard Dressing

Sometimes I have eggs in my fridge and sometimes I don’t.  And when I don’t I use flax seeds instead and I’m happy with that. I like to be able to know how to make things without eggs.  I like an egg now and then, but I don’t really ever NEED an egg.  I feel the same way about oils.  I don’t think all oils are bad, but I do think we get more than we need without even trying. So I like to be able to do things WITHOUT oil if I can.

Hence the following recipe.
No oil.
Are you ready?  Have I typed enough yet?
OK, if you’re still here, you have earned this recipe:
HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING:
Place everything in the blender in the following order:
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, in about 1 inch pieces
• 1/3 c. raw cashews (about 2 handfuls)
• ¼ – 1/3 C. Honey (It MUST be honey, it is honey mustard dressing after all)
• 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ – ½ t. garlic powder
• 2 T. Brown mustard
Blend.
Serve over salad or use it as a dip.
(Try dipping broccoli in it.  I LOVE the way the broccoli soaks it up.)
You’re Welcome!  😉
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Muffins are a big hit at our house! I have tweaked and tweaked this recipe to get it just right.  I just mix these up right in my blender, works great!
I hope you enjoy these. All of my kids will eat these and that is sayin’ something!
 INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 T. flax seeds or 2 eggs
  • 1 ¾  cups or one 15 oz. can of pumpkin
  • ¼ cup milk (whatever kind you like, I use soy or almond, sometimes coconut)
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbs agave nectar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 ¼ cups flour (I grind soft white wheat and use that flour)
  • 1 cup Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips (If I’m going to use chocolate, I want the good stuff!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Prepare muffin pans or silicone baking cups by spraying a little oil in the bottom of each cup and then sprinkling a bit of flour on the oil.
(If you use paper cups with these, a good part of your muffin will stick to the paper, my kids got tired of eating the paper, so we started using the oil and flour method.)
Blender
3. (If you are using eggs, then skip this step.) Put the whole flax seeds in the blender and pulse a few times to grind up the flax seeds, then add ¼ cup water.  Pulse a few more times, you want to mix up the water and ground flax, then let it sit while you gather and/or prepare your other ingredients. (See more on using flax seeds as an egg substitute on this post.)
4. Add all other ingredients (but not the chocolate chips) to blender jar in order listed.  Blend. Scrape the sides and blend again. Add chocolate chips and pulse a few times until they’re mixed in. Don’t over mix.  Fill the muffin cups 1/3 to ½ full.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes. Add 5 minutes or so if you double the recipe*.
*If I double the recipe, which I almost always do, I mix the wet ingredients in the blender then add them to the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then mix them together by hand.
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Veggie Fajita Salad

Serves 2-4

So simple, so easy and so delicious!
  • 3 sweet bell peppers (red, orange and yellow) remove seeds and slice
  • 1 yellow onion sliced
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
Sauté in a drizzle of olive oil over medium low to medium heat.
Stir in:
  • 2 cups of black beans
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder
Serve over a bed of greens, with a corn tortilla and salsa. Sprinkle a little grated cheese on top.
Optional, squeeze lime juice on top or use a Chipotle Ranch.