Mexican Archives - Page 3 of 6

Spicy Empanadas

January 1, 2013 by epicureanvegan

Happy New Year!

We spent our New Year’s Eve with friends and I brought these empanadas. I’ve made similar ones before and I noticed that I had written 5-6 jalapenos for that recipe. Those must have been some pretty mild peppers, because I used one in this recipe and they were plenty zippy! I changed these up a little and they turned out great. I think adding a chipotle-flavored Field Roast sausage link would also be great for the filling. I’m going to have to figure out how to keep them from opening up during the baking process, but it didn’t seem to make a difference in taste—they were gone in minutes!

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
3 C flour + some for kneading
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 Tbs water
12 Tbs Earth Balance (1-1/2 sticks)
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs white vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 C water
Filling:
8-oz non-dairy cream cheese
2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs almond milk + some for brushing
1 tsp shallot salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 C vegan pepper jack, shredded
1 tsp cumin
1 jalapeno, chopped fine
1/3 C red bell pepper, chopped small
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbs olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
To make the dough, combine the egg replacer with the water and process until foamy.

Add the flour, Earth Balance, salt, vinegar, and water. Process until well combine.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic in a medium skillet. Add the onions, jalapeno, and bell pepper. Season with cumin and saute 5-7 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese, lime juice, almond milk, shallot salt, and garlic powder. Stir in the cilantro, cheese, and pepper mixture.

Preheat oven to 400. Roll out the dough and using a disk, bowl or cup, cut out 4″ circles.

Place about a tablespoon of the filling in the middle of dough circle. Fold over and you can either use a fork to seal the edges closed, or a pastry wheel cutter, then place onto a large baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, then brush the tops with almond milk. Bake another 5-7 minutes, or until the tops brown. Enjoy!

(Makes around 28)

Spicy Empanadas

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

Dough:
3 C flour + some for kneading
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 4 Tbs water
12 Tbs Earth Balance (1-1/2 sticks)
½ tsp salt
1 Tbs white vinegar
⅓ to ½ C water
Filling:
8-oz non-dairy cream cheese
2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs almond milk + some for brushing
1 tsp shallot salt
½ tsp garlic powder
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
½ C vegan pepper jack, shredded
1 tsp cumin
1 jalapeno, chopped fine
⅓ C red bell pepper, chopped small
½ medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbs olive oil

Directions

To make the dough, combine the egg replacer with the water and process until foamy.
Add the flour, Earth Balance, salt, vinegar, and water. Process until well combine.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic in a medium skillet. Add the onions, jalapeno, and bell pepper. Season with cumin and saute 5-7 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese, lime juice, almond milk, shallot salt, and garlic powder. Stir in the cilantro, cheese, and pepper mixture.
Preheat oven to 400.
Roll out the dough and using a disk, bowl or cup, cut out 4" circles.
Place about a tablespoon of the filling in the middle of dough circle. Fold over and you can either use a fork to seal the edges closed, or a pastry wheel cutter, then place onto a large baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then brush the tops with almond milk.
Bake another 5-7 minutes, or until the tops brown. Enjoy!
Makes around 28.

Field Roast and Spinach Enchiladas (a.k.a. Best. Enchiladas. Ever.)

October 23, 2012 by epicureanvegan

These were seriously enchilada magic. They were also very easy to make, which may have been because The Eighth Grader helped out. With or without help in the kitchen, you’ll have plenty of help eating these! This is also a great dish to trick those meat-lover friends and family and later, you can do the happy “Ha-Ha That Was Vegan And You Loved It” dance. (But try not to gloat too much.) 😉 The homemade roasted red pepper sauce is so simple to make and rounds out the entire dish rather nicely.

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 C vegetable broth
2-1/2 tsp Ancho chile pepper
1-1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 jarred roasted red peppers
2-3 large cloves of garlic
Filling:
2 tsp olive oil
2 Field Roast sausages, Chipotle style, crumbled
1 C onion, diced
5-6 C fresh spinach, torn into pieces, or chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
The rest:
6 large flour tortillas
Daiya cheese shreds

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, combine the diced tomatoes, broth, Ancho chile pepper, cumin, oregano, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook five minutes, or until the onion softens and begins to brown. Add the Field Roast and black beans and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

While the filling is cooking, place the roasted red peppers and garlic in the food processor:

Add just half of the sauce and puree until smooth, then return it to the saucepan and combine with the other half of the sauce.

Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir the spinach into the filling mixture. You may need to add a tiny bit of water to get the steam going. I poured a little vegetable broth in. Cook until the spinach just begins to wilt, then remove from the heat.

To assemble the enchiladas, place about a third of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla evenly with the filling and top with a sprinkle of Daiya cheese. I used a combo of cheddar and jack.

Roll up tightly and place fold-side down in the pan.

Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle some more Daiya on top.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Top with some Tofutti sour cream, cilantro, and green onions (diced avocado is great, too).
Enjoy!

Field Roast and Spinach Enchiladas (a.k.a. Best. Enchiladas. Ever.)

