Mexican Chili

I was given a slow cooker as one of my Christmas gifts, having never owned one before, I just had to test it out with this recipe. This recipe requires very little work..just some roasting of the chilies and cooking the boca crumbles. Then you simply pour all the ingredients in the slow cooker and walk away until its ready. You can also cook this over the stove but the flavors won't be as intense. Everyone should try out this recipe, I promise you won't be disappointed.

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Serves 6

Ingredients

* 1 Tb canola oil

* 1 pound soy ground crumbles or shredded tempeh

* 1 onion, diced

* 2 ( 15 ounce ) cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

* 1 ( 15 ounce ) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

* 2 cups of corn kernels, fresh or frozen

* 1 ( 14.5 ounce ) can Mexican style stewed tomatoes

* 1 ( 14.5 ounce ) can diced tomatoes

* 1 ( 14.5 ounce ) can tomatoes with chilies

* 4 anaheim chiles, roasted and diced ( directions for roasting here )

* 1 recipe taco seasoning

For Serving

* Tortilla Chips

* Vegan Sour Cream

* Vegan cheddar cheese, shredded

* Green onions, chopped

* Pickled jalapeños

Directions

1. In a medium sized skillet, add the oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the soy ground crumbles and the taco seasoning, mix well. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Transfer the soy ground and onions to a slow cooker or a large stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, anaheim chiles. Cook on low in a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for 1 hour on the stove.

4. To serve, ladle soup into six individual bowls. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapeños. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

Tofu Tortas

This is my last test recipe from Kim Barnouin's new cookbook. I did make some changes though, like cooking the tofu, adding guacamole and using my own refried beans recipe.

I see her tortas as a step up from what we all know tostadas to be. Stacks of baked tortillas, filled with sweet corn, tofu, cheese, guacamole and tomatoes.

This would be great to serve at a party or on a stay at home Friday night. They're also so fun to assemble and would be the perfect opportunity to get your kids involved in the kitchen. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did!

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Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

* 1 ( 14 oz ) package silken tofu, drained and crumbled

* 1 cup sweet corn, fresh or frozen

* 1/2 package vegan taco seasoning or to make your with the recipe I used

* Salt and pepper, to taste

* 1/4 onion, diced

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 cups refried beans, canned or homemade

* 12 corn tortillas

* 1 cup vegan Cheddar cheese, shredded

* Pico de Gallo salsa and guacamole

Directions

1. Combine the tofu and taco seasoning in a medium bowl. Mix well.

2. Heat 1 Tb of canola oil in a medium skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and saute for 5 more minutes, or until slightly translucent.

3. Add the tofu mixture and corn and saute for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. To prepare the tortillas, you can either fry them on the stove or bake them at 400 F for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Make sure to coat each tortilla with oil before baking.

5. To prepare the tortas, spread the beans on one tortilla and top with another tortilla. Spoon more beans on top of the second tortilla and top with the tofu mixture and guacamole. Place the third tortilla on top and top with pico de gallo salsa and cheddar cheese. Repeat to assemble the remaining tortas.

Serve immediately.

Chili Verde

So today for my MoFo post I would like to share with you a Mexican recipe. Anyone that likes salsa verde will love this chili. The taste is very similar because both rely heavily on tomatillos for its main ingredient and flavor. This stew is really light but makes for a really comforting dinner on those cold fall nights.

If you would like to make this dish a little heavier, you can add 2 russet potatoes, boiled and chopped. And they can be added the same time as the beans. If the flavor of the stew is too bitter, trying adding one tablespoon of sugar, one at a time until the desired taste is reached.

Serves 4 to 6

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Ingredients

* 1 Tb canola oil

* 1 ( 15 ounce ) Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

* 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced into 1 inch pieces ( roasted if preferred )

* 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced finely ( roasted if preferred, directions below )

* 1 yellow onion, diced finely

* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped finely

* 3 cloves of garlic, minced

* 2 tsp ground cumin

* 1 tsp ground coriander

* 1 tsp dried oregano

* 1 lb tomatillos, husked and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

* 2 1/3 cups vegetable broth

* 3/4 tsp salt

* 1 cup cilantro, chopped

* 1/2 cup chopped scallions

* juice of half a lime

Directions

1. Preheat a medium sized skillet, over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the bell pepper and cook another 5 minutes. ( If you did not roast the peppers, add them now as well )

3. Add roasted jalapeno and poblano peppers and heat through.

4. Add the cumin, coriander, oregano and salt. Saute one minute more, stirring until everything is mixed well.

5. Add 1/3 cup of vegetable broth and the tomatillos and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the rest of the vegetable broth ( 2 cups), scallions. Simmer covered for 45 minutes.

