July 16, 2012July 16, 2012 by betsy

Cajun Red Bean Quesadillas with Remoulade Sauce and Praline Pecans

[Photo Note: Yea! As promised I purchased a new camera yesterday, and I’m enjoying familiarizing myself with my brand new Nikon CoolPix S6200. At right is the first photo I took with it…what do you think? I love the white balance feature for starters. So crisp and clean…not blue or yellow.]

I may have mentioned that I was weened on the New Orleans French Quarter. My parents honeymooned in NOLA, as did my husband and me. In between, my folks took my sister and me as often as possible for long weekends when we were growing up. In more recent years, we have enjoyed spending several days there just before Christmas, one of the most temperate times of year in the Quarter. Food has always been one of the biggest draws.

Last week I was with my parents at Ochsner’s Hospital for some surgery my father needed. The hospital is in Metairie, a few minutes from the Quarter, so I didn’t make it there. But the hospital overlooks the Mississippi River where I walked on the bike/jogging path along the levy. Since most of my meals at the hospital consisted of hummus, salads, and/or Boca burgers, I came home craving a taste of one of my favorite places on earth. In response, I created this dish.

This recipe combines my love of Cajun/Creole cuisine with that of my native Texas in the form of a crunchy quesadilla.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Remoulade Sauce:

1/4 cup vegan mayo

2 teaspoons catchup

1 teaspoon Dijon or just plain yellow mustard

1-2 tablespoons roughly chopped drained capers (I love capers, but they can quickly overwhelm; so make sauce ahead with just 1 tablespoon, taste when you’re ready to serve, and add another tablespoon if desired)

In a small bowl or cup, completely combine all ingredients, cover, and chill until ready to serve.

Praline Pecans:

1 tablespoon vegan butter

1 cup pecan pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika or to taste

Sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon natural sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water

optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt vegan butter. Add paprika and salt, and stir constantly for a minute or two. Add dissolved sugar and toast, stirring for another couple of minutes or just one minute if including nutritional yeast. If incorporating the nutritional yeast, add and continue toasting and stirring for another minute or until pecans are lightly toasted. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent overcooking pecans.

Quesadilla Filling:

2-15.5 ounce cans red beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup red onion cut into 1/4-inch dice (if you’re not a fan of the “bite” from raw onion, just soak the diced onion in unsweetened soymilk for 15-20 minutes, rinse and drain)

1 cup yellow or orange bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup vegan mayo

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or to taste

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or marjoram

Optional: pinch of garlic powder (you may want to add if your brand of cajun seasoning doesn’t included granulated garlic or garlic powder)

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients.

To Make Quesadillas:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons vegan butter, divided

4-8 inch whole wheat tortillas

Garnish: 4 sprigs fresh basil, marjoram, or oregano

In a large cast iron skillet, heat/melt 1 tablespoon each olive oil and vegan butter over medium-high. Spoon 1/4 each of the filling over half of two of the tortillas. Fold remaining halves over, and place both into the skillet. Cook for a couple or until golden brown and toasted. Flip and cook another couple of minutes on reverse. Remove to serving plates and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Garnish each with 1/4 of the Remoulade Sauce and 1/4 of the Praline Pecans. Note: I like to cut each quesadilla in half, overlap them slightly on the serving plates, garnish and serve.

May 2, 2012May 5, 2012 by betsy

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo: Spicy Homemade Vegan Chipotle Peanut Butter a la Casa Luna

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — View from our bedroom window, Casa Luna Bed & Breakfast, San Miguel Allende

When we were in San Miguel Allende, Mexico, recently for our friends’ art gallery opening over Spring Break (how lucky was that timing!) we stayed at the beautiful Casa Luna Bed & Breakfast.

Each morning, we were served the most delicious marmalades with our fruit, frijoles negro, bread, fresh squeezed oranged juice, coffee/tea, and Joe’s huevos. Pineapple and Nopales (cactus) was a favorite, as was Tamarind Chipotle. When I learned that the hotel sells them, in addition to a not-too-firey jalapeno marmalade, and a spicy homemade peanut butter–and were making them fresh while we were there–I thought that all four would make a delightful host gift, along with a copy of The Blooming Platter Cookbook. And they did, delivered still warm from the canning process! Mmm…

Wanting to replicate at least one of them, but not having a lot of time to slice mountains of jalapenos or engage in old-fashioned canning, I decided to try the peanut butter. When an internet search turned up no recipes, I just winged it. Casa Luna’s finished product had a rich flavor without a biting heat, which I rightly or wrongly attributed to reconstituted dried chilies. Though Casa Luna’s peanut butter didn’t have a smoky flavor, I love chipotles–smoked jalapenos–so I decided to use them, picking up a bag at a local tiende.

