Cilantro Hummus!

Traditional hummus is one of my favorite things all year round. Whether I make or purchase it, there is almost always a container of it in the fridge. Hummus makes a great vegetarian protein snack with crackers (I especially love it with my flax crackers) or veggie sticks, and is an awesome spread on sandwiches. A favorite breakfast is simply a half a toasted gluten free bagel spread with hummus.

We love it plain or drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sumac or paprika. Chopped olives are my personal favorite, or addiction if I'm honest, these days.

My cilantro hummus is a spring and summer favorite.  It's creamy and cool and has a fresh pop of flavor. It takes just minutes to make and can be adjusted to your tastes easily.

Made as shown below it's very mild, at least with the jalapeños I use. If you like more heat, just add another jalapeño or switch to a pepper with more kick. Habanero is my favorite. The more cilantro, the better, as far as I'm concerned. I use a large bunch - about a cup and a half of washed leaves and stems. Cilantro has many health benefits so I'm always adding it to something I'm making.

This hummus is a great way to get your raw veggies in. Above I used daikon radish. I love the look of the perfect circles and crispy bite of the radish with the creamy hummus. Our veggie selection to the right wasn't the most exotic or beautifully sliced today but they were still delicious.

Cilantro Hummus is great as a spread on a veggie burger like my Chipotle Lime and Black Bean Burgers. My favorite crackers for this hummus are my Spicy Pepita and Almond Crackers which I like for a quick lunch. This combination also makes a nice appetizer with a lighter meal.

To really amp up the color and kick, spoon a little of Gabby's Green Sauce on top.

Cilantro Hummus

3 cups Garbanzo Beans
1 large bunch Cilantro, or enough to equal about a cup and a half leaves and stems
1 large Jalapeño, seeded
1 medium clove Garlic
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt, to taste

While all ingredients can be put into a food processor at one time and blended, I like to use my Vitamix for an even creamier hummus.  If you use a Vitamix you will need to use the tamp to keep things mixing and moving to blend quickly. Just add all ingredients to the Vitamix at once and blend until smooth and creamy for about two minutes.

The flavor will improve as it chills so plan on letting it sit in the fridge an hour or two prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Happily shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays thanks to Linda the Gluten Free Homemaker!

GF White Chicken Chili with Green Salsa

Although warm spring weather came early this year yesterday and today were really cold and drizzy days. I wasn't sure what to make for tonight's dinner but wanted something warm and satisfying. In looking through the pantry this morning the first thing I noticed was a bag of white beans near a large jar of green salsa. There were chicken thighs and cilantro in the fridge and although I'd never made a white chili - one without tomatoes - it sounded quick to make and perfect for a cold day.

It was quick and easy to make and there was enough for a crowd. I was happy that it ended up being a big hit. I took the photos a couple of hours before we actually ate so I wouldn't lose the light but we actually topped our chili with big spoonfuls of chopped cilantro and had a fresh green salad with it.  Simple and colorful and really satisfying. One of the best parts of this meal was the wonderful aroma that filled the kitchen all afternoon.

Chicken Chili with Green Salsa
Six to Eight Generous Servings

1 lb. White Beans (Great Northern) dry, sorted and rinsed
2 quarts Organic Gluten Free Chicken Stock (homemade would be even better)
1 Cayenne Chili - dry (optional)
1 24 ounce jar Natural Gluten Free Green Salsa
3 cups of water (or more if you want a thinner chili)
1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
salt & pepper to taste
1 bunch Cilantro, washed and chopped

In a large stock pan or Dutch oven place sorted and rinsed beans and cover with the two quarts of chicken stock.  If using a whole dried Cayenne chili, place in pan now.  Bring almost to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer until beans are soft - mine were very fast today - maybe three hours.

Once beans are nearly cooked heat a saute pan to cook the chicken.  Saute both sides until cooked through (I didn't use any oil to saute) and once cooked (15 minutes for me) chop into 1/2" pieces.

Add the salsa, water and chicken to the beans and stir gently but well.  Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer.  It was delicious at that point but even better three hours later when we finally ate.

