Tex-Mex Casserole

I'm really bad at cooking for two... I cook for an army. This recipe is a perfect example... It feeds about eight... or as I like to think of it, Kyle for about 2 days :)

I looooove casseroles because they are so easy to make, and you can basically put anything in them. I saw a dish similar to this on another blog, but it called for pasta... and sometimes... well, pasta is just too heavy for me. I prefer to use rice, and I figured that rice went better with these ingredients anyway :)

Ingredients

- 2 C Rice (uncooked)

-4 C water

-1 tsp olive oil

-1 onion, chopped

-2 green onions, copped

-1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

-3 medium tomatos

-3 bell peppers (I used 1 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow), chopped

-1 large handful of cilantro, chopped

-1-3 tbsp taco seasoning mix, to taste

-1 can black beans (or 2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed

-1.5-2 cups homemade enchilada sauce 

-1/3-1/2 cup organic or non-dairy cheese

-1 cup chopped green onions

-salt & pepper, to taste

-20 tortilla chips (about 2 handfuls), crushed

-Avocado, salsa, sour cream, etc, to garnish

                                         

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350F and grab a 2-quart casserole dish. Add dry rice to a pot along with water and cook until done. 

-In a large skillet, sauté the chopped onion, jalapeno, and peppers in the olive oil over medium heat for about 7-8 mins.

-Add the taco seasoning, drained and rinsed black beans, and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir well and cook for another 5 mins.

Stir in the cheese, rice, chopped green onion, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

-Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish. Scoop on the skillet mixture and spread out evenly. Spoon on the rest of the sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese.

-Bake for 15-20 mins at 350F until heated through. Sprinkle with crushed nacho chips, chopped avocado, salsa, and sour cream if desired just before serving.

                               

                                                          ENJOY! xo

Easy Vegan Dinner

Sometimes I have those days where I am really not in the mood in creating something for dinner. I often get off looks from Kyle as to what I have served up... it is often a random mix of different sides made into a "meal". 

Well, this week I found a fantastic new product! I had read about the brand Field Roast on another vegan blog, and knew I had to try them. Found at our local health food store, Naked Naturals (seriously, my favorite store, EVER!). I bought two of the three flavors.

Last night we tried the Potato and Apple, they are the bomb. I actually sent a text to one of my good friends (also a non-meat eater) and actually said they were "the bomb". I don't know why I feel the need to say this all of the time now..... 



This meal was super easy, and delicious! We are big brussel sprout lovers in our house, so I try to cook them as often as I can around this time of the year.


Garlicky Brussels and Potatoes
-brussel sprouts 
-potatoes
-garlic cloves, minced
-olive oil
-salt and pepper

*Please note, prepare as many brussel sprouts and potatoes as you would like. Also, add as much garlic as you would like. We love garlic, so I add more than most people would :) 

Directions
-Preheat over to 400 C
-Slice brussel sprouts in half, vertically. If you cut them horizontally, they wont stay together well.
-Slice potatoes into thin wedges
-Place brussel sprouts and potatoes in baking dish. Toss with olive oil, garlic,salt and pepper.



-Place dish in oven and bake approximately 30 minutes. Once veggies get golden and tender, they're done. 

Sausages
-Preheat skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add sausages, cook until golden brown on all sides. Slice and serve.

The final product :) Enjoy!! xo

Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf

For the last two months, I have been seeing pumpkin recipes EVERYWHERE! Don't get me wrong, I love a good pumpkin pie... but I just wasn't convinced when I was seeing pumpkin risotto, and pumpkin smoothies.... So, I thought I would take the first step and purchase a pumpkin and roast it. This turned out to be extremely easy... but then, the pumpkin sat in my fridge for a few days. But, after all my skepticism I finally have a recipe to share :)

Ingredients

Cinnamon Streusel:
2 tbsp organic sugar
2 tbsp vegan margarine2 tbsp oat flour or finely ground old-fashioned oats 
4 tbsp old-fashioned oats 
2 tsp cinnamon

For the Loaf:
1 C oat flour or finely ground old-fashioned oats 
1/2 C white rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C non-dairy or organic milk
1 C pumpkin puree
1/4 C vegan margarine 
1/2 C organic sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare streusel, combine sugar, margarine, oat flour, oats and cinnamon. Set aside.

For loaf, in a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a smaller bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, margarine  sugar, vanilla and cranberries. Fold wet ingredients into dry and stir until just moistened.

Spoon into a standard loaf pan that has been greased or liberally sprayed with cooking spray. Top with streusel. 

Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

*I found that if I left the loaf overnight it set-up much better. 

Enjoy!!! xo