Carmen, at Casa Luna, had shared that the list of ingredients was really simple: peanuts, oil, chilies. So I simply guessed at the proportions, starting with just one chili and adding additional ones, one at a time, until I was satisfied with the flavor and heat, deciding at the last minute to drizzle in a couple of teaspoons of the water in which the chilies were reconstituted for a little more smoky intensity.

It may seem a little odd to add both natural sugar and salt, so feel free to omit the sugar, but I felt that the two together achieved a nice balance. The only other ingredient I toyed with adding is a hint of lime zest, but I haven’t yet decided, as the peanut butter is delicious as is. And its beautiful earthy color is irresistable.

Enjoy as you would any peanut butter–only maybe not on your child’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich–or consider swirling some into both Mexican/Southwestern and Thai sauces. I hope you’ll try it and share what you do with it!

4 dried chipotle chilies stems removed

Boiling water

12 ounces of roasted and lightly salted peanuts

1/4 cup canola oil (or peanut oil)

1 tablespoon natural sugar (optional)

2 teaspoons water that chilies were soaked in

Sea salt to taste

Slit chilies lengthwise and remove and discard seeds. Place chilies in a small non-reactive bowl and cover with boiling water. (I don’t measure; I just boil whatever is left in our kettle.) Allow chilies to soak for about 20 minutes or until softened somewhat. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process for several minutes or until smooth but still textured, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Adjust seasoning if necessary and process a few seconds. Scrape peanut butter into an airtight container–I like to put it in a small crock–and refrigerate.

April 17, 2012April 18, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Migas with Green Tomato-Chile Sauce from The Blooming Platter Cookbook and San Miguel Allende with Love

Spring Break came last week and not a moment to soon. As my husband said in his typically understated manner, “It was a well-timed vacation.” It began at the end of Week 5 of our 14 year old Auzzie Shepherd’s recuperation from a broken toe (thanks to a bite from our over-zealous miniature Great Dane) during which time I have been sleeping on an inflatable bed in our family room (!) and carrying her out to go potty and back in, not to mention worrying about her increasingly weak hips and legs, the result of age and neurological decline. However, a total hip replacement on one side and a hip reconstruction on the other at age 2 have served her well until now!

But that ‘s a story for a different day. My vacation week began with a solo trip to visit my family in MS. The weather was beautiful, so we spent a lot of time outside. I especially enjoyed planting a variety of annuals with my parents. My last night there, Tuesday, we drove 90 minutes to an airport hotel in Jackson since my plane left so early the next morning,. There we enjoyed an indoor picnic supper–vegan, of course (my omnivorous family is so solicitous)–in the hotel’s lobby area. Since my sister’s birthday is in March and my parents’ and mine are in May, we decided to celebrate while I was home. So, our picnic concluded with my Chocolate Carrot Cake, found in The Blooming Platter Cookbook, baked as cupcakes. I frosted them with a dense, delicious, and dark mousse “frosting” made from tofu and melted dark chocolate, topping them with candles. They traveled well in our cooler and were a huge hit.

On Wednesday morning, I flew to Dallas to meet my husband, Joe, from where we flew to San Miguel Allende, Mexico, to attend the formal opening of our friends Don Bell and Federico Correa’s brand new gallery “Arte Correa.” What a joyful occasion and an honor to be included in the festivities. Don, the gallery manager, and his partner, Federico, a humble but gifted and powerful painter, were the consummate hosts, doing way too much for everyone else–beginning with a huge flower arrangement delivered to our hotel room–despite the fact that we were there to celebrate their achievement.

And Carmen, of Casa Luna, a villa which we were fortunate to call home for three nights, was the consummate hostess, tending to our every need. For the record, San Miguel Allende–a UNESCO World Heritage Site–is a VERY safe place to travel. It is a lovely and entirely cobblestoned town high in the hills of central Mexico, dating from the 16th century, Mexico’s Colonial era. (Don calls San Miguel “the Williamsburg of Mexico”–ha!)

