Vegan Kitchen Sink Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Almond Mole Sauce

Cinco de Mayo REQUIRES 2 things, margaritas, and enchiladas at least for me!  I love enchiladas...they have to be my favorite Mexican dish!  Especially when filled with vegetables and when made with a delicious flavorful mole sauce!  My friend Gabrielle, who I also work with makes THE BEST enchiladas that I have ever eaten.  And I have sampled quite a few.  They have the most wonderful rich deeply red sauce that is the perfect balance of spicy, savory and slightly sweet, and they are filled chalk full of vegetables and beans between crisp tortillas that she layers stacked style!  Although I know I can never recreate hers, and she will never divulge the recipe, which I respect her for...I have created my own, which I enjoy almost as much.  I made a variation of them recently which turned out wonderful...vegan kitchen sink enchiladas! 

I used the veggies I had on hand at the time which happened to be a mix of local Minnesota produce (rutabagas, carrots, ramps, mushrooms and shallots), and an eggplant I had gotten at work for free.  Hence the "kitchen sink".  It may sound like an odd mix, but I roasted the veggies and they were delicious!  I know...rutabagas in enchiladas?  Yes, they were good in there!  If you decided to make these you could use whatever you happened to have on hand, keeping in mind some things take longer to roast than others.  I also included chicken style seitan and threw in some almonds with my veggies for protein.  I like my enchiladas stacked as well, between crispy corn tortillas! 

These contained no cheese, because I actually don't require it in my enchiladas, and don't even miss it the sauce is so flavorful and rich!  For my sauce I included a blend of the usual mexican spices as well as a few not so common add ins, almond butter and cocoa powder for richness, golden raisins and cinnamon for sweetness (this I picked up from Gabrielle), and chipotles for a pow of flavor!  As a whole the dish is delicious, loads of flavors and textures, maybe not classic mexican, but it is awfully good!  A beautiful tower of tortillas and confetti like veggies in a lovely deep red sauce!  Here is the recipe if you are interested, Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Vegan Kitchen Sink Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Almond Mole Sauce

Serves 2 very generously

6 cups assorted vegetables, cubed, or thinly sliced
(I used cubed eggplant, sliced carrots, sliced rutabagas, and sliced mushrooms)
Peannut oil
cooking spray
sea salt

Sauce:

2 tsp peanut oil

1/2 cup chopped shallots (or red onions)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp dried ground chipotle pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Filling:

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1/2 cup shallots (or red onion), chopped
1 bunch ramps, (or scallions) sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pkg chicken style seitan cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

6 six inch corn tortillas
vegan sour cream for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Toss vegetables with peanut oil (keeping in mind that they need to be roasted on separate sheets if you are doing quick cooking vegetables as well as hard ones, generally things like eggplant and mushrooms take less time than rutabagas or carrots so roast them on separate sheets), spread veggies out on sheets, and roast until they are tender but not squishy and starting to brown at the edges, about 10 minutes for soft veggies and 15-20 for hard. Set aside and lower the oven temp to 375. To make sauce, heat 2 tsp peanut oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add shallots or onion, and saute until soft, then add the chili powder, cumin seeds, cinnamon, chipotle, and garlic, and saute about a minute until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, salt, vinegar, agave nectar, cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Add almond butter and golden raisins and lower to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat and add the cilantro. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the shallots (or onions) and ramps (or scallions), saute until softened and add the roasted veggies, garlic, seitan and toasted almonds.  Saute until heated through, then spoon about 3/4 cup of the sauce over to coat the mixture. Remove from heat. To assemble the enchiladas, spoon a bit of sauce onto 2 large shallow bowls, then top each with a tortilla. Spoon half the filling onto the tortillas, dividing evenly between the two bowls, then spoon a little more sauce over each.  Top each with a tortilla, then the rest of the filling, and a little more sauce. Top with another tortilla, and the rest of the sauce.  Place in the oven and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with vegan sour cream!