7. Add 1/2 cup of cilantro, stir and simmer for another 15 minutes.

8. Use an immersion blender to partially puree everything or pulse using a blender. ( If using an immersion blender in a shallow pot, as I did, please be careful and do little pulses. It did tend to splash a little when I blended for too long ).

9. Add beans and simmer until everything is heated through.

10. Turn off heat and stir in the remaining cilantro and lime juice.

How To Roast Peppers

1. On a gas stove, over high heat, place one pepper per burner. Making sure they are as close to the flame as possible.

2. Leave them over the flame, constantly monitoring. The cracking noise you will hear is a good sign, it means the peppers are roasting.

3. Rotate the peppers using tongs, once that one side has blackened.

4. Remove from the stove once they have blackened competely and place in a plastic or paper bag. The steam from the peppers will allow the skin to be removed easier.

5. Once they have cooled down, rub off the skin with your fingers. If the peppers are still too hot to handle, I like to remove the skin in a bowl of cold water.

You have now roasted peppers! : ]

Seven Layer Dip and a WayFare Review

Okay this was just suppose to be a review on a new product I tried but I ended up going all out and made this amazing dip. The product I wanted to review is called WayFare "We Can't Say It's Cheese." I purchased it at my local Whole Foods and decided to go with the Mexi Cheddar flavor because I wanted to make this dip. They have four different flavors, if this one doesn't sound like it would be your fav ( cheddar spread, hickory cheddar, cheddar sauce and of course Mexi Cheddar ).

It tastes great as a dip alone with tortilla chips or you can use it with tons of different recipes, some that are listed on their site here. The price was $3.99 for an 8 oz container. Using this definitely did help to complete the taste of my dip. I don't think it would've been half as good without it. Try it if you happen to run across it at your local market.

For everyone that has been saying that they cannot find any in their area, I found this site that sells it but the sad news is that they only ship in the United States. I hope I helped some

http://store.veganessentials.com/we-cant-say-its-cheese-spreads-and-dips-by-wayfare-foods-p2891.aspx

( if having trouble reading, click on image to view larger )

Okay now for the seven layer dip. Here is what I put in mine

Ingredients

* 4 cups of refried beans ( love this recipe )

* vegan sour cream ( I used Tofutti sour cream )

* guacamole ( made from 2 avocados )

* pico de gallo salsa ( recipe here, pulsed a few times in the blender )

* cheddar sauce ( used the product above )

* diced tomatoes ( I used 2 roma tomatoes )

* chives

* 1/3 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese ( I used Daiya Cheddar )

* organic corn tortilla chips

Directions

1. Really easy, basically just layer each ingredient in small serving sized cups or in one large casserole dish.

Soft Shell Seitan Tacos

This was my first time cooking seitan "bain-marie" which also means in a water bath. I love the texture it resulted in verses the way I am used to seitan being after I steam it. It had a harder top but still very moist on the inside. Also making it this way created a huge loaf of seitan, verses having them in separate little logs. I swear, even though I cook regularly, I am still learning something new everyday. I liked having the seitan as a loaf because it was easier to cut up into the desired shape and would also make for some great seitan cutlets in the future.

The filling for the tacos must have taken 20 minutes tops to make. I cooked mine in a wok because there was so much filling and the raised sides made it easier for stirring. My boyfriend really liked this dish and he said it reminded him of his favorite tacos that he always orders at a local restaurant called Pure Luck. I made some spanish rice and refried beans to complete this meal.

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Serves 6 or 12 Tacos
Ingredients

* 2 tsp canola oil
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1 plum tomato, finely chopped
* 1/2 jalapeno chile, minced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp paprika
* 1/2 tsp sea salt
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 12 ounces Basic Seitan, cut into 1/4 inch cubes ( Recipe Below )

* 12 corn tortillas
* 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
* shredded vegan cheddar cheese ( optional )
* pico de gallo salsa or any other salsa ( optional )

Directions
1. Heat 2 tsp of canola oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender.