But, as Carmen says, “Don’t check your brain at the border,” by which she means people should not do foolish things including those that they wouldn’t even do in their own towns, say, a couple of women visiting a city park on their own at night. American tourism is down by 80% and San Miguel’s economy is suffering. It’s not inexpensive to get there, but you will be handsomely rewarded by the charms of one of the most beautiful towns in North America. And we were doubly rewarded: American Airlines inexplicably upgraded us to First Class for our 3 hour flight home from Dallas to Norfolk! What a perfect ending to a charmed vacation.

I’m fairly sure it would be impossible to find a bad meal in San Miguel, and that includes from the street vendors. (I wish the corn ice cream sold from a truck at the “Jardin” was vegan!) In particular, be sure to visit Cafe Rama, the subject of an upcoming post. However, it was the green chile sauce at El Pegaso, one of Don and Federico’s favorite restaurants, on my “custom” refried bean enchiladas that reminded me of the tofu Migas with Green Tomato-Chile Sauce in my cookbook.

I hope you’ll enjoy…and book the next flight to San Miguel!

Migas with Green Tomato-Chile Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Migas is traditionally a Tex-Mex scramble of eggs, tortillas, cheese, spices, and fresh vegetables topped with a zesty sauce. My version is an addicting combination of tofu, sautéed tortillas, and a host of bright flavors. I love this dish so much, I could eat it morning, noon, or night! Topped with my Tomato-Chili Sauce, this recipe is a great way to use fresh green tomatoes, although you can top the migas with your favorite salsa if you don’t have time to make the green tomato-chile sauce.

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic minced

4 corn tortillas, torn into bite size pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, divided

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, pressed and drained

4 tablespoons minced cilantro

4 tablespoons vegan sour cream

2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Green tomato-chili sauce (recipe follows)

4 lime wedges and 4 cilantro sprigs for garnish

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt, and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it turns golden and the onion becomes translucent. Move the vegetables over to the side of the skillet with your spoon and add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add the tortillas to the oil and stir to coat, then stir to combine with the vegetables and sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until the tortillas soften and turn golden.

2. In a medium bowl, break up the tofu into irregular bite-size pieces. Add the cumin, coriander, chipotle powder, and 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast, and mix well to combine. Add the tofu mixture to the skillet and gently scramble for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat and add a small amount of water if the migas begin to stick. Add the remaining tablespoon of nutritional yeast and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Check the seasoning. Remove the skillet from the heat.

3. To serve: Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the green tomato chili sauce over the migas and pass any extra. Sprinkle the minced cilantro over the sauce, add dollops of sour cream, and sprinkle with diced tomatoes and pumpkin seeds. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

Green Tomato-Chile Sauce

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder

Pinch natural sugar

Sea salt

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons water

2 large green tomatoes, quartered

2 (2-inch) jalapeños, seeds removed

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/3 cup chopped yellow or orange bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped red onion

2 large gloves garlic, minced

1. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, jalapeños, and vegetable stock. Process until smooth and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook for 2 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the onion becomes translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, chipotle powder, sugar and salt to taste. Stir well.

3. Sprinkle with flour, followed by 3 tablespoons of water. Stir well again. Add the tomato-chili puree, stir again, and simmer for about 20 minutes to allow all flavors to marry. Stir frequently and reduce heat if necessary to prevent sauce from sticking. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside until ready to serve.

April 4, 2012April 4, 2012 by betsy

Vegan White Bean and Kale Pesto Quesadillas with Tomato-Black Olive Salsa

Yield: 4 servings

What’s a gal to do when she needs to use her last little bit of Kale Pesto but is craving Southwestern food? Make White Bean and Kale Pesto Quesadillas, of course!

With its hazelnuts and orange zest, this one of my kale pestos seems a little Italian. So, I mixed it with cannellini beans and lightly caramelized onions (I’m usually too impatient to make true caramelized onions), and seasoned the mixture with a hint of dried oregano and smoked paprika. This creamy and tasty filling is the perfect consistency for a quesadilla filling.

For the salsa, I combined sliced black olives and vine-ripened tomatoes, a combo that could lean towards either Italy or the Southwest. So to nudge it toward The Boot, I sprinkled it with just a bit of balsamic vinegar.

Since kale is more of a cool weather veggie, and tomatoes like it warm, if tomatoes aren’t yet available in your farmers market, I would suggest substituting sundried tomatoes chopped a little more finely than the diced ones called for in the recipe. And, whatever you do, avoid the temptation to purchase sliced black olives in a can. They taste like what salt water would taste like if it was chewable. Instead, purchase olives whole from your grocery deli and slice them yourself.