Tempeh Bacon Kale with Fire Roasted Tomatoes over Soft Polenta

Yesterday I was pretty wiped out when I got home from work.  I didn't feel like cooking anything that took a significant amount of time, but going out wasn't something I wanted to do either because dining in my PJs sounded marvelous.  I didn't have much to work with.  Just a bunch of kale, garlic and onions for veggies.  I could make pasta I thought...but no, I didn't feel like pasta either.  Polenta!  That was perfect, some smooth comfort food that cooked up quickly!  I also had some tempeh bacon in the fridge that I had opened earlier in the week and needed to use up, so I thought I could combine it with the kale, some canned fire roasted tomatoes I had and the garlic and onions to create a delicious saucy saute to go over the polenta.  Perfect!  Just the thought of it was making my mouth water because I was pretty hungry at that point.  It was delicious!  The sauce had almost a smokey quality with the fire roasted tomatoes and bacon, and it paired perfectly with the smooth creamy polenta!  I was feeling much more relaxed and happy after I had enjoyed every last bit of it!  It was a wonderful hearty meal with minimal effort!  Here is the recipe if you would like to try some!

Tempeh Bacon Kale with Fire Roasted Tomatoes over Soft Polenta

Serves 2

Polenta:

4 cups water

3/4 cup polenta

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese

Kale:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon
2 large shallots, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 15 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes

sea salt

2 good sized bunches kale, washed and torn into pieces

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet, and add tempeh bacon strips.  Cook about 3 minutes on each side until browned.  Remove from skillet, and cut into pieces, then set aside.  Add shallots to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes until softened, then add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and sea salt to taste.  Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15-20 minutes to allow flavor to develop.  Meanwhile, place 4 cups water in a large pot, and bring to a boil.  Add polenta, salt and pepper, and whisk constantly to prevent sticking and lumps.  Cook at a medium heat until polenta thickens to the consistnecy of porridge, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan and keep warm until ready to serve.   Once polenta is done cooking, add kale and bacon to tomato mixture, and cook until kale is heated through.  To serve, spoon polenta onto each plate, then top with kale mixture.  Serve! 

Amy's Buccatini All' Amatriciana

A few years back, for my Mom's Birthday we went to an Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities that was supposed to be the best.  The food was expensive, but I was not impressed.  I ordered the vegetarian special, and it was as if the person who made it did not know what they were doing, or how to cook vegetarian food.  It was flavorless...that is except for the garlic powder they had sprinkled on top of it before broiling it.  I wasn't going to say anything, but my Mom complained and we got it for free.  She loved her food on the other hand.  She had ordered a dish called Bucatini all' amatriciana, a spicy pasta with a red sauce laced with red pepper flakes and guanciale (bacon).  She kept begging me to go back to the restaurant with her so she could order this dish, but I would never go back there after my bad experience with their food.  Afterall, if you mess up vegetarian food, you really don't know how to cook in my opinion.  So, I felt bad, and I told her I would try and recreate the dish.  I nailed it spot on, and I never had to go back to the restaurant with her since she liked my version better.  It has been a few years, and I have made her the dish quite a few times, since she likes to request it.  I decided I wanted to try it...minus the guanciale of course.  I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!  So I made it exactly the same with tempeh bacon.  I have to admit, it was pretty darn good for a simple pasta dish!  The light spicyness in the bright tomato sauce, the smokyness of the bacon and textural bite to the bucatini that you don't get from other pasta, it was delicious! It was funny, she told me it was even better with the tempeh bacon than the real stuff!  I will be making this often now for myself now that I know how delcious it is, and easy to make!  Here is the recipe if you would like some!

Amy's Bucatini All' Amatriciana 

Serves 3-4

Sauce:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 8 oz pkg tempeh bacon
2 shallots, minced
2 tsp (or more if desired) crushed red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp red wine (good quality, what you drink) or balsamic vinegar
1 15 oz can crushed organic tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp fennel seeds
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:
sea salt
water
8 oz dried bucatini pasta

vegan parmesan to serve, optional


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
To make sauce, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan.  Place tempeh bacon in pan, and brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan, and let cool slightly, then cut into small pieces.  Add shallots to the pan and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic and saute until fragrant 1 minute.  Add wine to deglaze, then tomatoes, paste, herbs, and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Let simmer about 15 minutes to let flavor develop.  Meanwhile, add pasta to salted water and cook according to package directions. When pasta is finished cooking, add it to the sauce, along with tempeh bacon and cook a few minutes until bacon is heated through and pasta is coated in sauce.  Serve, along with some vegan parmesan!

