Pressure Canner Chili

This is part two of my pressure canning recipe series (for more explanation of the canning process, see Part One). The recipe is Isa's Meat Beany Chili supersized to make seven large jars. Having chili in the pantry is great for those days when you want a chili dog, or a quick lunch for the kids.

INGREDIENTS
Makes seven 1 quart/litre jars
- 1.5 cups dry black beans
- 1.5 cups dry red kidney beans

- 1/4 cup oil
- 4 cups chopped onion
- 3 cups chopped green pepper
- 3/4 cup chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup chili powder
- 1/4 cup oregano
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 1 48oz can tomato juice
- 2 28oz cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar

METHOD
1. Soak beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse the next day.
2. Get all of your canning apparatus ready (canner, jars, lids).
3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic for 5-7 mins, or until translucent. Add spices and salt and sauté for a minute, until fragrant.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Increase heat to med-hi and bring to bubbling, stirring regularly.
5. Transfer chili to sterilised jars, making sure each one has the same ratio of solid to liquid. Put on the lids and tighten the rings finger tight.
6. Process in the pressure canner at 10lbs of pressure for 75 mins. Remove from heat and let pressure drop to zero. Remove jars from the canner and let completely cool.

Mexican Bread Pudding with Spiced Syrup

This recipe is a mash-up of Isa's bread pudding from Isa Does It and a recipe from the very first vegetarian cookbook I ever bought, Simple Vegetarian Recipes. I used the all white flour version of my Everyday Bread because it has a nice open crumb structure that easily soaks up the liquid. If you are using a denser or leaner bread, give it more time to soak. I think it's worth the time to use the vanilla bean, but your can sub in 2 tsp vanilla extract and forget heating it on the stove. The agar is probably not needed--I was just panicking that I was adding too much liquid. As written, the end result is a moist and custardy pudding that pairs nicely with the anise notes from the syrup. The almonds provide some texture to make for a perfect dessert.

INGREDIENTS
Bread Pudding
- 7 cups cubed stale bread
- 1 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 1/4 cups almond milk
- 1/8 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp agar (probably optional)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp allspice

Spiced Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 4 cloves

METHOD
Bread Pudding
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking pan.
1. Put bread in a large bowl. Add raisins and almonds and toss to mix.
2. Scrape vanilla bean and whisk into the almond milk in a sauce pan. Whisk in turmeric. Add the bean pod and bring to bubbling over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove bean pod.
3. Whisk in coconut milk, then whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Whisk in agar.
4. Whisk in the sugar and spices. Pour mixture over the bread and gently turn to coat. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the bread has soaked up as much liquid as it can. Gently mix the bread halfway through if necessary. Transfer to prepared pan and distribute evenly.
5. Bake for 35 mins, or until golden and the liquid has set.

Spiced Syrup
1. While the pudding is baking, add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to bubbling over medium heat and let bubble away for 10 mins. Remove from heat. Remove spices just before drizzling over the served pieces. 

Ancho Corn Chowder

Every time we have Mexican food I make some kind of corn soup.  There have been many variations over the months, but this is the one that I think is blog-worthy.  Here's why: 1. the ancho chiles provide some heat (add more if you like it hotter), colour, and wonderful flavour.  2: cilantro root!  I hope your grocery store sells cilantro with the root still on because it totally makes this soup (unless you hate cilantro, then forget it).  The roots packs all the flavour of the leaves but with a little more earthiness, and without adding green to a red soup.  3. Tomatoes: I've always loved tomatoes and corn together--I still make corn as a side dish when I serve pasta marinara because I loved it as a kid.  I used the chopped tomatoes I had frozen from the garden last summer and they worked perfectly.  Use fresh corn if you have it, but frozen works too.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 sweet onions, diced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 8 cilantro roots, well-scrubbed, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2-3 dried ancho chiles
- 2.5 cups chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups veggie broth, or water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 cups corn, divided
- 1/4 cup soy creamer (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a stockpot over medium heat.  Saute onions, celery, cilantro roots, and garlic for 5 mins, or until onions start to get translucent.  Stem chiles and rip into large pieces into the pot (seeds and all).  Saute for another 5 mins.
2. Add tomatoes, broth, sugar, and 2 cups of the corn.  Bring to bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 mins, or until tomatoes well-cooked and breaking apart..
3. Blend mixture very well in a blender (in batches) or with an immersion blender right in the pot.  Make as smooth as possible.
4. Return mixture to the pot over medium heat and add remaining 2 cups of corn.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook until corn is soft.
5. Remove from heat and stir in creamer.  Serve.