3. Add the tomato, jalapeno chile, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper, and saute for 5 minutes, or until the tomato is tender.


4. Stir in the seitan and stir occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is heated through and the flavors are well blended.


5. Warm each corn tortillas either on the stove at about 5 to 10 seconds each side on medium heat or 30 seconds in the microwave.


6. Spoon 1/4 cup of filling in each tortilla. Fill each taco with lettuce, cheese and salsa if desired. Serve immediately.


Basic Seitan


Makes 2 pounds ( 32 ounces )
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups gluten flour
* 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
* 1/3 cups nutritional yeast
* 1 tsp ground coriander
* 1 tsp ground sage
* 1/2 tsp ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp sea salt
* 2 cups water
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1/4 cup tamari

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with 2 inch high sides of parchment paper. Lightly oil the parchment paper.

2. Stir the gluten flour, whole wheat flour, nutritional yeast, coriander, sage, ginger, and salt in a large bowl to blend.


3. In another bowl, whisk the water, oil, and tamari to blend.


4. Quickly stir the tamari mixture into the dry ingredients until a very wet dough forms. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Cover with aluminum foil.


5. Place the pan of seitan dough in a large roasting pan, then add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the pan of seitan. Bake for 2 hours, or until the seitan is firm on top, adding more water to the roasting pan if necessary. Cool the seitan to room temperature and quarter it into 4 equal squares ( 1 pound each ).


The seitan will keep for 2 days, covered and refrigerated. For longer storage, wrap the seitan squares separately in plastic wrap, then enclose them in a resealable platic bag and freeze up to 2 weeks.


Nutritional Information Per Serving
Vegetable Filling : 27 calories, 1.67g fat, 3.28 carbohydrates, 90.18mg sodium, 0.83g sugar, 11.98g protein

Seitan : 79 calories, 24g fat, 3g carbohyrdates, 658mg sodium, 13g protein

Tortilla Soup

I haven't made tortilla soup in awhile and thankfully because the weather has been on the cool side, I figured I'd make myself a bowl. If you don't like spice, you can skip adding the dried chiles, although ancho chiles aren't really spicy but more on the sweet side. I used Better than Boullion Vegetarian Chicken for my stock, if you also use that, no extra salt is needed. My favorite part about making this soup was baking the tortilla strips. It got me motivated to make my own tortilla chips next time or even pita chips. You can't beat the taste of homemade chips!

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Serves 6

Ingredients
* 3 large dried New Mexico chiles (or pasilla or ancho chiles)
* 1 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled
* 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
* 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
* 4 cups vegetable broth or no-chicken broth
* 4 cups water
* 1 1/2 cups pinto beans, cooked
* 1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked
* 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
* salt to taste
* 6 corn tortillas
* 1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges
* 1 ripe large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
* 4 cups chopped spinach, chard, or kale leaves (packed)

Directions
When the chilies are cool enough to handle, stem and seed them, tear them into pieces, and put them in a blender along with tomatoes and their juice.

1. Toast the chiles. If you have a gas stove, you can hold them with tongs over the flame one at a time for a few seconds until fragrant. But if like me you use an electric stove, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and press them flat for a few seconds on each side.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Spray lightly with olive oil (optional) and add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour it all into the blender along with the chipotle powder and process until smooth.

3. Return the pot to medium heat. When hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. (Careful–watch for hot, bubbling “eruptions”!) Add broth, water, oregano (if using), and drained pinto beans. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

4. While the soup is cooking, prepare the tortillas. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut each tortilla in half (can be done in a stack if you have a sharp knife). Then cut each half into 1/4-inch wide strips. Place the strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool uncovered until soup is ready.

5. Add spinach (or chard or kale) to the soup and season with salt to taste, depending on the saltiness of the broth. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes for spinach, longer for chard or kale.

6. Ladle the soup into 6 soup bowls. Divide avocado and tortilla chips among the bowls. Serve warm, with lime wedges.

Black Bean, Corn, and Zucchini Enchiladas

I've made so many different versions of enchiladas, from kale and potato, to faux chicken and cheese but these have to be one of my favorite veggie combinations. I made mine with cheddar cheese, which was a first for me, and surprisingly tasted wonderful. The enchilada sauce recipe is from Veganomicon but if you are short on time, a can of enchilada sauce will work too. But if you can, I highly recommend making the sauce. It's a little spicy and full of flavor..so so good!