These were seriously enchilada magic. They were also very easy to make, which may have been because The Eighth Grader helped out. With or without help in the kitchen, you'll have plenty of help eating these! This is also a great dish to trick those meat-lover friends and family and later, you can do the happy "Ha-Ha That Was Vegan And You Loved It" dance. (But try not to gloat too much.) 😉 The homemade roasted red pepper sauce is so simple to make and rounds out the entire dish rather nicely.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

Sauce:
28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
½ C vegetable broth
2-1/2 tsp Ancho chile pepper
1-1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 jarred roasted red peppers
2-3 large cloves of garlic
Filling:
2 tsp olive oil
2 Field Roast sausages, Chipotle style, crumbled
1 C onion, diced
5-6 C fresh spinach, torn into pieces, or chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
The rest:
6 large flour tortillas
Daiya cheese shreds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium saucepan, combine the diced tomatoes, broth, Ancho chile pepper, cumin, oregano, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minute
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook five minutes, or until the onion softens and begins to brown. Add the Field Roast and black beans and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
While the filling is cooking, place the roasted red peppers and garlic in the food processor. Add just half of the sauce and puree until smooth, then return it to the saucepan and combine with the other half of the sauce.
Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Stir the spinach into the filling mixture. You may need to add a tiny bit of water to get the steam going. I poured a little vegetable broth in. Cook until the spinach just begins to wilt, then remove from the heat.
To assemble the enchiladas, place about a third of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla evenly with the filling and top with a sprinkle of Daiya cheese. I used a combo of cheddar and jack.
Roll up tightly and place fold-side down in the pan.
Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle some more Daiya on top.
Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Top with some Tofutti sour cream, cilantro, and green onions (diced avocado is great, too). Enjoy!

Baked Tofu Tacos

August 22, 2012 by epicureanvegan

This was a delicious experiment. The Eighth Grader suggested these tacos, so why not? Tofu’s the chameleon of plant-based foods. I had bought some seasoning mix from Savory Spice Shop that we thought sounded interesting, and decided to try it out on these tacos.

I think it works best to try to marinate the tofu in the seasoning for a few hours. (These tacos tasted even better the next day).

INGREDIENTS:
16-20 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 Tbs seasoning mix of your choice, divided
2-4 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 onion, sliced
Taco shells
Lettuce, shopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Salsa
Avocado, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
Cut the tofu into little slabs . . .

Line a baking sheet (preferably with sides to catch the oil) with foil. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix with about 1 to 1-1/2 Tbs of olive oil. Brush the foil with a little of the mixture, then line the pan with the tofu. Brush the tops and sides of the tofu with the olive oil mix. If you can cover and leave the tofu for an hour or two, that would be great. You can also combine the the 2 Tbs of the mixture and olive oil in a bag or dish with the tofu and marinate it that way.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake the tofu for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Turn the tofu slices and brush the remaining seasoning/oil mix on the other side. Bake another 15 minutes or so, again, until the edges begin to brown.

While the tofu is baking, saute the onion slices in a little olive oil over medium heat.

Once baked, cut each slice in half, longways.

I transferred the tofu to the onion pan.

Scoop into some taco shells, add a slice or two of avocado, some lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa. Enjoy!

Baked Tofu Tacos

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

16-20 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 Tbs seasoning mix of your choice, divided
2-4 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 onion, sliced
Taco shells
Lettuce, shopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Salsa
Avocado, sliced

Directions

Cut the tofu into little slabs
Line a baking sheet (preferably with sides to catch the oil) with foil. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix with about 1 to 1-1/2 Tbs of olive oil. Brush the foil with a little of the mixture, then line the pan with the tofu. Brush the tops and sides of the tofu with the olive oil mix. If you can cover and leave the tofu for an hour or two, that would be great. You can also combine the the 2 Tbs of the mixture and olive oil in a bag or dish with the tofu and marinate it that way.
Preheat oven to 375. Bake the tofu for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Turn the tofu slices and brush the remaining seasoning/oil mix on the other side. Bake another 15 minutes or so, again, until the edges begin to brown.
While the tofu is baking, saute the onion slices in a little olive oil over medium heat.
Once baked, cut each slice in half, longways.
I transferred the tofu to the onion pan.
Scoop into some taco shells, add a slice or two of avocado, some lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa. Enjoy!

Vegan Vacation: Santa Fe, Taos and Montrose & Ouray, CO

August 13, 2012 by epicureanvegan

Rio Grand Gorge outside Taos

Wow, where to start?! It’s good to be back, but it sure felt great to get away for nearly two weeks. I will try to keep this brief, but I have LOTS of wonderful food to bring you. Santa Fe and Taos are full of spectacular restaurants, so it wasn’t hard to find places to eat, even for vegans and vegetarians. I will say, when eating out in Santa Fe and Taos, be prepared to spend some dough. The average cost for the three of us (including wine or margaritas) for any meal, was $40-$45. The portion sizes, however seemed large, so splitting meals, or taking half your meal home with you (if possible) is a great idea. So first up . . .

SANTA FE

BLUE CORN CAFE

133 Water Street

Located just off the plaza in Santa Fe, this is a pretty decent option for vegans and vegetarians. We started with some chips and salsa (which are not complimentary). The salsa is delicious. We opted for the most vegan item: the Marinated Portobello Fajitas ($14.95) that came with onions and bell peppers, not to mention all the fixins’. (I worked around the sour cream and cheese).