Easy Mexican Red Rice

Great on its own, as a side, or in a burrito.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 dried red chile, deseeded (I used a New Mexico chile)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (juice and all)
- 1.5 cups long grain rice (I used basmati), rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas

METHOD
1. Slit open chile and deseed, then soak in a bowl of hot water for about 5 mins.  Save the soaking water.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then sauté onion and garlic for 5-7 mins, until translucent but not browned.
3. While onions are cooking, blend the soaked chile (but not the soaking water) into the tomatoes (I use an immersion blender in a juice pitcher, but a blender or food processor would also work).  Blend until smooth.
4. Add rice to onions and stir to coat with oil.  Cook for 2 mins then add the tomato mixture.  Mix well.
5.  Bring to bubbling, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 mins, or until rice is almost cooked.  If rice gets too dry, add some of the soaking liquid.

6.  Add peas to the rise, mix well, then cover and cook for 5 mins.  Fluff rice and serve.

Potato Quesadillas with Homemade Wheat Tortillas

Happy New Year, all you Gregorian calendar users!  I'd like to promise that I will blog more this year, but with 3 major projects on the go I know I would never be able to keep that promise.  I do have some goals for the blog, though.  My passion right now is baking and trying to make vegan baked goods accessible to all home bakers.  That being said, my menus need a real kick in the pants these days so I would like get some new dishes up as well.  This recipe is sort of a mix of these two goals, so enjoy!

Wheat Tortillas (makes twelve 12-14" tortillas)
This recipe is veganized from Peter Reinhart's Crust and Crumb.  It is rather similar to the recipe I posted here, but has a bit more fat.  I like his method, and made these up after I finished my bread baking.  I'm not sure it's worth heating up the oven just for these, so use a cast iron skillet if you're not already baking.  I baked up six, and put the remaining dough in the freezer for another day.
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 lbs bread flour
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 oz vegetable shortening
- 1.5 cups warm water

METHOD
1. Mix flour and salt, then cut the shortening in.  Add water and work into a soft dough.
2. Divide into 12 equal balls, then flatten into discs.  Cover with plastic and let sit for 30 mins.
3. Place a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.  On a floured surface, roll out a disc of dough into a 12 inch circle.  Place in a towel to keep from drying out.  Repeat with remaining discs (If the tortillas as well-floured, you can stack them six high).
4. Once the dough has rested a bit, you can stretch the tortillas even thinner by gently stretching them on the back of your knuckles, like you would with pizza dough.  Work from the edges, not the centre.
5. With a spray bottle, spritz the stone with water.  Place a tortilla on the stone (with your hands, or a baking peel) and bake for 30-60 seconds, until puffy but not crispy.  Flip and repeat.  You want the tortilla to bake, but not become hard and inflexible.  Stack in a towel as they come out of the oven.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Potato Quesadillas
I posted a recipe like this 3 years ago, but that was before Daiya existed in my town.  I'm not a huge fake cheese fan, but these are really good.  
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 lb potatoes
- 1 8oz bag shredded Mozzarella style Daiya (or Pepper Jack)
- 6 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp chili sauce
- 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- chopped fresh cilantro to taste
- 6 tortillas (above)

METHOD
1. Boil the potato(es) until tender but not mushy (peel them if you want).  Cool, then grate into a medium bowl.  Add remaining ingredients (not the tortillas, of course) and mix well.
2. Lightly brush a tortilla with oil or margarine, then flip over and place 1/6 of the filling over half of the tortilla.  Fold in half and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
3. Cook in a skillet over med to med-hi heat until both sides are golden brown and cheese has melted.  Cut each tortillas into 3 wedges and serve immediately.