Add chopped cilantro to taste and stir it in. My bowl was bright green because I'm crazy for cilantro. The guys' bowls varied in color considerably but we were all happy.

Enjoy!

Spicy Chipotle Burrito Bowls

I was just planning tomorrow night's dinner when I realized I've been sitting on these pictures for a while. Thursdays are busy here and everyone generally gets home late and we like to pile in the living room and watch sitcoms together. This meal has become sort of a Thursday night tradition for us. A build your own burrito bowl meal is easy and fun. They're a snap to prep in advance and everyone can customize their own meal.  Of course we got this idea from Chipotle which is one of our favorite places to eat. Their food is high quality and delicious and their staff is incredibly careful with gluten free orders. But we can't eat there every night. =D

A typical spread looks like this:

I prepare all the toppings and keep them in the fridge until serving.  This time there was just shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa, radishes, cilantro and hot sauce. Sometimes we'll grill something to add to the mix - it's really flexible.  The beans can be canned or home cooked and black or pinto - up to you.

The only two real recipes for this meal are simple.  Let's start with the rice. One cup of dry rice will expand to approximately three cups of cooked rice.  Double or triple as necessary and keep warm until serving.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

1 cup Basmati Rice cooked according to directions on package.

When cooked, fluff with fork and add:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1 Cup Chopped Cilantro (or more, to taste)
Salt to taste

The veggies take only minutes to prepare if you have everything sliced and ready to saute. I usually start cooking them once everyone is actually home because they are so quick.


Chipotle Spiced Veggie Saute

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
10 ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms, pre-sliced
2 medium squash, yellow or zucchini, cut into matchstick sized pieces
2 large Bell Peppers, cut in slices
1 large Onion, cut in slices
2 cloves Garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon Chipotle Powder (optional but tasty)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat pan to medium and add everything but salt and pepper at once.  Saute until everything is just cooked through but not too soft and season to taste.

Call everyone in the kitchen and let them serve themselves.

Enjoy!

Chipotle & Lime Black Bean Burgers

This post has been shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays please check it out! 

The men in my family are big eaters and it is a constant challenge to feed them well and keep our food budget under control. While they enjoy meat I try to keep it to a minimum for both health and budget reasons. Thankfully we all love veggie burgers which are a really satisfying plant-based and budget-friendly meal. I have been playing around with a black bean version and really like this one. The smokey hot flavor of Chipotle peppers is so good. I recently found a ground Chipotle powder which a lot more convenient than the little cans of Chipotle peppers in sauce.  A little bit goes a very long way - these are really spicy so adjust the amount of Chipotle powder if you don't like things too hot.

I made these a little larger to fit our favorite sandwich bread. Sometimes it's nicer to have a veggie burger on toast rather than buns.  If you have a Whole Foods nearby look for this loaf.  It's from their Whole Foods Gluten Free Bake House but it's right on the shelves with the rest of the fresh bread.  (This isn't Feingold approved - I am waiting to submit it for approval until I get an all clear on the PIC site.) Anyway, it's big and soft and wonderful.  

Like my other veggie burgers they are vegan and tofu-free and therefore a little soft and crumbly. The parchment paper makes baking and flipping easier.

Chipotle & Lime Black Bean Burgers:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil with olive oil

Roughly puree together:

2 cans (15 ounces each) Black Beans, drained

1 cup chopped Onion

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

2 Tblespoons Flax Meal

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Lime Juice

1/2 teaspoon Chipotle Powder

dash Garlic Powder

½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Pepper

You can use either an immersion (stick) blender or food processor.  I like to keep a few beans whole for texture.  Shape into eight burgers/patties on the parchment lined baking sheet.   They will be quite soft and you may want to wet your hands while shaping.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully flip and bake 20 minutes or longer until browned.

I love the hot Mexican flavors with cooling guacamole. All the guys gobbled them up. Marc says these are by far his favorite of the veggie burgers I make.  =D

Enjoy! 