Hurry and make this dish before this winter’s kale is all gone! You’ll have a new favorite in your repertoire.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, halved and then sliced

1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup Vegan Kale, Toasted Hazelnut, and Orange Zest Pesto

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons vegan butter

4- 8 inch whole wheat tortillas (I buy a spelt four variety at Organic Depot that I love)

1/4 cup vegan sour cream

Tomato-Black Olive Salsa (recipe follows)

Approximately 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown. Lower heat to prevent burning if necessary. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, pesto, oregano, and smoked paprika, and heat through. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. Wipe out skillet and heat/melt 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and vegan butter over medim-high. Meanwhile spread half of each of the 4 tortillas with 1/4 of bean mixture. Fold remaining half over and press gently to seal. Cook two at a time for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown and toasty. Keep warm while your repeat with the remaining quesadilla ingredients. To serve, cut each one in half, overlap one half on the other, top with 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1/4 cup of the salsa, and 1 tablespoon of the fresh basil or cilantro. Serve immediately.

Tomato-Black Olive Salsa

1/2 cup diced tomatoes (if tomatoes aren’t in season when kale is in your neck of the woods, substitute sundried ones)

1/2 cup sliced black olives (avoid using canned!)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small non-reactive bowl, and toss gently to combine. Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

For 150+ more seasonal recipes, many with a flare for fusion, dip into The Blooming Platter Cookbook!

April 1, 2012April 1, 2012 by betsy

One Green Planet’s April Fool’s Day Tribute Includes Vegan “Knock-off-amole” aka Fresh Pea Guacamole from The Blooming Platter Cookbook

This recipe seemed like the perfect “fooled you” dish. And One Green Planet must have thought so too, as they published it today as one of their April Fool’s Day features!

My “Knock-off-amole” is so named because it is a delicious and nutritious guacamole “knock off” made with fresh green peas instead of avocado. And like every good art teacher knows, green and red are complementary colors, making each other “pop,” so the chopped tomato and diced red onion look glisteningly gorgeous in this Mexican-Southwestern dip.

There is nothing non-vegan or unhealthy about traditional guacamole; to the contrary avocado is high in “good” fat. So it wasn’t for those reasons that I sought a convincing substitute.

No, sadly, it was because I developed a food sensitivity or allergy to avocados in my twenties. It was a tragic day, as I was born in Texas, and loved my mother’s guac. However, even the tiniest bit left inside a veggie sushi slice even afer the avocado has been picked out does a number on me.

So, craving my Mama’s guacamole and perusing the farmer’s market last spring, it suddently occured to me that their beautiful fresh green peas might make a fine substitute. Indeed! Though no one will necessarily think they are eating avocado, they won’t care because it tastes so good and is deliciously respectful of its namesake.

Therefore, whether you are an avocado lover or not, I know you’ll enjoy this fresh take on an old favorite. Click HERE for the luscious recipe at One Green Planet.

February 2, 2012February 3, 2012 by betsy

Crash the Superbowl Snack Recipe #5: Vegan Queso Con Carne Dip

This hearty Vegan Queso Con Carne Dip is an oldie but goodie, and the essence of traditional Superbowl snacking.

Though this recipe lacks the seasonal influence of most of my other recipes, like those in The Blooming Platter Cookbook, frozen corn, soy crumbles, soy milk, and nutritional yeast makes it nutritious, and onions, green chilies, Ro-tel tomatoes, and a host of Mexican spices insures that it is fragrant and addicting.

Even though our dog Huff is co-starring in a “Crash the Superbowl” Doritos commercial. I like this “Queso” served with Frito “Scoops” to do just what the name says. And I don’t feel too badly, as Frito-Lay makes both products.

October 1, 2011October 2, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Southwestern Zucchini and Beans with Smoked Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream

I’m a MoFo Virgin. Hold on…get your mind out of the butter, I mean gutter. Well, same thing. Anyway, it’s just that today is the first day of “Vegan MoFo 2011,” that’s “Vegan Month of Food” for any neophytes out there, and it is my very first time to participate.

Click the link to visit the official Vegan MoFo Headquarters where you can learn more and subscribe to the feed…and we do mean feed!

Simply put, Vegan MoFo is a month-long celebration of vegan cooking and eating. Around the globe, vegan bloggers will be posting as much and as often as they can about vegan food. And you can be privy to it all by subscribing. You can also search Vegan MoFo online, as many bloggers, like me, use that category or tag.