Grilled Mexican Tofu

It may surprise you to know that northern Ontario is not an epicentre of Mexican cuisine. There is nary a chile to be found anywhere, and if you ask for tomatillos at the grocery store you get blank stares. So, I was happy when I saw that the local bulk food store was now carrying chipotle powder. Not as good as the real thing, and not even as good as the canned stuff in adobo sauce, but better than nothing. Even so, this dish is really, really good. It's rather like a tostada but with tofu instead of a corn tortilla.

INGREDIENTS
Dry Rub
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1 pkg tofu, cut into 8 slices

Mexican BBQ Sauce
- 4 tbsp margarine
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup tequila
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp chipotle powder (or more)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- salt, if desired

Refried Beans
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1/2 (approx.) veggie broth
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste

- sliced avocado
- chiffonaded romaine lettuce
- salsa (preferably freshly made)

METHOD
1. Mix together the dry rub ingredients and rub onto all sides of the tofu slices. Set aside.
2. Make the BBQ sauce: heat margarine over medium heat in a saucepan, then saute onions and garlic of 8-10 mins, until nice and soft. Add sugar, tequila, and lime juice and mix well. Add ketchup and spices and bring to bubbling. Remove from heat.
3. Make the refried beans: Heat oil over medium heat, then saute onions and garlic for 10-12 mins, until soft and starting to brown. Add beans and salsa and mix well. Cook for a few mins then begin mashing beans with a fork. As beans cook (about 15 mins), thin out with veggie broth to keep them moist, but not too goopy. When desired consistency is reached, add spices and season to taste. Keep warm over low heat.
4. BBQ tofu according to the method here.
5. Assemble the dish: place a piece of tofu on a plate and top with a layer of refried beans. Top that with 2 avocado slices, and then some of the romaine. Top that with a generous spoonful of salsa.

Mexican Fast Food

Son #1 wanted to play soccer this summer, so I am now officially Vegan Soccer Dad. Of course, I totally forgot about his first practice and stayed later than usual at the office figuring I had all the time in the world to make dinner when I got home. Upon arriving home I was reminded of the error of my ways and suddenly had to get everyone fed and Son #1 to practice in one hour. I kicked into high chopping gear and made this. The kids adore all Mexican food, but having tortilla chips makes it all the more special (bags of chips are a rare commodity in this house). They think they are having a treat and are getting nutrition at the same time.

There is no real recipe tonight since topping are really up to you. This plate has:

1. Tortilla chips

2. Tofu (fried in a bit of oil, then seasoned with one of those Old El Paso taco seasonings packs (the shame! I told you I was in a hurry!) and mixed some water to coat the tofu.

3. Chickpeas cooked in some chipotle salsa.

4. Chopped veggies: onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado.

5. Salsa

6. Chili Lime Yogurt: about 1 cup of plain soy yogurt mixed with juice of 1 lime, large pinch of sugar, salt to taste, and 1/4 tsp chili powder.

Sweet Potatao and Kale Quesedillas

The other night we went to a pasta dinner at the boys' school--a way to meet with other parents and build school spirit. We had a great time, but between chatting and trying to shove pasta into the mouths of kids, Vegan Mom and I really didn't eat a lot. We were both feeling pretty peckish later that evening so I whipped up these fantastic quesedillas (he said, tooting his own horn).

INGREDIENTS

Makes 6-8

- 1 large sweet potato, diced

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1/2 large Vidalia onion, sliced

- 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn

- 1 clove of garlic, chopped

- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

- few dashes hot sauce

- 1/4 cup salsa

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- salt and pepper to tatse

- 2 kale leaves, stalks removed, chopped

- 6-8 small wheat tortillas

- margarine

METHOD

1. Place chopped sweet potato in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 mins, until potatoes are tender.

2. While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onions for 5-7 mins, until starting to nicely brown. Add corn and cook for another 5 mins, until corn begins to brown.