Mediterranean Flat Bread Pizza

I love Mediterranean and Greek style pizzas and recently realized that I'd never made a gluten free version.  The pizza crust I usually use seemed a little heavy and thick for the lighter Mediterranean flavors so I decided to use my hummus pita recipe instead. I thought about making them per the recipe for a softer, thick crust but Chris really loves a thin, crispy crust so that was my goal.

Making a crispy flatbread is easy. Just spread the crust out very, very thin and bake them until almost crispy before topping makes for a perfect crunchy crust. The hummus in the crust adds a great base layer of flavor.  You can decide how large you want to make your pizzas.  The first time I made them I made 18 small crusts to have as a side/bread.  You can make them ahead and just top and heat when you're ready to serve.  Today I made two very large pizzas with the same recipe.   

Bake them on parchment lined baking sheets in a 450 degree oven.  The smaller size baked for about ten minutes before topping and the larger took a good twenty minutes.   Top and bake until toppings are heated through and the cheese starts to brown.

The small pizzas were topped with the ingredients listed below but be creative and add the things you love:

1 can Artichoke Hearts, quartered

1 large Roasted Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 medium Green Pepper, sliced

½ red onion, thinly sliced

10 Kalmata Olives, quartered

8 ounces crumbled Feta Cheese

4 ounces shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Olive Oil, drizzled over to taste

Fresh or dried Oregano to taste

Salt & Pepper to taste

The large pizzas were topped a variation of the above recipe but without the artichoke hearts and green bell pepper.

The tomato pizza had thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese mixture – but you knew that.

I covered the crust of the other pizza with handfuls of baby kale leaves before spreading the cheese mixture over the top.  Even Marc, who hates kale, loved it.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday & Mexican Pizza

One of our favorite grocery stores recently started carrying a gluten free Mexican pizza.  It sounded great to us but found that while some of them were great, others were not so good. They were too spicy for one of us and not flavorful enough for others. We really liked the concept, though, so I wanted to figure out an easy version to be able to make on busy school days.  I have tinkered with a couple of crust versions and this is our favorite.  It holds up to the toppings, is a little crunchy and has a nice corn taste.  We liked it rather thick (as you can see in the picture below) but you can always pat it thinner.

The toppings can be anything you like.  We have done pureed pinto and black beans, grated Colby jack cheese, guacamole, salsa, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sliced fresh from the garden Jalapeños and hot sauce.  You can be creative and add anything you like.

If you’re starting out on the Feingold program you can make this stage one easily.  Just keep the salsas and peppers off and you will still have a lot of flavor.

Mexican Pizza

Have 2 baking sheets covered with parchment or pizza stones ready

Oven to 425 degrees - makes six individual pizzas.

For the crust:

1 package Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Bread Mix

1 Cup Water

2 Eggs

½ teaspoon Cumin

Dash Garlic Powder

Mix everything together for a stiff dough.  Divide into six balls.  Pat each ball into a circle with damp fingers on your parchment lined baking sheet.  Mine were about six inches across. Three crusts fit well on each sheet.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

For the black bean “sauce” just puree one can of beans with a bit of the liquid in the can - add a bit more if the beans are too thick. You want it to be the consistency of pizza sauce. That will be plenty for six pizzas.

Sprinkle your pizzas with your favorite toppings and put back in the oven briefly – five to ten minutes for us. 

Garnish with salsa and guacamole and enjoy!

Meatless Monday - Indian Style Veggie Burgers with Cilantro Chutney

A couple of nights ago we had veggie burgers for dinner with a new twist.  I wanted to play off the spice blend of this recipe. Indian cilantro/coconut chutney is such a fresh and spicy way to top them off and give them more of an Indian flavor.  A cooling raita-style sauce would temper that heat.

I’ve had this particular Raw Cilantro Lime Chutney bookmarked just waiting for the right meal to try it with. I used a small cayenne pepper from the garden instead of the large jalapeño called for in the recipe. It seems I can never follow any recipe (even my own) to the letter but I came very close time – halving it and skipping the zest because I had bottled organic lime juice on hand.  It really was great and just the right amount for our meal.  

One grated cucumber in one cup of plain yogurt made for a simple raita-style sauce that we used along with the chutney.