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Makes 8 Enchiladas

Ingredients - Enchilada Sauce
* 2 Tb grapeseed or olive oil
* 1 onion, cut into small dice
* 3 large green chiles ( such as Anaheim or even Italian-style long green peppers ), roasted, seeded, peeled and chopped coarsely
* 2-3 tsp chile powder, preferably ancho
* 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp marjoram or Mexican oregano
* 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice ( roasted preferred )
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt

Directions - Enchilada Sauce
1. In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in oil for 4 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from heat.

2. When the mixture has cooled enough, taste and adjust the salt if necessary.

3. Puree with an immersion or regular blender until the mixture is smooth and even.


Ingredients - Enchiladas
* 1 tsp olive oil
* 2 cups diced tomatoes
* 1 10 ounce package of frozen whole kernel corn ( or the kernels from 1 large corn ear )
* 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 recipe Enchilada Sauce
* 8 corn tortillas
* 2 cups ( 8 ounces ) vegan cheddar cheese, shredded ( I used Daiya Cheddar cheese but any other type of cheese would work well with this too )

Directions - Enchiladas
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups zucchini and corn; sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, and stir in beans.

2. Spread 1 cup Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/2 cup zucchini mixture down center of 1 tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese, and roll up. Place seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, zucchini mixture, and vegan cheese. Spread remaining 2 cups sauce evenly over enchiladas.

3. Cover with foil; bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Taquitos with Chorizo and Potatoes

We had a huge birthday party today at the house for my boyfriend's niece. There were probably close to 100 people here today..I think she invited all her classmates, their parents and family friends. There was so much food but it was funny how my boyfriend and I couldn't eat any of it. I've never really noticed what an important part food plays in gatherings until I went vegan. I did promise myself that I would never bother anyone with having to make a separate dish for me and that I would always bring my own food.

So for the event today I made about 20 taquitos that were served with guacamole and salad. These were so good and the Soyrizo tasted just like the real thing. Not something that I would make on a daily basis because I do hate the fact that you have to fry them. But they do work out great for family gatherings or whenever you just need a comforting meal.

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Ingredients
* 1 pound potatoes
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 Tb peanut or vegetable oil
* 1 small onion, diced
* 2 tsp dried Mexican or ordinary oregano
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 2 links Soyrizo sausages
* 2 Tb lime juice
* 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 Tb finely chopped fresh cilantro
* 12 to 14 corn tortillas
* Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
1. Clean and scrape any eyes or discoloration from skin of the potatoes, then chop into bite-size chunks. In a large soup pot, combine the chopped potatoes and enough cold water to cover by 3". Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 25-30 minute, until the potatoes are extremely tender and easy to mash when pressed with a fork. Turn off the heat, reserve about 1/4 of the potato cooking liquid, and drain the potatoes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, fry the garlic in the peanut oil until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Stir in the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, until tender and translucent; stir in the oregano, cumin and Soyrizo, and fry for 5 minutes. Add the drained potatoes, lime juice, salt, and ground pepper, and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes with the vegetables and Soyrizo to completely mix them together. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 Tb of the potato-cooking water and the cilantro. Stir the ingredients well and taste the mixture; adjust the seasoning with more lime juice and salt, if necessary. The potatoes should be very firm but a little moist; if too dry, stir in additional potato cooking water to moisten. Let the potato filling cool just enough to handle but use while still warm.

3. Create a taquito assembly line by first heating a corn tortilla, then filling and rolling it, and finally frying it. First, preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Take a corn tortilla, place it on the heated griddle for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla is hot, soft and pliable. It's important to keep the tortillas warm and moist, as they may crack if cooled while rolling the taquitos.

4. To shape a taquito, place about 2 heaping Tb of filling in a line down the center of the hot tortilla, patting the filling all the way to the edges. Over medium heat, fry the taquito in 2 Tb of vegetable oil in a large preheated cast-iron skillet. Place the taquito seam side down in the hot pan; it's important to fry the seam side first, as this will help hold the taquito together as it cooks. Cook on the seam side for about 2 minutes, or until golden and firm, then gently roll over the taquito and cook on the other sides for 1 to 2 minutes each, or until golden. Assemble and repeat with all the taquitos, frying up to 4 at a time. Add another Tb of oil to the pan whenever the taquitos need more browning. Transfer the taquitos to serving plates and eat immediately or to a pan in a 300 F oven and keep warm until ready to serve.