3. Add garlic and jalapeno and saute for 2 mins. Add beans and hot sauce and mix well. Add salsa and spices, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Drain potatoes and roughly mash. Add to pan along with the chopped kale. Cook for a few mins, until kale is softened and a a nice brilliant green. Add more salsa if mixture is too dry. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat. Heat a different fryin pan over medium heat.

5. Spread a thin layer of margarine on one side of a tortilla (not necessary if you are using a cast iron pan). Spread a layer on half of the un-margarined side of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half, then fry for a few mins per side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and slice in 3 triangles.

Mexican Jackfruit Filling

So I finally went on a jackfruit adventure. I was intrigued by said fruit when I saw the pulled jackfruit BBQ sandwich on Chow Vegan because it looked so much like actual meat. If you've hung around this blog for any length of time you know I have no problem with fake meat or trying to recreate meat dishes. I loved meat but gave it up for a variety of reasons I won't get into here. OK, back to the jackfruit. First off, when it comes out of the can it smells pretty bad--about as bad as one might expect from something called "young green jackfruit in brine." When cooked, it reminds me of artichokes. I wonder if they are related. Like Chow Vegan, I wasn't really crazy about the taste until the next day after it had been sitting in the fridge. So, my advice is to make this a day or two in advance and let the flavours soak in. So, in the final analysis, it was pretty good but did not blow me away. The look is spot on, and the taste and texture is pretty good. Of course, jackfruit has no protein, so serve it with refried beans or something.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4-6

- 1 can young green jackfruit

- 1 onion, quartered

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 tsp marjoram

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp cumin

- 2 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 cup orange juice

- water

- 1 cup salsa (or more)

- spices to taste

METHOD

1. Rinse jackfruit, squeeze dry, and place in a pot. Add in onion, garlic, spices, and orange juice, and enough water to almost cover the jackfruit. Bring to boiling, cover, then simmer until jackfruit is tender enough to shred with a fork--about 1.5 to 2 hours.

2. Remove jackfruit from pan and shred with two forks. Put in a frying pan and add in one cup of salsa. Bring to bubbling and simmer, stirring frequently, until salsa has reduced a bit. Add more salsa if you find the taste too weak, or of jackfruit is too dry. Cook until salsa has reduced and jackfruit is drier.

3. Season to taste and serve in burritos, tacos, etc.

Here is the jackfruit after being shredded. Freaky.

Green Enchiladas

I have lamented before about the poor selection of ethnic food available in my city. There are no ethnic markets, just an ethnic section in the grocery store. On top of that, I shop at a store called No Frills which, as the name suggests, has no frills (selection is often a frill). So I was very happy to see green salsa for sale on the shelves the other day (back in Ohio I used to buy fresh tomatillos and make my own green enchilada sauce, but those days are over). Then, the bulk food store was selling off Vegan Gourmet cheese for 99 cents--I had to buy some. The logical dish to make was enchiladas. The taste was very good, considering pretty much everything came from a can, but it reminded me that I can live without Vegan Gourmet.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 can Old El Paso green chiles, with juices
- 1/2 cup tomato salsa
- 2 cups finely chopped veggie lunch meat
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional) plus more for top
- 10 wheat tortillas (or corn)
- 1 1/2 jars green salsa

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 x 11 baking dish.
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over med-hi heat. Saute onion and garlic for 5-7 mins, until translucent. Add chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon and mix well.
2. Add chiles, salsa, and veggie meat to the pan and bring to bubbling. Stir in cheese if using, and adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat.
3. Place 1/10th of the filling in a tortilla and roll up. Place in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas. Cover everything with salsa and as much cheese as you want.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 mins, or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted (or whatever it is that vegan cheese does).

