3 Layer Tortilla Casserole

I've got a lot of good vegan recipes up my sleeve these days. This one is adapted from Neal Barnard's The Get Healthy Go Vegan Cookbook. If you can resist the temptation don't add sour cream and cheese, but I won't judge you for topping this flavorful dish off with either.

Ingredients:

Veggie cooking spray
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c veggie broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large red onion, chopped
2 c chopped zucchini
1 c frozen corn, thawed (I just used 1 can instead)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
3 8-inch tortillas
1 jar of salsa (any kind you want and use as much as you want)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350; coat 10-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine beans, 1/4 c veggie broth, garlic, oregano, cayenne in a bowl and blend until smooth and thick.
3. Heat 1/4 c veggie broth in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and saute for 5 mins; add zucchini and corn and saute for 3 mins; add cumin and cilantro and saute for 1 min. Season with S&P.
4. Place one tortilla in the pie plate; spread 1/3 of bean mixture over tortilla; use slotted spoon and spread 1/3 of veggie mixture on top of beans; spread 1/3 of salsa over veggie mixture; cover with tortilla and make two more layers in the same way.
5. Bake uncovered for 30 mins; cut into wedges; try not to eat it all in one sitting!

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 1 teaspoon cinammon


• chopped walnuts (optional/to your liking)


• 2 large eggs


• 1 can (30 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin


• 1 can (5 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk


• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell


• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX Beat eggs in large bowl. Mix pumpkin, eggs, cinnamom, walnuts, vanilla together and gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Mushroom Soy Glazed Mahi Mahi w/ Stir Fry - A Paddy Special

Fish Ingredients :

2 6oz Mahi Filets

1/3 cup Mushroom or Lite Sodium Soy

1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

2 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp. Sesame Oil

Place fish in a Ziploc Bag.

Mix all ingredients together pour over fish. Let marinate for at least 3hr.

Vegetable Stir Fry Ingredients:

Sugar Snap Peas

Carrots, cut however you want

Sliced Shiitake Mushrooms

1 clove Garlic

2 tbsp veg or canola oil

2 tsp of sesame oil

1 tbsp of Soy Sauce

Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Chili Flakes

Method:

On high heat heat both oils.

Add Snap Peas, saute 2 minutes

Add mushrooms cook for a minute

Add a little Salt and Pepper to taste

Add Garlic,Carrot and Chili Flake

Add splash of rice wine vinegar

Add soy and let cook for 30 seconds

Saute Fish on Medium high heat 4 min on each side.

After the last 4min add 1/2 cup of the marinade cover and cook for 3 more min.

You can also take the rest of the marinade and bring to a boil in a seperate pot and reduce by a 1/4. Use lightly as a sauce, its salty.

Plate it and Enjoy.

Fish Taco Recipe 2 - Paddy's Style

1lb Tilapia, Cod or Mahi Mahi.
1/4 c. canola oil
1 lime Juiced and Zested.
1 Tbsp. Hot Chili Powder
1 Jalapeno, diced and seeded
1/c Cilantro Chopped.
Salt to Taste
Corn Tortillas

Mix all the ingredients above (not the corn tortillas) and marinate the fish for at least an hour in mixture.

Saute or grill fish until done and you can flake with a fork.

Fill a Stock Pot with 2 in of Canola oil. Heat to 350 F. Lightly fried Corn tortillas for 15 seconds and drain on paper towel.

Pickled Red Onions:

1 red onion sliced

1 cup red wine vin

1 cup water

1tsp Salt

4 tbsp Sugar

Pinch of Red Pepper Flake

Heat all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Pour over onion and let cool to room temp. Store in container and refrigerate until ready to use. Should last up 1-2 weeks.

Serve tacos with Sour Cream, Shredded Cabbage, Cotija Cheese( or Grated Parm can work), Pickled Onions.

Enjoy!

Joy's Mangozpacho

4 cups diced mango
1 cup water
1 cup gingerale
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tblspn sugar
Salt/pepper to taste

Purée in a blender or food processor. Set aside in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Mix in separate bowl the following (all diced very small):

4 cups mango
1/2 cup red onion
1/4 cup cilantro
1 cucumber

Top soup with mixture before serving.

* I would improvise on the measurements depending on quantity you want to make. This makes enough for about 4-5 people.

Swiss Chard Wraps

Ingredients :

-Bunch of Swiss Chard (Med - Large leaves)
-2-4 Tomatoes
-Bag of Shredded Mozzarella
-Olive Oil

-Minced Garlic
-Fresh Ground Pepper

Method:

-Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
-Rinse swiss chard leaves and cut stems off
-Steam leaves until soft - not too soft!
-Brush leaves with olive oil
-Slice tomatoes
-Place tomatoes in middle of swiss chard leaves. Sprinkle some cheese on top, add some minced garlic and dust with pepper.
-Roll up and place on cookie sheet. Place in oven for about 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy! Great cold too! Very light and refreshing for summer cookouts!

Could It Get Any Colder?!

Okay Okay...it was 9 degrees yesterday in Pittsburgh. That is simply ridiculous. This whole winter has been ridiculous, which is why I have been surviving on hearty soups. Here are two of the most recents (both are adapted from Saveur):

Umbrian Vegetable Soup (Zuppa di Verdure all'Agliata)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. packed basil leaves
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves
8 oz. red new potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes (about 2 small-medium potatoes)
3 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, minced
1/2 can diced tomatoes w/ basil and garlic
Kosher salt to taste
2 c. fresh spinach
1 c. fresh or frozen peas
1 can cannellinni beans, rinsed
Ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan for serving

What to do:

1. Put your basil, 2 tbsp olive oil, parsley, garlic, and onions in a bowl and use your food processor to chop up until slightly chunky.
2. Heat remaining oil in large soup pot/pan over medium-high heat and add herb-garlic-onion mix. Cook, stirring often for about 5 mins.
3. Add potatoes, celery, carrots, tomatoes. Cook, stirring often for about 10 mins (until veggies soften a bit).
4. Add salt (i like lots of it!) and 4 c. water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. Approximately 20 mins.
5. Stir in spinach, peas, beans, and cook until greens are wilted. Approximately 10 mins.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle parmesan on individual bowls.

FYI: makes a huge pot of soup!

Red Lentil and Bulgur Soup with Chile-Mint Butter

Ingredients

5 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 medium tomatoes, halved and grated, skins discarded
4 c. veggie broth (recipe called for chicken broth...ew)
1 c. dried split red lentils
1/3 c. coarse bulgur
Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
1 tbsp dried mint leaves (i couldn't find these so i used mint leaves from 2 tea bags...genius, i know!)
1/2 tsp dried paprika

What to do:

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in soup pot/pan. Add cumin, garlic, and onions. Cook, stirring constantly until onions are soft (about 8 mins).
2. Increase heat to high and add tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently (about 3 mins).
3. Add tomatos and cook until mixture thickens (another 3 minutes).
4. Add broth, lentils, bulgur, and 4 c. water and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are tender and soup has thickened. Approximately 45 mins.
6. Season w/ salt and pepper, remove from heat, and set aside, covered.
7. Melt remaining butter over medium heat. Remove heat and stir in the mint and paprika. Pour butter into soup and stir before serving individual bowls.

FYI: another big serving of soup.