The buns were made from Pamela’s Gluten Free Bread Mix and I made them very large and flat so they would be almost like a pita. I’ve got to say, though, these veggie burgers are great without a bun.  Just pile on the toppings and enjoy.

The kale in our garden is growing by leaps and bounds even in this oppressive heat wave so kale chips rounded out the menu tonight.  I think this simple but great recipe has been done on just about every blog lately but here’s a good one and one with a nice name. =D  Salt was my only seasoning this batch. 

Indian Style Veggie Burgers

Makes 10 – 12 depending on size.

Bake at 425.

1 cup red lentils, washed and drained

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

Dash cayenne powder – or more to taste

In a medium pot cover lentils with 2 1/2 cups of water, add spices and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer until cooked – about 25 minutes.  Make sure the pot just simmers and doesn't boil over – turmeric is a bear to scrub off white cook tops. =D   

Add ½ cup coconut, finely grated and let cool until a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl add:

3 cups cooked, cool basmati rice

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely grated

Add lentil/coconut mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.

On parchment lined baking sheets shape 10 – 12 veggie burgers.  Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned, remove from oven and carefully flip over.  Bake another 15 - 20 minutes.  They will crumble easily if not picked up with a spatula.

These veggie burgers were the biggest hit with my family and I’m sure I’ll be making again.  One funny thing at dinner, our dog Elle, who does not beg at the table, came up to me and kept staring at me with her big brown eyes.  She wanted the kale chips.  She went absolutely nuts when I dropped one her way.  Who would have guessed?

You've still got time to enter the contest.

Fiesta Chicken & Rice Salad

Gratefully shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays!

Like a lot of the country we've been experiencing record heat. And while it is a few degrees cooler today it is still sticky hot.  Making dinner didn't sound too appealing tonight and I didn't want to turn on the oven. Something cool and refreshing but also flavorful and hearty was my goal. I found this recipe in an old file and knew this would be just the thing. I originally made it up for Marc's high school graduation party a few years ago. The beauty of a salad like this is you can put whatever you like in it and change proportions to suit yourself. Leave out the grilled chicken for a vegetarian salad if you prefer. I'm making enough for leftovers so I can avoid the kitchen later this week when we get back to 100 degrees.

The dressing is an adaptation of the Mexican Salad Dressing from Nourishing Traditions Cookbook by Sally Fallon.  She suggests using it on a green salad but I love it with this combination.  Just pour it all in a jar and set it aside while you prepare the salad.

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4  apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 - 4 drops stevia liquid - I like Sweet Leaf

dash of garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teas0oon cayenne

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large serving bowl add:

Several cups cooled basmati rice (or brown rice)

About 8 grilled chicken breast tenderloins, thinly sliced

One chopped organic orange and red peppers

One small chopped Vidalia onions

One bag of Trader Joe's fire roasted frozen corn

One can of black beans, rinsed well

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Pour dressing over everything and stir lightly to mix.  


Add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm or chill for later. I love this as is but you can top it with salsa, guacamole, crumbled cojita cheese or even serve it on salad greens.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday & A Pocketful of Possibilities

With all the packing we've been doing lately and are planning to do next month I've been making a million variations of the Calzones in the last five weeks.  They are getting easier and easier to put together and I'm having a great time creating new flavor combinations.

Spinach makes a great filling in the traditional Mozzarella/sauce version.  I used organic frozen spinach right from the bag and they worked out great.  My next Italian version will be an "everything" variation with a variety of veggies, pepperoni and red pepper flakes.

Pocket sandwiches are quick and have been a lot of fun, too.  Colby Jack cheese in the dough with ham or chicken works really well.  I've found thinner sliced meat works better and doesn't "pop" through the very soft dough. Marc can grab one from the fridge and run to school.

Shape edges slightly higher.

My newest is a Mexican version is my current favorite. Making the dough with Jalapeno Jack cheese and an extra scoop (two tablespoons) of flax meal makes a great crust.  The flax will help give the dough a bit more body and the crust a bit more crunch.

Let the dough sit for a few minutes after mixing while you mash two cans of black beans. Then mix a four ounce can of diced green chilies into the beans. If you want to spice things up a bit more, add a dash of your favorite hot sauce.