Black Bean-Sweet Potato Tamales

I've never made tamales before and honestly never cared to because the ones I've eaten were always dry and didn't appeal to me. But my boyfriend loves them and my Viva Vegan cookbook has several recipes for tamales. I figured I'd try to make them, even if I didn't like them, just to gain more experience in the kitchen. But to my surprise, these tamales were nothing like the ones I've eaten in the past! They were moist, a little spicy and sweet.

The only bad thing about them was that they are a lot of work to make. I wouldn't suggest making these alone and if you can, make the beans and potatoes ahead of time. I couldn't imagine doing it all at once but then again, I was only working with a two person team. Maybe if you have a bigger family, it will go a lot smoother.

Another problem that I had was with the steaming. I couldn't find a pot big enough to hold the steamer and tamales and be able to put the lid on. I watched a video on Youtube and found that you can put a wet towel in the center on a large pot, pour about 2 to 3 inches of water in and put your tamales in there to steam, without the steamer. Make sure to lean all your tamales against each other, making a sort of spiral. The tamales that I made, standing straight up didn't cook as well as the ones I had leaning a little to the side. I learned a lot from making these and I can't wait to make them again, ( but not anytime soon haha ) because I know they will turn out a lot better the second time around.

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Makes 2 dozen tamales

Ingredients
* 24 large dried husks, plus 6 to 8 more for tying the tamales and lining the steamer basket
* 1 pound sweet potatoes ( 2 small to medium-size are better than a large one )
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1/4 tsp salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* 2 Tb olive or peanut oil
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 pound yellow onion, diced
* 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced, plus 2 Tb sauce or more to taste
* 1/4 cup vegetable broth or white wine
* 2 cups cooked black beans
* 1 recipe Savory Vegan Masa Dough ( See Below )

Directions
1. Soak the corn husks in warm water. When you're ready to assemble the tamales, tear two or three long husks into 1/4 inch wide strips. Keep the strips in water until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork, wrap in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven, unwrap, slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and let cool.
When cool enough to handle, remove the skins, place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl, add the ground cumin, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Use a fork, or potato masher to mash the potatoes to a chunky puree.

3. Prepare the black beans; In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil and garlic. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and fry until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotles and their sauce and the vegetable broth , stir and simmer for 1 minute. Add the black beans, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed but beans are still moist, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow beans to cool.

4. For each tamale; Spread a generous 1/4 cup of dough down the center of a pliable soaked corn husk, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches on either end. This will form an oblong shape 4 to 5 inches wide and 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. Spoon 1 generous Tb of sweet potato down the center of the tamale dough, then top with 1 Tb of black beans.

5. Now grab both edges of the corn husk that are not covered with dough. Bring the edges toward each other and push the sides of the masa dough together to encase the filling. Gently press the tamale to form a firm, solid tube shape. Tightly twist each end of the tamale wrapper ( so it looks a little like a wrapped piece of candy ) and tightly tie each end with a soaked corn-husk strip. Some sauce may leak out of the dough into the interior of the corn husk wrap, but it will not have any effect on the steamed tamales. Repeat with the remaining dough, filling, and husks. When you're finally tired of making tamales, it's time to get the steamer basket ready.

6. To steam the tamales; Remove the steamer basket from the pot. Fill the pot with 2 to 3 inches of water, or whatever level will stay below the steamer basket. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, line the bottom of the steamer basket with some soaked corn husks. Set the tamales, unwrapped end upright, into the steamer basket, first layering them around the sides of the basket and working inward. Top the tamales with any leftover soaked husks, if you have them, place the steamer basket in the pot, and cover.

7. Steam the tamales for at least 55 minutes, up to 1 hour 5 minutes. Check the pot occasionally to make sure the water has not evaporated; add more hot water as needed. Test to see if the tamales are ready by removing a tamale and peeling back some corn husk. Fully cooked tamale dough will be tender but solid, not wet. Remove the entire basket from the pot, place in a dinner plate, and let stand, covered, for at least 15 minutes to cool. Handle the tamales carefully ( tongs are handy ) as they will be hot and steaming.


** Serve these tamales hot with any chile sauce plus beans, rice, or salad, if desired. To serve tamales, you can unwrap them for your guests or let them do the honors.