This is a good-sized portion that two people could have easily split—I wish we had; it was a lot of food, but really tasty.

THE AZTEC CAFE

317 Aztec Street

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place! If fact, we ate here three different times. This is such a cool little cafe that offers a wide range of organic and natural whole foods. They have a great covered patio…

Our first visit was for breakfast. The Husband and I went with the Vegan Burrito and the Eight Grader went with the vegetarian one. The vegan one was filled with potatoes, black beans, and other great stuff (sorry, I forgot to write the ingredients down…)

We came back for breakfast again, and the guys went with their vegetarian quiche, and I had their homemade, raw muesli with fresh fruit. OUTSTANDING! And it came with almond milk. Even better. This kept me full all day long—a great choice before a long day of hiking.

Almond milk latte!

We then hit up the cafe for lunch and the kid went with a bagel with jam while The Husband got the portobello sandwich:

I decided the kale salad with cashew dressing was up my alley. So delicious!

This is a must-stop-at-destination if you’re visiting Santa Fe. Great service, reasonable prices, and excellent food.

ATOMIC GRILL

103 East Water Street

This was a great option for a quick lunch. It was a pretty popular place and had a great outdoor patio. Not to mention a really extensive beer and wine list. We started with some chips, salsa, and guacamole. (Awesome, freshly-made guac)!

The guys ordered cheese pizza (yeah, I know…the guys will cheat and eat cheese when sometimes eating out. At least they’re vegetarian!) I wasn’t starving, so I went with the spinach and strawberry salad (minus the feta cheese).

Fresh and fabulous. It was perfect after having chips and guac, too.

CAFE PASQUAL’S

121 Don Gaspar

This is actually located next door to The Atomic Grill. If you’re willing to splurge a bit, this is a must! Excellent! They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and it’s important to have reservations for dinner; it fills up. We tried to hit it up the first night, but it was full until 8:30, so we made a reservation for the following night (a Friday). The only space available was at the community table that seats about 10 people. I have to say, that was the way to go. We had a great time chatting with the rest of the diners at the table—it was a really fun experience. The restaurant has tons of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options; it was pretty hard to decide. I went with the organic Tofu Mole Enchiladas:

It came with a jicama salad, cilantro rice, and corn bread (not vegan–so they subbed in their signature grilled banana). I’m not a real big banana fan to begin with, so I wasn’t lovin’ the grilled version. But that’s ok, the rest of the meal was outstanding. The sauce definitely has a bite to it, but not overly spicy.

The Eighth Grader went a la carte by having a vegan chile relleno and vegan tamale with green chile:

The Husband opted for the Plato Supremo: a vegan chile relleno, vegan tamale, and a tofu mole enchilada.

The food was probably the best we’d had in Santa Fe . . . and the priciest. For the three of us (plus a bottle of wine) was about $140. But the service and atmosphere is also incredible—it was well worth it.

.

THE TEAHOUSE

821 Canyon Road

The Teahouse is located at the top of Canyon Road. It has its own parking lot, so keep that in mind—it’ll save you from trying to find parking on Canyon.

They have an outdoor patio, but the seating is somewhat limited. The area is large, but there aren’t a ton of tables. We were fortunate to snag one…

The kid went with a green tea…which he loved…

…and a scone and a bowl of fruit.

The Husband and I had their veggie sandwich (GF bread is an option, btw), with hummus, cucumber, sprouts, and bell pepper.

It was good, but it didn’t blow us away. It was a bit dry, actually. Some Vegenaise would have been great.

TAOS

BENT STREET DELI

120-M Bent Street

This is located just off the plaza in Taos. It offers breakfast and lunch only. The place we were staying recommended it for vegan and vegetarian options. I’d say it definitely has plenty of vegetarian options, but not as many vegan ones. But of course, it’s not difficult to make them vegan. The kid ordered the SW Spud, a potato smothered with beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and veggie green chile. He wasn’t impressed; said it didn’t have much flavor. Luckily, my Taos Hum was plenty big enough to share with him.

I forgot to ask for no feta, so I spent a little time picking it out…oh well. It was delicious! (Hummus, tomato, red onion, sprouts, cucumber, and salsa). The Husband had the Pita the Greek with black olives, feta, sprouts, onion, tomato, and cucumbers. He really liked it.

We stopped here again for breakfast. While the kid had the vegetarian tamale (a special), the husband went with a croissant sandwich with egg. There aren’t many vegan breakfast options, so I went with an English muffin and potatoes…

I also got a soy latte!

.

MICHAEL’S KITCHEN

304 C N Pueblo Road

This place is a local favorite, especially if you like diner-like food. There isn’t much for vegans, but there are some vegetarian options. The Hubby went with a vegetarian burrito:

And the kid had the French toast:

I had the granola pancakes. They were really good, but way too much! Four pancakes was a lot, so I recommend either splitting an order, or seeing if you can have half an order.

.

