Vegetarian Bean Enchiladas

Vegetarian Kidney & Great Northern Bean Enchilada

Filling:

1 Can (15 oz) - Eden Organic Kidney Beans
1 Can (15 oz) - WestBrae Organic Great Northern Beans
1 Can (4 oz) - Ortega Diced Green Chiles
2 Cans (10 oz) - Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce (For topping)
1 Can (10 oz) - Old El Paso Medium Enchilada Sauce
1 Bag (8 oz; approx. 2 cups) - Daiya Cheddar Cheese Shreds (Dairy Free!)
1 Bag (8 oz; approx. 2 cups) - Daiya Pepperjack Cheese Shreds (Dairy Free!)
1 Medium sized Red Bell Pepper - Fresh
1 Medium sized Green Bell Pepper - Fresh
3/4 Medium sized Yellow Onion (Dice the last 1/4 saved for topping) - Fresh, Diced
4 Medium to Large Cloves of Fresh Garlic - Fresh, Diced
1 Large sized Yam or Sweet Potato - Diced
1 Bunch Cilantro - Fresh, Chopped

Herbs:

Black Pepper
Himalayan Sea Salt
Taco Seasoning
Fajita seasoning
Herb Salt
Cumin
Ground Garlic
Powdered Onion

Directions: Preheat Over to 350 and baked for 20 to 25 minutes or until sides are bubbling and golden brown.



In a deep frying pan combine: garlic, onion, seasoning, and yam. I used sunflower oil and fried until onions wear a little translucent. Add diced Red and Green bell peppers. Cook for another 5 to 10 min or until both yam and bell peppers are almost done. Add Kidney and Great Northern Beans, followed by your choice of veggie meat (I used Meatless Select taco filling). Mix in one can of the Medium Enchilada sauce and then stir in 1/2 a bag (approx. 1 cup) Daiya Cheddar Cheese and 1/2 bag of Daiya Pepperjack Cheese. Let simmer for about 7 to 10 minutes.

I used Stacey's Tortillas. Use about one cup of the filling to put onto the tortillas (depending on how large the tortillas are....mine are 12' inch) Roll up the filled tortillas and line in a glass casserole dish. cover with two cans of the Mild Enchilada Sauce (I like to use one red and one green) and then the remaining cheese and onion.



Pop dish into the Oven for 20-25 min at 350 degrees.

















Cut up some avocados and sprinkle on some cilantro and enjoy! :)

Coconut & Blueberry Quinoa Parfait

I don't have time to make breakfast in the morning and too often do I go without breakfast and end up eating at noon or later. This I know is not good for me and I am putting my body under stress.

This recipe made enough to let me share with my friends and boyfriend and still have leftovers!! I purchased blueberries in pints from the local farmer's market and I decided to add some strawberries for a little extra fruit punch! :)


This was inspired by Pinterest
(http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/07/roasted-blueberry-coconut-quinoa-parfaits-with-coconut-granola/)!


The recipe:

2 pints organic blueberries (I could've used another pint because I found it would've added needed moisture)
1 pint organic strawberries
1 1/4 cup organic uncooked quinoa, washed
1/4 cup organic almond meal
1/2 cup organic creamed coconut
1 1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1/2 cup organic coconut shreds, unsweetened
a pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice (if you don't have fresh, I like Lakewood Organic Pure Lemon Juice)

Easy to Make Granola:

1 cup organic rolled oats, thick
1 cup organic coconut shreds, unsweetened
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon organic cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons organic creamed coconut
3 tablespoons agave nectar (I think next time I'll do 1/2-1/2 on honey and agave)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

For Parfaits:

Place blueberries in a nonstick pan and mix in a pinch of salt and 1 tsp lemon juice. Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the berries start to burst.

For Granola:
In a large bowl, combine oats, creamed coconut, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. With the creamed coconut, you can place bag in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Add melted coconut to the oats, along with honey and vanilla (I will add a little peanut or almond butter next time, I think it would be a good added flavor) and stir thoroughly until moistened. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, toss every 5 minutes to get a crumble going.

*If you prepare granola and blueberries, you can bake them together with the granola on the top rack.

While the Blueberries and granola doing their thing in the oven, add quinoa, creamed coconut, almond milk, and a pinch of sea salt into a saucepan. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with fork or wooden spoon.

Layer the ingredients. For the yogurt, I used Siggi's or Stoneyfield greek yogurt. Eat and enjoy!

Healthy Snack

Had this after my workout... SO GooD!!! There are dried cherries in it and they taste great!

Farmer's Market Trip

Went to my local Farmer's Market today!!! I am going to have a wonderful lunch and dinner for $9.50!! Lunch and Dinner pictures to come! :)

Vegetarian Reuben's

After watching the documentary, "Vegucated"(watch it...with a box of tissues for the tender hearted), my friend and I decided to try out the vegan approach to life. If you want to watch said documentary, it's on Netflix! Anyway, back to the Reuben's!!! I was looking for a corned beef substitute and the only two I know of are from Heritage and Cedar Lake, both of which I discovered had Red #3 and Blue #1...I don't know about you, but I have never felt comfortable with coloring in my food. If it's not meant to be that color, don't mess with it. I like the company Field Roast and decided to give their Celebration Roast a try. It's vegan and delicious.

Vegetarian Reuben's:

* Rudi's Jewish Rye
* Annie's Thousand Island Dressing (vegetarian) I prefer to use a mixture of Dill Relish, Vegenaise, &     Ketchup - it's vegan & I like the taste. 
* Eden Organic Sauerkraut - apparently this is not vegan because of the way it is fermented. Correct me if I am wrong...
* Field Roast - Vegan Celebration Roast - I cut quarter inch slices and pan fried them until nicely browned (makes the cheese melt easier too if the roast is warm)
* Daiya Swiss Cheese - this is my first time eating this cheese, and I have to say, not bad! It melts really easily and stays melted. I think this is the best melting cheese alternative I have tried. The shredded kinds are pretty good too, if you want to make nachos (but that's a whole different recipe).  ;)

I buttered the outside of the bread with Earth Balance Vegan Margarin (I used the soy free one (red tub) and it tastes really good and pretty close to the real thing) and pan fried the Reuben until golden brown....some got a little bit darker but fortunately, nothing burnt! 

I love chunky soup, so I took Pacific Organic Tomato soup and cut up 1 and 1/2 of medium sized tomatoes and three cloves of garlic and tossed it all into the pot with a little bit of black pepper, onion powder, Himalayan Sea Salt (pink and the smoked black one), pepper flakes, paprika, and Sriracha for taste. I like things a little spicy and with a kick, I would've loved to throw in some basil but I realized I had forgotten it at my local Health Food store....maybe I should've picked up some Ginko Biloba! ;)

I could only fit one Reuben in my stomach but I think that was also due to the fact I had two bowls of soup and a side of cut up cucumbers and red bell peppers for a refreshing side. 

Over all I spent $24.06 on all the fixings and used almost the whole loaf of Rye and half the jar of sauerkraut but made 6 Reuben sandwiches...dinner and lunch for the next day! 

I have been a vegetarian my whole life and I am excited to see what I can do with foods that are staples in many people's lives that are meat based and make them with meat alternatives. I give this try, two thumbs up!! :)