Many thanks to vegan guru and cookbook author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and her Post Punk Kitchen for launching and maintaining Vegan MoFo. Isa and her team make it so easy to participate, even providing the cool banner (above) at no charge and with just a click to download–no copying of code into the bowels of one’s blog program–whew!

And now let the feast begin, quickly before the last of summer’s zucchini had withered up…

Yield: 4 servings (you will have leftover beans and cashew cream, but you won’t mind a bit!)

Plan to start making the Cashew Cream the day before you want to use it, as the cashews need to soak overnight.

Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream

3 cups raw cashews, divided in half (I buy Trader Joe’s reasonably affordable organic cashews)

1 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Pinch of garlic powder

Sea salt to taste

Pinch of white pepper (black is fine; it just shows up more)

Zest of 1 small lime + juice of half of the lime

First make basic cashew cream: Place 1 1/2 cups of cashews covered with water in an airtight container and let soak, refrigerated, overnight. The next day, rinse and drain the cashews in a colander, and place into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add remaining cashews and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. The processing will take several minutes. Remove a generous cup of the cream to a small bowl. Transfer the remaining cream into an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for another use. (Adding a little sugar, vanilla and lime zest makes a lovely cream topping for sweet dishes.) To the cup of cream in the bowl, whisk in the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Begin making beans early in the day, as they will need to soak;

1 pound bag of Anasazi beans (pinto beans or something similar would also work great)

10 cups of water, divided into 6 and 4

1 tablespoon of salt + more to taste

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup vegan beer or nonalcoholic beer (not all brands are vegan)

1/2 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (you can use any chili powder you like, but I am especially fond of the characteristics of chipotle powder)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 of a medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 zucchini

Pinch of sea salt

1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup of Smoked Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream (recipe above)

Optional garnish: vegan sour cream, cilantro sprigs or chopped cilantro, and/or roasted pumpkin seeds

Bring beans and 6 cups of water to boil over medium-high heat in a covered 4-quart saucepan. Reduce heat and gently boil for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let beans sit for about 6 hours. Add remaining 4 cups of water, tablespoon of salt, bay leaves, and garlic, and gently boil uncovered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated. During the last half hour, add the beer, the 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes, and the cumin, oregano, and chipotle chili powder. Adjust heat as necessary. The bean mixture should be quite soft and creamy, but the beans should still hold their shape. Check for seasoning and adjust to suit your taste.

Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of olive oil to shimmering in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, zucchini, and salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until softened and beginning to develop some color. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 cups of the bean mixture plus the diced fresh tomato. Cover and refrigerate remaining bean mixture for another use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil 4 gratin dishes and divide bean mixture evenly among them. Drizzle-dollop one-quarter of the Smoked Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream over each serving. Place the dishes on a baking sheet for easy transport, slide the sheet into the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot dolloped with vegan sour cream and sprinkled with cilantro and or roasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

For more than 150 additional mouthwatering recipes to celebrate all year long, I invite you to check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

September 8, 2011August 20, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Nachos with Sage-Scented White Beans and Cheddar-Spinach Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

I love nachos. Does anyone not love nachos? I imagine I would love any riff on a vegan nacho that anyone could think up. I know I am passionate about this one.

It all started with the cheese sauce. I wanted to make a cheddary-spinach sauce using fresh finely chopped spinach. I added a fair amount of nutritional yeast to the sauce ingredients which gave them that “pot pie” flavor. Do you know the one I mean?

I had planned all along to load up the fresh corn tortilla quarters (not tortilla chips!) with a white bean, onion, and bell pepper mixture. But when I tasted my cheese sauce, I knew instantly that the beans needed to be flavored differently than I’d first imagined. And that only one herb would do: fresh sage from the garden. The sage marries particularly beautifully with this sauce, so while I normally encourage experimentation, I would, in this case, encourage you to follow the recipe closely. At least the first time. After that, riff to your heart’s content!

When the “not-chos” came out of the oven, I knew the flavor would be just right, but they definitely needed more color contrast. Hence, a tiny dab of vegan sour cream and a teeny wedge of fresh local tomato.

Honestly? They are irresistible.