ANTONIO’S: A Taste of Mexico

122 Dona Luz

This was certainly one of our favorite places to eat. Great food. It was raining, so we couldn’t enjoy the beautiful patio . . .

but that’s ok…it was the food we really cared about. This restaurant certainly seemed to be a hotspot. Maybe it just seemed that way since the patio was closed, but the place was packed—and it was a Tuesday night! We started with drinks (of course). The Husband ordered a margarita ($7.50) and was really disappointed. He said it was “severely weak” and decided not pay for another one that was sure to be watered down. I went with wine. I was hoping for a decent-sized glass because the wines-by-the-glass start at $8-9, but it was pretty skimpy. Oh, well, it’s probably a good thing anyway. So for booze, you may not get your money’s worth.

Antonio’s is known for their guacamole that they make right there at table. For $9 a bowl, you too could have some. We decided not to. But what a cool idea.

The guys started out with the Tacos de Papa a la Creama. They’re mashed potato stuffed taquitos with a cotija cheese on top. I tried a bite sans cheese and holy cow! It was delicious. They loved these.

For dinner, The Husband and I both ordered the veggie tacos. I ordered mine with no cheese, but asked for a side of guac. I was surprised that even though I didn’t get cheese, they still charged me $2.50 for the tiny cup of guacamole. It was yummy though. The Husband’s were pretty spicy, but mine weren’t—the heat is going to vary depending on the pico de gallo. We both thought these were great.

The kid went with the nachos, which was 6 really large tortilla chips, each topped with cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and pico de gallo. He wasn’t thrilled. It’s an appetizer, but the server said it was big enough for a meal. He was expecting your typical pile of chips with all the fixings, and it was disappointing to him. Overall, this was a great place for really delicious Mexican food—I recommend it.

DRAGONFLY CAFE & BAKERY

402 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

This is a great option for vegans and vegetarians! When I looked at their menu online, they had me at Kale and Quinoa Salad! They serve a brunch on Sundays from 9-3, and are open 11-9 Monday-Saturday. We stopped in on Monday for lunch. I had a soy latte in addition to the salad.

The salad was amazing! (Kale, quinoa, onion, cucumber, mint, carrots, almonds, dried apricots, and a lemon vinaigrette).

The guys both ordered the Dragonfly Enchiladas with organic spinach, mushrooms, and white beans, topped with tomatillo salsa, goat cheese and tomatoes.

.

STELLA’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

112 Camino de la Placita

Yes, Italian food in New Mexico. After several days of Mexican food, we were ready for a little change and man, did we luck out. Stella’s is a gem of a restaurant located just off the plaza. The prices are incredibly reasonable and included in the meal are trips to the olive bar with a variety of olives and garlic.

The liquor is also reasonably priced as well. We each got a glass of prosecco for $5 per glass. The service is also exceptional. We started with the Italian Truffle Fries for $4. SO GOOD!!

I then ordered the eggplant Parmesan, served with pesto garlic toast. (The Parm was easy to brush off) I love that it wasn’t drenched in sauce like what most restaurants do. It was delicious!

The Husband ordered the Mushroom Ravioli. These had ricotta inside (which is not listed on the menu description, so be sure to ask first). I couldn’t resist a bite…yum.

Oh, and all the entrees are served with a side of vegetables. Love that! The Eighth Grader ordered the vegetarian lasagna. We highly recommend Stella’s, especially if you’re wanting a change from Mexican food.

On our last day in Taos, we had a little picnic along the Red River. We had stopped at Trader Joe’s while in Santa Fe, so we picked up some goodies.

We picked up a Daiya Cheese Wedge (absolute best vegan cheese—ever! plus, my newest food obsession) and some apples at Cid’s Health Food Market (Taos’ answer to Whole Foods) and had a great snack while reading the latest issue of VegNews.

MONTROSE/OURAY

I didn’t get pictures of the food, but I will recommend El Jimador in Montrose, CO for Mexican food. I had the veggie burrito. The margaritas were also quite good!

In Ouray (probably the most beautiful town in Colorado!) we went to the Ouray Brewery. Check out these great bar chairs!

This is definitely a local (and tourist) favorite. Even at 3:00, it was packed. They have great rooftop dining, as well as two more floors of dining room. They offer six of their own brews and quite a variety of pub food. I had the portobello wrap–outstanding! And The Husband had their vegan burger. He said it was THE BEST vegan burger he has ever had. Sorry for the lack of pics, but trust me, this is a must-stop if you’re in Ouray.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed my culinary cruise through Santa Fe, Taos, Montrose, and Ouray. We certainly had fun eating our way through these great towns!

Guac & Bean Tacos

July 8, 2012 by epicureanvegan

If you need a fast and fresh dinner (or lunch) these are ideal. I really like La Tortilla Factory’s homemade style tortillas for these. They’re a cross between a corn and flour tortilla and are the perfect size.

INGREDIENTS:
4 avocados
1/2 C white or red onion, diced
1/2 to 1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp lime juice
1 can black beans, undrained
1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tomato, diced
Tortillas
Lettuce, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Mash the avocados and add the onion, lime juice, and garlic salt.

In a small sauce pan, heat the beans, stirring often, until heated through. Get ready to assemble . . .

Layer on some avocado mixture, cilantro, beans, and tomatoes. Enjoy!

Guac & Bean Tacos

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

4 avocados
½ C white or red onion, diced
½ to 1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp lime juice
1 can black beans, undrained
½ C fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tomato, diced
Tortillas
Lettuce, chopped

Directions

Mash the avocados and add the onion, lime juice, and garlic salt.
In a small sauce pan, heat the beans, stirring often, until heated through. Get ready to assemble: Layer on some avocado mixture, cilantro, beans, and tomatoes. Enjoy!