Using a sheet of oiled plastic wrap on the counter just as with the Calzones, spoon some dough onto the center. With wet hands shape a rectangle with slightly raised edges to hold the filling in.  I find making them about the size of my hand makes them easier to manage.

Use the bean mixture to fill the pockets, slide your left hand under the plastic wrap to fold, seal edges with wet hands and flip onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake 425 until golden brown and serve with salsa.

Meatless Monday - Sri Lankan Lentils

I met my dear friend Migi over twenty years ago shortly after she arrived in California from Sri Lanka.  Migi is a skilled and generous cook and such a loving friend.  She was one of the hardest people to leave when we moved across the country.  

Our husbands met first and Keith invited us over for lunch one afternoon before Migi moved to the US. He cooked an amazing Sri Lankan spread.  I’d never had a meal quite like it and although the heat of the chilies just about did me in I was hooked.  The complex flavors of the spice mixtures, the creamy curries, the variety in each meal - it was so unlike anything I’d had before. 

We met Migi shortly thereafter and we instantly became friends.  Migi cooked nearly everything from scratch with whole food ingredients.  Sadly that was new to me at the time. I learned a lot watching her but still didn't quite get the whole lesson - it would be many years and a few health issues before I finally got it.  Her cashew curry was one she often made and is still my favorite comfort food.  The cashews are soaked for several hours prior to cooking and simmer in a coconut milk based curry – a flavorful curry but not too hot and if I could eat only one meal for the rest of my life I would be content with a bowl of basmati rice with cashew curry spooned over the top.

Sri Lankan cooking is similar to Indian but somehow lighter than most Indian food I’m familiar with. Because Sri Lankan cooking is influenced by Europeans, Indians, Arabs and others there is a wonderful mix and variety of flavors and styles.  The curries can be mild and flavorful to knock your socks off scorching.  A pot of basmati rice surrounded by chicken curry, cashew curry, lentils, curried veggies and a simple cucumber and tomato salad is a classic Migi meal.

Keith and Migi know how to entertain and their parties were relaxed afternoons full of friends and special food.  If we were very lucky she made Lampries – an entire meal of rice, Dutch meatballs, Sri Lankan curry and spicy sambols wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.  The package is opened on your plate and traditionally eaten with fingers – we did not have the dexterity and grace to manage that and used forks instead.   

What I’ve come to appreciate these last few years about Sri Lankan food is that much of it is naturally gluten free. Several years ago Migi gave me the most beautiful cookbook.  It’s The Complete Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon.  Ms. Solomon is from Sri Lanka and has lived all over Asia and has chapters on India, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, China and more.  She explains ingredients and techniques clearly as well as customs and typical meals.  It’s a wonderful book for anyone who loves any type of Asian cooking.  A bottle of gluten free soy sauce will make most of the book workable without other substitutions.

I count Migi as my Sri Lankan sister and am blessed she feels the same. When I miss her – and I often do – I tend to make lentils and rice.  Fast, easy and comforting.  Well, fast and easy because I’ve altered the recipe for weekdays.   Her version calls for lots of fresh garlic, ginger, curry leaves and other spices – this version comes together in minutes with ground powdered spices.  The spices are forgiving you really can't go wrong – add more or less heat as you prefer.

Easy Sri Lankan Lentils

In medium large saucepan over medium heat saute:

1 Cup Onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

When softened, add:

1 teaspoon Tumeric

1 teaspoon Ginger

½ teaspoon Garlic

½ teaspoon Curry Powder

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ - ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Sauté until the spices are all mixed into the onions and be careful not to burn. Everything will be golden and the aroma will be wonderful.  

Add:

1 15 – 16 ounce can Coconut Milk

1 cup Water

1 cup Red Lentils (which are really orange) that have been sorted and rinsed and drained.

Simmer together for approximately 30 minutes.  Depending on your lentils you may need to add a bit more water – add about ¼ cup at a time.  