4-6 inch corn tortillas, cut into quarters

Sage-Scented White Beans (recipe follows)

Cheddar -Spinach Sauce (recipe follows–you will have sauce leftover)

Approximately 4 teaspoons vegan sour cream

16 tiny wedges of fresh tomato

Position oven rack in top position and preheat oven to broil. Place tortilla quarters on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and divide white bean topping evenly among the tortillas. Top with a drizzle of about 1/2 teaspoon Cheddar-Spinach sauce and broil for about 3 minutes or until heated through and a little toasty on the edges. Remove from heat, transfer to plates or a serving platter, and top each nacho with about 1/4 teaspoon vegan sour cream and a tiny wedge of fresh tomato.

Vegan Cheddar-Spinach Sauce

2 cups fresh baby spinach, finely chopped in food processor and transferred to a 2 quart saucepan

1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted cashew pieces

1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted macadamia nuts (Note: if you prefer, you can substitute another 1/4 cup of cashew pieces)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk

1 tablespoon light miso

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat)

1/4 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer

In the bowl of the food processor in which you chopped the spinach, place nuts and nutritional yeast, pulsing until very finely chopped and almost a powder. Add remaining ingredients and process until quite smooth. Pour into saucepan with spinach and stir well. In a small cup, whisk together flour and beer, and stir into sauce. Heat over medium to medium-high heat, stirring continually, for 3 to 5 minutes or until flour no longer tastes raw and sauce is heated through. Adjust seasoning with salt and garlic and onion powders. Set aside or keep warm over a double boiler.

Sage-Scented White Bean Topping

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

sea salt

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (yellow or red bell pepper would be nice too)

2-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and continue sauteing for another 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and saute, still stirring frequently, for 3 more minutes or until onions are quite soft and bell peppers are softened. Add beans and heat through. Turn off heat, add additional tablespoon of olive oil, and mash coarsely with a potato masher. Stir in sage and season to taste with salt and pepper.

July 23, 2011September 14, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Green Chilies Casserole

Yield: 4-6 servings

What is the largest section of the local church cookbook? Probably casseroles, the ultimate comfort food, at least for those of a certain persuasion.

When I was a kid, my mom, Sallie Gough, made one that I have not seen anywhere before or since: Green Chilies Casserole. It was a fairly creamy and nicely spiced amalgamation of ground beef, onion, sauteed tortillas, diced green tomatoes, and green chilies all held together with, yep, condensed cream-of-something soup. And surely there was some melted cheese in the mix too.

While I don’t cook or eat like that any longer, I do have fond memories of that casserole, including making it. It was super-satisfying to eat, fun to assemble, and created an intoxicating aroma in the kitchen. So, when I was at the farmer’s market a couple of days ago, the green tomatoes were firm and beautiful. I instantly thought of mom’s signature casserole and the tempeh at home in my fridge that would substitute nicely for the ground beef. To stand in for the canned soup and cheese, I decided to make a simple creamy vegan cheese sauce. And I substituted green salsa with green chilies for the can of green chilies for extra moisture and flavor without an overwhelming green chili taste.

It’s been a lot of years since I last had this casserole, but to the best of my recollection, my vegan version comes close and is a LOT lighter yet it still has that creamy-comfort factor. I hope it beomes a staple at your house.

Cheese Sauce:

1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted cashew halves or pieces

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup total unsweetened soymilk and beer or nonalcoholic beer (I like about 5-6 tablespoons of soymilk and 2-3 tablespoons beer)

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

pinch sea salt

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Casserole:

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, divided

4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

sea salt to taste

1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1-8 ounce package tempeh (any flavor)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup green salsa (salsa verde), homemade or prepared (these salsas typically contain tomatillos, green chilies, and cilantro)

1 large green tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

Freshly ground black pepper

about 7 small dollops vegan sour cream

Garnish: sprigs of fresh cilantro and a sprinkling of smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a small round baking dish and set aside. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil to shimmering. Add tortilla pieces and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently until they soften and start to develop some color, approximately 3 minutes. Transfer tortillas to a small bowl and set aside. Add remaining oil to the skillet, heat, and saute onion until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Crumble tempeh into the pan, add garlic and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, until tempeh is heated through and just begins to develop some color, again about 3 minutes. As the mixture starts to dry out, add 1/4 cup of the green salsa and stir well. Add green tomato, cumin, and smoked paprika, and saute, still stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/2 cup green salsa during the cooking process. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and tortilla pieces, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then stir in half of the cheese sauce and spoon into prepared casserole dish. Drizzle remaining cheese sauce over the surface of the casserole dish and dollop with sour cream (I place 6 dollops in a circle and one in the center). Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and top appears creamy, but slightly set. Serve hot garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs and a dusting of smoked paprika.