Field Roast-Mole Vegan Tamales

June 18, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I’m so excited to bring you this recipe. I’ve always wanted to try making tamales and The Husband loves them, so Father’s Day was the perfect time to give them a shot. This is certainly made easier with help, so enlist someone to give you a hand. Also, the masa, filling, and mole sauce can all be made in advance. The masa and mole recipes are from Roberto Martin’s cookbook, Vegan Cooking for Carbivores, although I deviated off the mole recipe a little. This is a fantastic cookbook–I’ve made so many dishes from it and can’t wait to make more. But I did find his instructions for filling and wrapping the tamales a bit confusing—it would have been nice if he had step-by-step pictures. So I ended up watching a quick how-to video on YouTube, but I’ve got you covered—below are step-by-step pictures on how to make these delicious tamales.

Some important things to keep in mind:

The husks have to soak in hot water for about an hour
The steaming process is an hour and fifteen minutes
Make sure you have a tall steamer, as the tamales have to be steamed vertically (although we experimented with three leftover tamales in my steamer pot that we placed them laying down and they came out fine–but they also weren’t stacked). I borrowed my friend’s electric steamer which was ideal!
The mole sauce isn’t super chocolate-y, so if you prefer it with more of a chocolate flavor, I recommend using four ounces instead of two.

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:
4 Field Roast sausages, chipotle-flavored
1 C corn kernels
1 tsp olive oil
Masa:
4 C masa harina
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
4 C warm water
16 Tbs (2 sticks) vegan margarine, melted
1/2 C olive oil
Mole sauce:
4 C broth made from Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base (or any veg broth)
3 large jarred roasted red peppers (this is my variation)
1 tsp olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/8 C chile carible (also my addition)
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbs cumin
2-oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1/2 C slivered almonds
2 tsp salt

The rest:
1 bag corn husks
Guacamole

DIRECTIONS:
Okay, I know this may seem like a big task to some, but these really aren’t that difficult to make. Remember, soak the husks in hot water an hour before assembly. I had The Husband working on the masa while I prepared the mole sauce. To make the masa, it helps to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine the ingredients in the order they are listed. Start out on a low speed, then increase until completely combined. Place the speed on medium for a few minutes in order to fluff it up. You can cover and refrigerate, just make sure you take it out about 30 minutes prior to assembly. It will resemble cookie dough.

When it came to making the mole sauce, I made some adjustments because I had trouble finding the dried chiles for this. (You’ll have to buy this fantastic cookbook for the original recipe). With that said, I think it came out rather delicious. 🙂 I subbed in a few roasted red peppers and used a chile seasoning.

In a skillet over high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until tender and translucent. Add the oregano, garlic, and cumin and cook another 2 minutes. remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.

Give it a few minutes to completely melt. Stir the chile caribe into the broth and along with the almonds, salt, roasted red peppers, and onion mixture, add it the blender. Puree until the sauce is completely smooth.

Now, to make the filling, I ground the Field Roast sausages in the food processor until they were fine. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the Field Roast and corn kernels and cook until heated through, about 7-9 minutes, stirring often.

Add about half of the mole sauce to the skillet and combine it thoroughly with the sausage/corn mixture. Warm the remaining sauce in a sauce pan to use later.

Transfer the filling to a bowl. You’re now ready to start assembling your tamales. Pat dry the corn husk and spread it out on a cutting board, narrow pointed end on the bottom. If you have any small husks, you can overlap two small ones to make one larger one.

Place about a 1/4 cup of the masa on the center of the husk. Using your fingers, press the masa down into a circular/oval-ish shape about an 1/8″ thick.

Next, spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the filling down the center of the masa. (I’d make it less spread out than what the pic shows—you just don’t want the filling to go too close to the edges of the masa.

Fold the husk like a taco and try to get the edges of the masa to touch and sort of bind the edges together a little.

You can tuck of the husk edges inside if you need to. Basically, you need to just fold over the edges of the husk and encase the filling/masa. Lay it flat.

Pinch the edges of masa to seal each end and then fold the top and bottom of the husk underneath. You can flatten out the tamale a little too.

Set the folded tamales, fold-side down and move on. It works best to place all of the tamales in the steamer once they are all finished. Repeat until you’ve run out masa and filling. I got about 28 tamales out this recipe. Like I said, I used a friend’s steamer, which was ideal for these tamales.

Steam for an hour and fifteen minutes, just make sure that after 30 minutes, you check to make sure there is still plenty of water. Check again after an hour. After the steaming, let the tamales sit another fifteen minutes before serving.

Our friends came over and we had a father’s day fiesta complete with margaritas, corn chips, salsa, Spanish rice and guacamole!

Look at how perfect the tamales came out!

Serve them with a ladle or two of the reserved mole sauce and some guacamole.

Enjoy!