Vegan Buñuelos

Tomorrow is grocery day so tonight's meal was all about throwing things into a tortilla: sauteed sweet onions, orange and yellow peppers; roasted jalapenos; and chickpeas. Tasty, but really just a variation of stuff I have blogged before. I thought we needed something special for afters so I made vegan buñuelos, a Mexican fried dough dessert (that usually has egg and butter). From what I can see, there are a variety of ways to make these so I am not sure there is a "correct" way. I made these like wee little doughnuts since there is no vegan doughnut shop anywhere near here. The dough is not very sweet (they aren't like a Tim Horton's doughnut) but are absolutely addictive. They taste best when freshly cooked so I have posted a recipe for 6. Double or triple according to how many you are feeding. Word of warning: I have never had a "real" buñuelo to compare these to, but to my mind these are awesome and taste and look like I think they should.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1/4 tsp ground anise

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 2 tsp ground flax seed

- 3-4 tsp water

- 1/4 cup soy milk

- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

- 2 tbsp Earth Balance margarine, melted

- oil for frying

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon

METHOD

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, anise, and sugar in a medium bowl.

2. In a small bowl add ground flax with 3 tsp of the water and let sit for a minute. Whisk with a fork until mixture thickens. Whisk in soy milk and vinegar.

3. Add flax mixture to the flour and mix with a fork. As the dough begins to come together mix in melted margarine with the fork. Use you hands to bring the dough together, adding the final tsp of water if needed. Knead dough on a counter top (floured, if needed) for 7 to 10 mins, or until dough is smooth. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.

4. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 mins.

5. Heat a few inches of oil in a pan to about 375 degrees (med-hi on my stove). Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. While oil is heating, poke through the centre of each dough ball with the end of a wooden spoon and insert your pointer finger to shape each ball into a ring.

6. Fry in oil for about 60 seconds, turning once, until it floats and is a nice golden colour. If you use a small saucepan, like I do, you may want to flip it a few times. They like to sit at the bottom of the pan for a bit before they float, so they can brown quite quickly when in contact with the bottom of the pan.

7. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or paper bags. While still hit, toss each doughnut in the cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy right away.

Green Chile Chickpea Tortilla Cups

These are really, really good, and would be perfect as a party appetizer. I was not sure how the green chiles would work with the chickpeas, but it all turned out swimmingly. I was a little baffled that the boys were not crazy about them, but they were in a bit of a cranky mood today. Their loss. Vegan Mom and I chugged back everything they left behind.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 recipe wheat tortillas, made into twelve 4+" tortillas

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 cup chickpeas

- 1 can Old El Paso green chiles, drained

- 1 tomato, finely diced

- salsa

- shredded vegan cheese (I grate Tofutti slices)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a muffin tin.

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry chickpeas for 5 mins, until golden. Add chiles and heat through. Remove from heat and coarsely mash with a fork.

2. Line each muffin tin with one of the tortillas. Equally divide chickpea mixture into each of the tortillas. Top with tomato, a spoonful of salsa, and a healthy dose of grated cheese.

3. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until cheese is melted and tops of tortilla shells are lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Tortas

This is a fun meal for kids and a different way to serve up Mexican goodness without a tortilla. In order to cram all the ingredients in you need to hollow out the bottom part of the roll--this is the part the kids find so fun. After they have picked out the soft insides of the crusty roll they can fill in the cavity with their choice of toppings (I have suggested some here, but you can choose your own). Have fun!

INGREDIENTS

- French crusty rolls, or Mexican bolillo rolls

- refried beans

- finely sliced seitan

- salsa

- diced tomatoes

- thinly sliced red onion

- guacamole, or diced avocado

- shredded vegan cheese

- vegan sour cream

- shredded lettuce

METHOD

1. Cut roll 2/3rds of the way up (which I really didn't do, so don't look at the picture) and hollow out the bottom. Put down a thick layer of refried beans, then top with seitan and toppings. Put on top of roll and enjoy!

Albondigas

Tempeh meatballs in a spicy and sweet tomato sauce, served with homemade tortillas to mop up the extra sauce. Need I say more? All three boys bolted these down like it was their last meal. Son #2 ate six meatballs and two tortillas, so the recipe definitely gets the thumbs up!