While the lentils are simmering I like to do something Migi taught me.  I sauté a cup of sliced onions in a little coconut oil until they’re really soft and just starting to turn brown and then add a half teaspoon or so of  black mustard seeds.  Give them just a minute in the pan and put a spoonful of the mixture over each serving of lentils.  They give the lentils another layer of yummy flavor.   

Serve with rice and sautéed vegetables of your choice for a healthy and flavorful meal.  We had kale from our garden with peppers and zucchini although I usually serve green beans with lentils because Migi usually does, too.

Meatless Monday – Falafel Burgers

This falafel burger isn’t exactly traditional but it is very flavorful.  Canned garbanzo beans makes this recipe a fast one for a weeknight.  I use cilantro instead of the usual parsley and added shredded carrots for color.  I bake them rather than frying to save calories and make clean up easier.  

You can use any gluten free bun you like but I made ours with Pamela’s Gluten Free Bread Mix.  They are just as good without a bun if you're keeping track of carbs.

Falafel Burger:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil with olive oil

Puree together:

2 cans (15 ounces each) Garbanzo Beans

1 cup chopped Onion

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cloves Garlic

Dash or more Cayenne Powder

½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Pepper

Then fold in:

2 medium Carrots, finely shredded

½ - 1 cup Cilantro, finely chopped

Shape into eight burgers/patties on the parchment lined baking sheet.   They will be quite soft and you may want to wet your hands while shaping.  Spray or brush with a bit of olive oil on top. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully flip and bake 15 minutes longer or until browned.

These buns were topped with sesame seeds prior to baking. The key to shaping the rolls is very wet hands as the dough/batter is really sticky.  

And here they are just out of the oven.

We enjoyed our falafel burgers with a cooling cucumber yogurt salad, which tastes great right on the burgers, and a crispy green salad. 

Cinco de Mayo Dinner - Enfrijoladas & Gabby's Cheesy Rice

These are two of my favorite Mexican dishes.  Enfrijoladas are similar to enchiladas but instead of using a chilie based enchilada sauce you make a quick, thick sauce with black or pinto beans.  Corn tortillas are dipped into the hot bean sauce and folded.  You can fill them with just about anything from veggies to chorizo or simply dip them in the sauce and top them with cheese. Here’s a link to one recipe I especially enjoy that is even faster because it starts with black bean soup.  

My version doesn’t take much longer, though.  Black beans are pureed with water or broth, cumin and garlic. I pureed the mixture with an immersion blender right in my saucepan.  The filling is kale, onion, red pepper and mushrooms.  (If you’re Feingold stage 1 just omit the red pepper and you’ve got a stage 1 Mexican dish.)  The bright colors of the veggies remind me of the Mexican flag.  The dish is ready to serve immediately after filling.

Gabby’s Cheesy Rice is amazing.  Gabby brings her cheesy rice to many of our fiestas and my guys love it.  They were pretty excited to have it mid-week and know that I have the recipe now.  I made them in Gabby’s “lazy” way.  By not layering the ingredients the cheese and chilies were thick, gooey and delicious. (Again, for Feingold stage 1 just omit the chilies.)

This was a hearty dinner and there are plenty of leftovers for tomorrow.

Enfrijoladas

12 corn tortillas – check the package some are not 100% corn and have wheat.

Bean Sauce – puree together and heat in saucepan:

3 cups cooked Black Beans

1 cup water, bean cooking liquid or broth

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic

Dash Salt

Dash Pepper

Veggies – sauté in 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil:

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups Kale, washed and torn into small pieces

Garnish:

1 cup Cojita Cheese, crumbled

½ cup Guacamole

½ cup Salsa

To assemble:

Dip one tortilla into bean sauce, set either on a baking sheet or directly onto a serving plate.  Add a spoonful of veggies and fold in half.  Continue with the rest of the tortillas and top with cheese.

Gabby’s Cheesy Rice

And here is Gabby’s Recipe just as she typed it for me:

1 1/4 cups uncooked white rice, cooked (makes 2 and 1/2-ish cups cooked rice).