Field Roast-Mole Vegan Tamales

I'm so excited to bring you this recipe. I've always wanted to try making tamales and The Husband loves them, so Father's Day was the perfect time to give them a shot. This is certainly made easier with help, so enlist someone to give you a hand. Also, the masa, filling, and mole sauce can all be made in advance. The masa and mole recipes are from Roberto Martin's cookbook, Vegan Cooking for Carbivores, although I deviated off the mole recipe a little. This is a fantastic cookbook--I've made so many dishes from it and can't wait to make more. But I did find his instructions for filling and wrapping the tamales a bit confusing---it would have been nice if he had step-by-step pictures. So I ended up watching a quick how-to video on YouTube, but I've got you covered---below are step-by-step pictures on how to make these delicious tamales.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

Filling:
4 Field Roast sausages, chipotle-flavored
1 C corn kernels
1 tsp olive oil
Masa:
4 C masa harina
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
4 C warm water
16 Tbs (2 sticks) vegan margarine, melted
½ C olive oil
Mole sauce:
4 C broth made from Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base (or any veg broth)
3 large jarred roasted red peppers (this is my variation)
1 tsp olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
⅛ C chile carible (also my addition)
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbs cumin
2-oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
½ C slivered almonds
2 tsp salt
The rest:
1 bag corn husks
Guacamole

Directions

Okay, I know this may seem like a big task to some, but these really aren't that difficult to make. Remember, soak the husks in hot water an hour before assembly. I had The Husband working on the masa while I prepared the mole sauce. To make the masa, it helps to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine the ingredients in the order they are listed. Start out on a low speed, then increase until completely combined. Place the speed on medium for a few minutes in order to fluff it up. You can cover and refrigerate, just make sure you take it out about 30 minutes prior to assembly. It will resemble cookie dough.
When it came to making the mole sauce, I made some adjustments because I had trouble finding the dried chiles for this. (You'll have to buy this fantastic cookbook for the original recipe). With that said, I think it came out rather delicious. 🙂 I subbed in a few roasted red peppers and used a chile seasoning.
In a skillet over high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until tender and translucent. Add the oregano, garlic, and cumin and cook another 2 minutes. remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.
Give it a few minutes to completely melt. Stir the chile caribe into the broth and along with the almonds, salt, roasted red peppers, and onion mixture, add it the blender. Puree until the sauce is completely smooth.
Now, to make the filling, I ground the Field Roast sausages in the food processor until they were fine. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the Field Roast and corn kernels and cook until heated through, about 7-9 minutes, stirring often.
Add about half of the mole sauce to the skillet and combine it thoroughly with the sausage/corn mixture. Warm the remaining sauce in a sauce pan to use later.
Transfer the filling to a bowl. You're now ready to start assembling your tamales. Pat dry the corn husk and spread it out on a cutting board, narrow pointed end on the bottom. If you have any small husks, you can overlap two small ones to make one larger one.
Place about a ¼ cup of the masa on the center of the husk. Using your fingers, press the masa down into a circular/oval-ish shape about an ⅛" thick.
Next, spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the filling down the center of the masa. (I'd make it less spread out than what the pic shows---you just don't want the filling to go too close to the edges of the masa.
Fold the husk like a taco and try to get the edges of the masa to touch and sort of bind the edges together a little.
You can tuck of the husk edges inside if you need to. Basically, you need to just fold over the edges of the husk and encase the filling/masa. Lay it flat.
Pinch the edges of masa to seal each end and then fold the top and bottom of the husk underneath. You can flatten out the tamale a little too.
Set the folded tamales, fold-side down and move on. It works best to place all of the tamales in the steamer once they are all finished. Repeat until you've run out masa and filling. I got about 28 tamales out this recipe. Like I said, I used a friend's steamer, which was ideal for these tamales.
Steam for an hour and fifteen minutes, just make sure that after 30 minutes, you check to make sure there is still plenty of water. Check again after an hour. After the steaming, let the tamales sit another fifteen minutes before serving.
Serve them with a ladle or two of the reserved mole sauce and some guacamole. Enjoy!

Lime and Veggie Fajitas

June 12, 2012 by epicureanvegan

These colorful fajitas are so quick and easy to make. If you’re like me and tired of the same old fajita seasoning packets, I think you’ll love this change up.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil (I used chipotle-flavored)
1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
Flour tortillas
Seasoning:
1/2 C lime juice
1 ts black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp cumin

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the seasoning ingredients and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook 5-7 minutes, or until slightly tender.

Add the bell peppers and cook another 12-15 minutes, or until they are softened.

Stir in the mushrooms. These will cook fast, about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the cilantro and lime juice mixture and combine thoroughly. Cook until the sauce is heated through.

Scoop onto the tortillas and if you’d like, add some Daiya cheese and/or Tofutti sour cream. Enjoy!

Lime and Veggie Fajitas

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 Tbs olive oil (I used chipotle-flavored)
1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
Flour tortillas
Seasoning:
½ C lime juice
1 ts black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ tsp cumin

Directions

Combine the seasoning ingredients and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook 5-7 minutes, or until slightly tender.
Add the bell peppers and cook another 12-15 minutes, or until they are softened.
Stir in the mushrooms. These will cook fast, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro and lime juice mixture and combine thoroughly. Cook until the sauce is heated through.
Scoop onto the tortillas and if you'd like, add some Daiya cheese and/or Tofutti sour cream. Enjoy!