INGREDIENTS

- 1 recipe of perfect tempeh burger, shaped into meatballs (with 1/2 tsp each cumin and cinnamon added to the spice mix)

- 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

- 2 tbsp oil

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juices

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 - 2 tbsp chili powder

- 1 tbsp paprika

- 1 tsp coriander

- 1 tsp parsley

- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

- juice of 1/2 lime

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large deep sided frying pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs for 10 mins, turning regularly, until all sides are nicely browned. Remove from pan.

2. Add potatoes to pan and fry for 5-7 mins, until softened and slightly browned. Remove from pan.

3. While potatoes are cooking, put the remaining ingredients (sugar to salt and pepper) into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add to pan and bring to bubbling. Cook for a few mins, then add meatballs and potatoes into the sauce. Cover and simmer while you make tortillas (15-20 mins). If sauce is too thin for your liking, simmer with the lid off for 5-10 mins. Serve with tortillas.

Refried Bean Quesadillas

I have discovered that my kids will wolf down just about anything in tortilla. This is a great way to get them to eat beans, and especially refried beans. So tonight was Seis de Mayo at our house (sort of a continued celebration of the Mexican victory over the French) with some Tequila Chili Lime Tofu and these addictive quesadillas.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 can low fat vegetarian refried beans

- minced sweet onion

- shredded vegan cheese

- small wheat tortillas

METHOD

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat

1. Spread a thick layer of refried beans on half of a torilla. Top with some diced onion and cheese. Fold tortillas in half. Cook in pan for 2-3 mins per side, until golden and cheese is melted.

I also made this utterly amazing nacho dip. It is a tester recipe from Happy Herbivore's upcoming cookbook. It is really, really great.

Spicy Tempeh Tacos

I think it is safe to say that spring has finally come to stay. After a few days of snow flurries and temperatures near freezing, today was bright and sunny, and the forecast looks like more of the same. The ice is finally all melted on the lake, and plenty of people and their pets were out and about today.

Warm weather always makes me hungry for Mexican food, and tonight I wanted something spicy. I made tempeh strips a la my tempeh gyro (but with no marjoram and rosemary, and more sage) and topped them with these spicy onions.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 vidalia onion, halved and sliced

- 2 jalapeno peppers

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- few dashes Tabasco sauce

METHOD

1. Make tempeh as per the instructions in this recipe (spice as you see fit). When tempeh slices are cooked, slice into smaller strips.

2. Heat a frying pan over med-hi heat. Roast whole jalapeno peppers on the pan, turning regularly to lightly char the skin. Remove from heat and let cool. When cool, slice in half, deseed, and thickly slice.

3. Add oil to frying pan and increase heat to med-hi. Add onions and saute for 5 mins, until onions are just beginning to brown. Add garlic and pepper and fry for 2 mins. Add Tabasco to taste and remove from heat.

4. Place a few strips of tempeh on a small wheat tortilla and top with onion mixture. Top that with tomato and salsa.

Bean and Rice Burritos

I love this dish because it highlights cloves, which are usually hiding in the background in Mexican cooking. This is a simple dish but tasty which is made even better if you make your own tortillas (which makes it a less simple, of course). I used some store-bought tortillas that where more like pressed sawdust that wheat tortillas. Lesson learned.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10 large burritos

- 1 cup long grain rice

- 4 cups water

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

- 2 tsp ground cloves

- 2 tsp oregano

- 2 cup diced canned tomatoes, with juices

- 2 cups mixed beans (pinto, black, chickpeas) or finely chopped seitan

- 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)

- 1/2 cup sour cream

- salt to taste

- 10 large wheat tortillas

METHOD

1. Bring water to boil in a medium pot and add rice. Cook for 8 minutes then drain, rinse thoroughly in cold water, and rinse again. Set aside.