3/4 lb monterey jack cheese, cut into strips

1 cup sour cream

1 4-oz can green chilis, drained

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded.

preheat oven to 325.

combine sour cream and green chilis.

layer 1 cup cooked rice in bottom of greased baking dish

top with 1/2 of sour cream mixture, and layer 1/2 of jack cheese on top of that.

layer 1 more cup cooked rice, repeat layers of sour cream/cheese, top with remaining rice.

sprinkle shredded cheddar on top, cover with foil and cook for 30-45 minutes until bubbly.

(i often just do rice then a single layer of the sour cream and cheese, top with the rest of the rice, and then cheese-- b/c i'm lazy. :))

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do.

Meatless Monday Burritos & Siesta Sunday Pics!

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous and we were able to enjoy a Siesta Sunday with our favorite neighbors.  The Feks came over for dinner and it was nice enough to eat outside and too early in the season to be bothered with bugs!  

Olive's first Fiesta meal!

I think she likes it!

Big brother Ev had his very own Ev sized table and enjoyed Chris' special salad!

We love this boy!

We grilled chicken for tacos, made a huge pot of beans, fresh salsa, green sauce and guacamole. 

After dinner spinners were flying from the maple (with help from Chris and Joe).... 

Ev & Mike did their best to catch them!

Joe helped Ev shake the tree.

Chris helped, too!

Olive and Chris contemplated the garden for a while.

Ev with the beautiful garden stake he surprised me with yesterday!  I am the luckiest ChaCha ever!

Olive and Gabby had some girl time.

Olive is SO BIG!

It really was a great, relaxing way to spend the last part of our weekend.

~~~~~

I have to admit that the second best part of our fiesta and siesta meals with the Feks are the leftovers!  The point of this Meatless Monday post is reinventing leftovers into a satisfying vegetarian meal. These burritos are one example.

The Tortilla Factory Gluten Free Wraps make great burritos.  They are the closest we’ve found to large flour tortillas.  I soften them quickly on a large cast iron skillet, fill with our favorite burrito filling and roll.  We went more than a little crazy with these when we found them – it was so nice to have a “real” burrito texture and flavor. 

Joe, being the burrito purist prefers beans (or beans and meat but not on a Meatless Monday) and cheese.  Any and all veggies on the side.

I, on the other hand, like to stuff mine full of veggies and beans and spoon some of Gabby Green Sauce and dollop some ChaCha’s Salsa and Guacamole on the side.

I cooked up some kale and carrots in a bit of olive oil to add to my burrito- maybe not for everyone - but I loved it.

Burritos can be filled with anything you want and really don’t need a recipe but here are our two favorite Fiesta Friday/Siesta Sunday sauce/salsas to top your own burritos.

Gabby’s Green Sauce

Gabby’s Green Sauce is best freshly made.  It gives a fresh, hot blast to any Mexican food.

1 large bunch Cilantro, wash carefully but just tear into pieces, stems are okay

1 Serrano Chili, sliced down the center and deseeded

4 ounces Lime Juice

½ teaspoon Cumin Powder

½ teaspoon Salt

Dash of Garlic Powder

Blend on high until completely liquefied.  Store in fridge until ready to serve, shake before pouring.  Keeps about two days if it lasts that long.  The cilantro and lime cut the heat of the chili a bit so it isn't as hot as you’d think.  

ChaCha’s Salsa

2 cans (14 – 15 ounce size) Organic diced tomatoes or equivalent fresh tomatoes in season (divided)

1 large onion, chopped (divided)

1 Serrano Chili sliced down the center and divided

1 ½ ounces Lime Juice

1/ teaspoon Cumin Powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 to 2 cups Cilantro, chopped

In order to get the texture I like I put most of the ingredients into the blender (reserve one can of tomatoes, half of the onion and all of the cilantro) and totally puree them.  This will ensure the spices and chili are evenly dispersed.  Then I add, in this order, the other can of tomatoes, the chopped onion and the chopped cilantro and barely mix it on low.  I stop it as soon as the cilantro moves down to the bottom of the blender container.  Any longer and it will be pureed.  It will still taste great but we prefer a little more chunky salsa.  Vary your chilies from Jalapeno to Habanero to vary the heat.