Mexican Pasta Bake

May 23, 2012 by epicureanvegan

As you may recall, a few months ago, I had decided to give up wheat and soy . . . yeah, uh, the soy part has been surprisingly easy. It’s the wheat part. I don’t know how you gluten-free folks do it! Especially if you’re vegan and gluten-free! I’ve certainly laid off of it, but there’s just no way I could swear off of it for good. As for soy, I’ll have the occasional miso or Tofutti sour cream. Otherwise, it’s a no-soy zone for me. For this meal, I broke all my rules by using regular pasta, Boca crumbles, and Tofutti sour cream. *GASP* Yes, I fudged and it was damn good. This creamy, spicy casserole was delicious and I’m thrilled with the results.

INGREDIENTS:
13.25 oz pkg penne pasta
1 Tbs olive oil (I used chipotle-flavored)
1 bag Boca crumbles, or other ground “meat” (Half a bag would probably be plenty)
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 med zucchini, sliced, then quartered
2-3 C kale, chopped
Sauce:
1 10-oz can Rotel Original with diced tomatoes & green chilies
Seasoning packet (either for tacos, burritos, or fajitas)
1/2 C vegan sour cream
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/4 C almond milk
1/2 C + some for sprinkling on the top vegan cheddar
The rest: (optional toppings)
Guacamole, or diced avocados, black olives, sliced green onion, fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the Boca crumbles; cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook 7-10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Stir in the kale and cook until it softens and wilts.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.

Return the drained pasta to the pot (or you can use a large mixing bowl) and combine it with both the sauce and the veggie/Boca mixture. Pour it into a 9×13 baking dish and sprinkle some Daiya cheese on top.

Cover and bake for 20 minutes. I made some guacamole, so I added a dollop on top with some green onion. Enjoy!

Mexican Pasta Bake

As you may recall, a few months ago, I had decided to give up wheat and soy . . . yeah, uh, the soy part has been surprisingly easy. It's the wheat part. I don't know how you gluten-free folks do it! Especially if you're vegan and gluten-free! I've certainly laid off of it, but there's just no way I could swear off of it for good. As for soy, I'll have the occasional miso or Tofutti sour cream. Otherwise, it's a no-soy zone for me. For this meal, I broke all my rules by using regular pasta, Boca crumbles, and Tofutti sour cream. *GASP* Yes, I fudged and it was damn good. This creamy, spicy casserole was delicious and I'm thrilled with the results.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

13.25 oz pkg penne pasta
1 Tbs olive oil (I used chipotle-flavored)
1 bag Boca crumbles, or other ground "meat" (Half a bag would probably be plenty)
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 med zucchini, sliced, then quartered
2-3 C kale, chopped
Sauce:
1 10-oz can Rotel Original with diced tomatoes & green chilies
Seasoning packet (either for tacos, burritos, or fajitas)
½ C vegan sour cream
¼ C nutritional yeast
¼ C almond milk
½ C + some for sprinkling on the top vegan cheddar
The rest: (optional toppings)
Guacamole, or diced avocados, black olives, sliced green onion, fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the Boca crumbles; cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook 7-10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Stir in the kale and cook until it softens and wilts.
Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
Return the drained pasta to the pot (or you can use a large mixing bowl) and combine it with both the sauce and the veggie/Boca mixture. Pour it into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle some Daiya cheese on top.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. I made some guacamole, so I added a dollop on top with some green onion. Enjoy!

Field Roast and Veggie Tacos

May 18, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I’ve used Field Roast in breakfast burritos, so why not tacos? ( As you can see, I had a taco fiesta foul with one of the shells, but it worked out ok. 🙂 ) Somehow, zucchini reproduced in my fridge so I had to use some of them up—they’re ideal for tacos. I also had some chipotle-flavored olive oil from Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Company—the perfect opportunity to use it.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
4 Field Roast Chipotle-flavored veggie sausages, thawed and crumbled
4 med zucchinis, cut into sticks
2 red bell peppers, sliced
Corn taco shells
All the other fixings: vegan cheddar shreds, vegan sour cream, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and salsa

DIRECTIONS:
In a skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions, and cook 4-5 minutes.

Next, add the zucchini, peppers, and Field Roast. You don’t necessarily have to add the sausages at this point since it’s only a matter of heating them through, but I like to get the flavors incorporated with the veggies early on.

Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, or until tender. I like to cover and let the steam help cook the veggies. Serve with your favorite taco fixings and enjoy!

Field Roast and Veggie Tacos

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
4 Field Roast Chipotle-flavored veggie sausages, thawed and crumbled
4 med zucchinis, cut into sticks
2 red bell peppers, sliced
Corn taco shells
All the other fixings: vegan cheddar shreds, vegan sour cream, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and salsa

Directions

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions, and cook 4-5 minutes.
Next, add the zucchini, peppers, and Field Roast. You don't necessarily have to add the sausages at this point since it's only a matter of heating them through, but I like to get the flavors incorporated with the veggies early on.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, or until tender. I like to cover and let the steam help cook the veggies. Serve with your favorite taco fixings and enjoy!