2. While rice is cooking, heat oil in a frying pan over med-hi heat. Saute onion, garlic, pepper, cloves, and oregano for 4-5 mins until onion softens. Add rice and mix well. Then, add in tomatoes and beans and cook over low heat until all the juice has absorbed and rice is cooked. Add a little water if it gets too dry, or rice is not cooking.

3. Get a cast iron pan heating over medium heat.

4. Add in cheese and sour cream and mix well. Season with salt, if needed.

5. Put 1/10 of the mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Fold over both sides, then bottom and top into a squarish package. Repeat. Place a few burritos, folded side down, in cast iron pan. Cook for a minute or two, until golden brown. Flip over and cook other side. Serve.

Simple Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

If you have never made your own salsa then you are missing out on one of life's simple pleasures.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 small onion, finely diced

- juice of one lime

- 1 roasted red pepper, cooled, seeded and skinned, and diced

- 3 tomatoes, seeded, and finely diced

- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

- salt and pepper (optional)

METHOD

1. Put onion in a bowl and add lime juice. Let sit for a few mins. Add in red pepper, tomatoes (you can skin them if you want, but I never bother), jalapeno pepper, and cilantro. Mix well.

2. You can add a bit of salt, if you want, but it will draw the water out of the tomatoes and make the salsa more watery.

Potato Cheese Quesadillas

These are a tasty little appetizer for your next fiesta that both kids and adults will love. The potato and cheese provide a salty, starchy and gooey base that is accented by the scallions and hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 quesadillas, or 16 wedges

- 4 large wheat tortillas

- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes

- 3 scallions, finely chopped

- few dashes hot sauce

- 1/4 tsp salt

- dash of pepper

- 1 cup shredded vegan cheese

METHOD

1. Boil potatoes, skins on, in a small pot for about 15 mins, until tender but still firm. Drain water and set aside to cool.

2. Grate cooled potatoes, skins and all, into a bowl. Add in scallions, hot sauce, and salt and pepper and mix well.

3. Assemble the quesadillas: put 1/4 of the potato mixture on half of a tortilla. Top with 1/4 of the cheese. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Cook quesadillas in a dry skillet over medium heat, flipping once, until tortilla is golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut in 4 wedges and serve immediately.

Red Rice Tacos with Citrus Tofu

The past few days have been warm and sunny, and we have even eaten dinner out on the back porch twice! This beautiful weather, combined with reading about Urban Vegan's trip to Mexico, made tacos the logical choice for tonight (well, if sun+warm=tacos makes logical sense to you). I did not have any salsa or any sour cream, so I wanted to make a flavourful taco that did not rely on these ingredients. I'm not sure that rice is a traditional taco ingredient, but it works here. The tofu portion of the dish is a no (added) fat version of the tequila chili lime tofu I made a while back. The rest of the toppings are up to you, but the ones I used here worked really well. The avocado brings creaminess, the mesclun brings earthiness, and the hot sauce gives some bite.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup long grain white rice

- 2 cups water

- 1/2 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp paprika

- 1 tsp oregano

- 1 tsp salt

- pinch of cayenne

- 1 pkg firm tofu, cubed

- 1/4 cup tequila

- juice of 1 orange

- juice of 1 lemon

- juice of 1 lemon

- 1 tsp salt

- small wheat tortillas

- diced tomato

- minced sweet onion

- diced avocado

- finely sliced mesclun (or some other dark leafy green)

- shredded vegan cheese

- Louisiana hot sauce (not Mexican, I know, but tasty!)

METHOD

1. Rinse rice and place in a pot with water, chili powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, stirring to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 mins, until rice is cooked.

2. While rice is cooking, make the tofu. This method only works if you have a good non-stick pan. Heat pan over medium heat and add in tofu cubes. Cook for about 15 mins, flipping the tofu often, until all sides are golden and tofu has released its water. This makes for a nice chewy texture.

3. Add tequila to the pan and cook until all tequila is cooked off/absorbed into tofu. Add juices and do the same thing. Remove from pan and serve.

4. Assemble tacos: start with rice in a tortilla, top with tofu, then all the other stuff. Finish off with a few dashes of hot sauce and enjoy!