Green & Red Lentil Enchiladas

I have had the ingredients to make these enchiladas for awhile now and I finally felt well enough to try it out. The recipe is from Peas and Thank You and is fairly simple to put together. I have made many enchilada casseroles in my day and that is what I chose to do with this one. Rolling the lentil filling into each individual corn tortilla is time-consuming, messy and not necessary. I just tore the  corn tortillas in pieces and made three layers with the lentil filling and cheese and then topped it with more cheese, the green enchilada sauce and black olives. Sooo much easier and still just as delicious! 

~ Green and Red Lentil Enchilada Casserole ~

I topped the enchiladas with shredded romaine, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and some picante sauce. This makes great left-overs; it's a keeper and the hubby agrees. 

Two quick and easy meals when I don't feel like cooking:

Bean Burritos! 

Marc's Magnificent Noodles

from The Garden of Vegan

Lots of yummy soba noodles along with spinach, garlic, miso, flax oil and green onions.

Spring Break and Life Happens

Wow~this is the longest I have gone without posting anything since I started my blog. But life happens. My mom had shoulder replacement surgery the end of April. She was home one day and then had a stroke. So it's been 3 1/2 weeks of hospitals, doctors and rehab facilities. She is home now and on the road to recovery. I am so thankful that myself and my two siblings live close by to take care of our sweet mama. Our meals have consisted of hospital cafeteria food; finding relatively healthy choices at fast food joints and not-so healthy choices!; and making quick meals using Gardein products and pasta dishes. I have just now felt like picking up a cookbook and trying some new recipes. I finally restocked my fridge, which was down to the condiments, with lots of veggies and fruit. I also had a birthday during all of this and my dear friend left me this lovely strawberry plant on my front porch. I didn't know what it was and had to ask her!

~ a cute little strawberry! ~ 

Breakfast; well, since each one was only the size of my pinky I did have something else to eat! 

It's already getting some more strawberries. I hope I get a few more before the heat takes over. We skipped right over cool spring weather and headed right into the heat of summer. 

Blueberry Hemp Cinnamon Crunch Muffins

I made these yummy muffins last month and never posted about them. I even bought another bag of hemp seeds to make them again! Lots of luscious blueberries and not too sweet. Vegan Thyme has the recipe on her blog. 

Wheat Berry Minestrone

I used the last of my wheat berries to make this delicious soup. The wheat berries give it lots of chewy, meaty texture. The recipe is on Dr. Grandma's. 

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes 

from Betty Goes Vegan

My hubby brought me a box of freshly harvested red potatoes straight from the field still covered in dirt. This is a quick and easy recipe to use them. I think they could have roasted a little longer to get more brown but they were still tasty.

Chik'n Enchiladas

This last recipe I whipped up the other night using ingredients I had in my pantry and freezer. I cooked up three Gardein Chik'n Scallopini and chopped them into pieces. I rolled them into six corn tortillas with a little Daiya cheddar sprinkled on top. Topped everything with the Frontera Red Chile Enchilada Sauce and covered that with more Daiya cheddar. Baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, added a salad and had dinner ready!  

 Really handy to have in the pantry. Read the ingredients on the different flavors; some of them are not vegan. 

Chik'n Enchiladas

I topped the enchiladas with some chopped cilantro and green onions. 

I'm ready to get back in the kitchen and try some new recipes!

Cauliflower Lentil Tostadas & Spanish Rice

 I love watching Jason Wrobel on "How To Live To 100" on The Cooking Channel. One episode was all about cauliflower. He made these Cauliflower Lentil Tacos but I baked up some corn tortillas and made tostadas instead.

You take a head of cauliflower and pulse it in the food processor until it is the size of rice grains. It's combined with cooked lentils and lots of other spicy ingredients to make this yummy taco/tostada/burrito filling. 

I also made Spanish Rice following the recipe in Give Them Something Better. It uses brown rice instead of white. It was kind of dry so I might add extra tomato sauce and water next time. I still like my own version of Spanish Rice better. 

Instead of the Guacamole recipe Jason uses I made the Avocado Tomato Salsa from La Dolce Vegan. Lots of lime juice and cilantro! 

Both of these recipes make alot so I froze the leftovers for a quick dinner on nights I don't want to cook.

Bean & Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado ~ pg. 120

VegCookbookClub July recipes from eat, drink & be vegan by Dreena Burton:

I really like how Dreena gives menu suggestions at the beginning of many of her recipes. It makes it easy to put a whole meal together without thinking too much.

Layering the lasagna. 

I usually don't use avocados in a hot dish so we'll see how this goes. It's easier to cut the corn tortillas into strips and place them in the dish. Here in Arizona we call these enchiladas not lasagna! 

Hot from the oven with melted Daiya cheddar on top.

Served the "lasagna" with chopped cilantro and lime and

 mixed greens salad topped with Cumin-Cinnamon Vinaigrette. I really enjoyed the spicy flavors in this dish. Still not too sure about hot, baked avocados though!

Tostadas with Chili-Spiced Greens & Potatoes

Wow~can't believe it's been so long since I've posted anything. Busy, busy month. I threw a big bash for my 50th birthday which was actually last month but we celebrated this month. I had everyone bring their favorite finger food to share. I made my favorite vegan ranch salad dressing with veggies and dried veggie chips and Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus with pita bread. I also served Grilled Tofu Veggie Kabobs. I marinated the tofu and my mom grilled them up for me on a grill pan. They were delicious! Now if only I had taken pictures of everything. :(  

I've had this cookbook for awhile now and decided to try a few recipes out of it. The first one I tried, "Quinoa with Chard & Chickpeas" wasn't a success so I'm not including it in my blog because I won't make it again. Tonight I tried the tostada recipe; the combination of ingredients sounded a little strange but it turned out great.

 

The potato and greens (I used baby spinach) mixture. The recipe called for a mashed avocado to be added into the mix but I didn't have one and I really didn't miss it.

Love the flavors of lime, cumin and cilantro! I topped my tostada with a little Daiya cheddar shreds.

 

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tortilla Casserole

VegCookbookClub December recipes from Nava Atlas-Vegan Holiday Kitchen:

I have a confession. I am a CHEESE addict. So when I find a vegan recipe that satisfies that craving, gives my brain chemicals the 'happy dance' and doesn't leave me with a hangover, headache and intestinal distress the next morning-WHOO HOO! Believe me, I have caved in  several times and ordered pizza and I am not a happy person to be around for a couple of days! I know there are some vegan purists who poo poo at "fake" cheese but not this CHEESE addicted girl. I cannot even keep CHEESE in the fridge for my hubby; it calls my name... He's better off without it anyway. So all of that to say-this is one heck of a delicious casserole that I will even serve to those who eat CHEESE!

Before the delicious cheesy sauce.

I always tear my corn tortillas into pieces; much easier than layering them.

 

Mmmm-after baking with the delicious cheesy sauce. Could not live without Daiya; I keep packages of it in my freezer. I never want to run out; never! For this recipe I used half cheddar and half mozzarella flavors. I have made many, many enchilada casseroles in my pre-vegan/vegetarian days and this beats them all. I know what we're having for leftovers tomorrow!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tortilla Casserole and Sauteed Asparagus & Broccolini

 

I ate two helpings of this but that is much better than stuffing myself with CHEESE pizza!! I have three more recipes I plan on making out of this awesome cookbook. I've never made black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day and I'm starting the tradition at our house this year-Hoppin' John, Garlicky Greens and Green Chili Cornbread. Thanks Nava, for putting out such excellent cookbooks. I still have her cookbook "Vegetariana" from many moons ago!