Avocado and Pinto Bean Enchiladas

April 18, 2012 by epicureanvegan

These are probably some of the tastiest enchiladas I’ve had. The original recipe is from eat, drink & be vegan. I made a couple of minor changes because I couldn’t find one of the ingredients, added some green chilies, but also made a bigger batch (inadvertently). Her recipe yielded 10-12 enchiladas, but I ended up with 17—if my pan was bigger, I would have got 18. I’m glad that I bought extra enchilada sauce because of this. I’m not sure if I just didn’t fill the tortillas up enough, but I definitely had lots of filling left over after the first dozen tortillas. In any case, they were delicious. I was really intrigued with the 1/2 cup of cashew pieces the recipe requires and I have to tell you, they’re fabulous—they add just a little crunch. I highly recommend using them. Below is how I made these, but click on the above link for the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
16-18 corn tortillas
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 C onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp Ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2-1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 can pinto beans, drained
1/2 C cashews, chopped
2 Tbs lime juice
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1-1/4 tsp salt
2 19 oz cans enchilada sauce
1 small can diced green chilies, mild or hot
Optional ingredients: Daiya cheese, cilantro, and vegan sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions, chili powder, cumin, allspice, the 1/4 tsp of salt, and the pepper. Saute for about 3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, beans, and cashews and cook another 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the avocado with the 1-1/4 tsp of salt in a bowl, or use the food processor. The avocados I had weren’t completely ripe so I used the food processor. I probably got them a little too mashed, but it turned out just fine.

Stir in half a can of one of the enchilada sauces and the green chilies, into the avocado mixture.

Blend the avocado mixture with the onion/mushroom mixture. At this point, I heated some water in my steam pot to steam the tortilla shells. Place a tortilla one at a time in the pot–it’ll only take about 15-20 seconds per side to steam the tortilla. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce from the first can on the bottom of a 15″ baking dish (you can also use some from the other can. I also started out with a 9×13 and realized it wasn’t going to be big enough, so I added an 8×8″ baking dish). Fill each tortilla with about 4-5 tablespoons of filling, roll up, and place fold-side down in the pan. Repeat. Pour the remaining sauce on top.

Cover and bake 16-18 minutes. Remove the foil and top with cheese (if using) and bake another 10-12 minutes.

Top with cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!

Avocado and Pinto Bean Enchiladas

These are probably some of the tastiest enchiladas I've had. The original recipe is from eat, drink & be vegan. I made a couple of minor changes because I couldn't find one of the ingredients, added some green chilies, but also made a bigger batch (inadvertently). Her recipe yielded 10-12 enchiladas, but I ended up with 17---if my pan was bigger, I would have got 18. I'm glad that I bought extra enchilada sauce because of this. I'm not sure if I just didn't fill the tortillas up enough, but I definitely had lots of filling left over after the first dozen tortillas. In any case, they were delicious. I was really intrigued with the ½ cup of cashew pieces the recipe requires and I have to tell you, they're fabulous---they add just a little crunch. I highly recommend using them. Below is how I made these, but click on the above link for the original recipe.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

16-18 corn tortillas
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 C onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp Ancho chili powder
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
2-1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 can pinto beans, drained
½ C cashews, chopped
2 Tbs lime juice
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1-1/4 tsp salt
2 19 oz cans enchilada sauce
1 small can diced green chilies, mild or hot
Optional ingredients: Daiya cheese, cilantro, and vegan sour cream
Top with cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onions, chili powder, cumin, allspice, the ¼ tsp of salt, and the pepper. Saute for about 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, beans, and cashews and cook another 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.
Meanwhile, mash the avocado with the 1-1/4 tsp of salt in a bowl, or use the food processor. The avocados I had weren't completely ripe so I used the food processor. I probably got them a little too mashed, but it turned out just fine.
Stir in half a can of one of the enchilada sauces and the green chilies, into the avocado mixture.
Blend the avocado mixture with the onion/mushroom mixture. At this point, I heated some water in my steam pot to steam the tortilla shells. Place a tortilla one at a time in the pot--it'll only take about 15-20 seconds per side to steam the tortilla. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce from the first can on the bottom of a 15" baking dish (you can also use some from the other can. I also started out with a 9x13 and realized it wasn't going to be big enough, so I added an 8x8" baking dish). Fill each tortilla with about 4-5 tablespoons of filling, roll up, and place fold-side down in the pan. Repeat. Pour the remaining sauce on top.
Cover and bake 16-18 minutes. Remove the foil and top with cheese (if using) and bake another 10-12 minutes.

Spicy Empanadas

Happy New Year!

Field Roast and Spinach Enchiladas (a.k.a. Best. Enchiladas. Ever.)

Baked Tofu Tacos

Vegan Vacation: Santa Fe, Taos and Montrose & Ouray, CO

SANTA FE

BLUE CORN CAFE

THE AZTEC CAFE

ATOMIC GRILL

CAFE PASQUAL’S

.

THE TEAHOUSE

TAOS

BENT STREET DELI

.

MICHAEL’S KITCHEN

.

ANTONIO’S: A Taste of Mexico

DRAGONFLY CAFE & BAKERY

.

STELLA’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

MONTROSE/OURAY

Guac & Bean Tacos

Field Roast-Mole Vegan Tamales

Lime and Veggie Fajitas

Mexican Pasta Bake

Field Roast and Veggie Tacos

Avocado and Pinto Bean Enchiladas

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