Savory Vegan Masa Dough

Makes 2 dozen tamales

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shorting
* 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
* 3 1/2 cups Mexican masa harina
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 3 cups warm light-colored vegetable stock or "chicken" flavored vegetable stock

Directions
1. In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to cream together the shortening and margarine until creamy and light. If using a stand mixer, be sure to frequently scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Sift in the masa harina, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt then continue to beat for about 3 minutes, until a sandy-looking mixture forms. Pour the vegetable stock into the masa mixture and continue to beat until all the liquid is absorbed and a fluffy dough forms, about 5 minutes.

2. The tamale dough should have a moist but not overly wet consistency, similar to mashed potatoes, and be easily spread with a rubber spatula. If the mixture seems too wet, sprinkle in another Tb or two of masa harina. If too dry, drizzle a Tb of vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached. Use this dough right away for making tamales.

Vegetable Quesadillas

The signs of summer approaching has been gradually increasing. Lately the temperature has been in the mid to high 80's and when that happens, I never feel like spending too much time in the kitchen. Cooking over a boiling pot is the last thing I want to do during those hot summer months. This recipe is really fast to make, considering all your really have to do is saute a few vegetables and throw it in the oven. It was also incredibly filling and very scrumptious.

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Serves 5 to 6 ( Shows 2 servings in picture above )

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
* 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
* 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 Tb olive oil
* Cooking Spray
* 6 ( 9 inch ) whole wheat tortillas
* 1 1/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese ( I like Daiya or Follow Your Heart )
* Optional : Vegan Sour Cream ( I use Follow Your Heart ) and Pico De Gallo Salsa

Directions
1. Over medium-high heat, in a large non-stick pan, add olive oil and allow to warm. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add bell peppers, zucchini, onion, and mushrooms. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until tender.

2. To assemble quesadillas: Warm up the tortillas on the stove top or microwave, that way they are softer and easier to work with.

3. Get one tortilla and lightly coat one side of it with cooking spray. Place the coated side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle a little cheese evenly over half of the tortilla and layer the vegetable mixture over the cheese, fold in half. Continue the same procedure with the remaining tortillas.

4. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 F, or until cheese has melted.

5. Cut into wedges and serve with vegan sour cream and pico de gallo salsa if desired.

Red Posole

I've only had vegan Posole once before at a little restaurant called Cinnamon Vegetarian. Posole is my mom's favorite soup but because she's suffering from high cholesterol, the doctor told her to limit her intake on meat. She asked me if I could make her something similar to what we had at the restaurant. So I started looking online, combining recipes and substituting ingredients and I came up with this. My boyfriend never had traditional posole but was really blown away by how great this tasted. I can't wait until my mom comes back from vacation so I can make this again for her!

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Serves 6

Ingredients - Soup
* 1 or 2 (or more, if you are a chili head) dried chilis de Arbol, ancho, or guajillo chilis to suit your preference
* 1 onion, diced
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 6 cups Vegetable or Better than Bullion Vegetarian Chicken Stock
* 1 15 oz can of Fire Roasted, Diced Tomatoes ( If you cannot find fire roasted, a regular can of diced tomatoes will do as well )
* 1 Tb dried oregano
* 1 15 oz can of Pinto Beans or 2 cups of cooked Pinto Beans
* 1 15 oz can of Hominy
* Salt ( Don't add salt if you're using Better than Bullion )
* Juice of 2 limes

Ingredients - Garnishes ( Choose one or more of the following )
* Avocado Slices
* Cilantro
* Lime Wedges
* Tortilla Chips
* Shredded Cabbage or Lettuce
* Diced Onions
* Radishes

Directions
1. Soak the chilis in a bit of boiling water for 20 minutes or so, then puree in a mini food processor. If you need to, add a little water while you puree.
2. In a large soup pot, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of salt, the oregano, and 6 cups of vegetable broth or vegetarian chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes.
4. Add the pinto beans and hominy and bring back to a simmer. Allow to simmer for ten minutes.
5. Add the pureed chilis, lime juice, stir, then add salt and more lime juice or more of the tomatoes as needed to produce a piquant broth. You might like to add the chilis a little at a time and taste to make sure you aren't exceeding your heat preference. You can always serve the remainder of the chili sauce on the side. Allow this to simmer for at least forty minutes.
6. Serve it forth, with a good selection of garnishes.