Italian Mushroom Walnut "Meatballs"

My Mom has always told me I make the best meat balls.  Which was funny because I don't eat meat, I simply make them for loved ones because I am nice.  My Mom loves them, so I make them once in a while, but on Friday I decided I would like some meatballs as well, so I decided to create a vegan version of them.  I had a bunch of leftover mushrooms that needed to be used up, so I thought what better a base than meaty tasting mushrooms for my "meatballs"!  I combined them with walnuts, nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, and plenty of herbs, which is actually the base for one of my veggie burgers, but worked really well as a "meatball".  I was afraid that maybe they would be too mushy, but this was not the case at all, they held together well, had wonderful flavor, and once I ladled some of my usual pasta sauce over them they were pretty amazing if I do say so myself! 

I was too lazy to make pasta, so I opted for a piece of toasted garlic bread instead which ended up being a delicious accompaniment!  My Mom who is my biggest food critic loved the meatballs and told me to never make the ones containing real meat again because these were better!  Hmm...maybe I am rubbing off on her a bit?  Well they were pretty darn good in my opinion, and if you would like to try an awesome meat free "meatball"  here is the recipe!

Italian Mushroom Walnut "Meatballs"
Serves 3-4

Meatballs:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
3 cups chopped crimini mushrooms
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts
2 cups dried whole wheat bread crumbs, or as needed
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp each dried basil, parsley, and oregano

freshly ground pepper to taste

Sauce:
olive oil
2 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp red wine
1 15 oz can crushed organic tomatoes
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp sea salt or to taste

Bread:

4 large slices hearty peasant bread
olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
sea salt
vegan parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 475.  To make meatballs, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute another minute until fragrant, then remove from heat.  Place mixture in a food processor along with walnuts, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, sea salt, herbs and pepper.  Process until smooth.  Add a little more breadcrumbs if too sticky, then shape into 16 little balls and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes until heated through, and starting to brown. 

Meanwhile to make sauce, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan.  Add garlic and pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add wine, tomatoes, herbs, and sea salt, and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until the flavors have blended.  Keep warm. 

To prepare bread, brush with olive oil, and rub with garlic.  Sprinkle with sea salt and vegan parmesan and place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy and browned at the edges.  To serve, place a piece of bread on a plate, place a few meatballs on top of it and ladle the sauce over.  Enjoy!

Red October Soup with Sourdough Croutons

At my work, I make a tomato cabbage white bean soup that is really simple, but very good.  It is hearty and satisfying and I like to make it during the summer and early fall because it is still light enough to enjoy when the weather is not quite cold yet.  I wanted to make some at home yesterday, but I realized that I didn't have green cabbage, which is what I normally use.  I also had some locally grown vegetables that needed to be eaten, and I thought what better way to use them in a soup?  This was quickly becoming quite different than the soup at work...leeks, shallots, and edamame were added in addition to the usual ingredients list.  I also added a bit of red wine I had on hand for flavor, and some tomato paste to make it a little thicker and give it a deeper flavor.  When it had all simmered together, it was a beautiful red hue thanks to the cabbage and tomatoes...hence the name "October Red" soup, because it was also made with veggies that are currently in season.  It was delicious as it was, but I like my soup with a bit of bread for dipping, or croutons, so I decided to make some to go atop it.  I cubed some sourdough, tossed it with a little olive oil, garlic and sea salt and baked it until crispy.  It was a wonderful textural contrast, and it was especially good when soaked in the flavorful broth!  If you would like a comforting soup, make some for yourself! 

Red October Soup with Sourdough Croutons
Serves 6

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium leeks, sliced
4 small shallots, sliced
1 medium red onion, diced
4 medium carrots, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup red wine
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small red cabbage, chopped

1 cup edamame, shelled

2 cups cooked white beans (I used navy)

2 Tbsp tamari
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/4 cup tomato paste
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Croutons:
1 1/2 cups cubed sourdough bread
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt

To make soup, in a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add leeks, shallots, onions, and carrots, and saute until translucent and starting to brown slightly, about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic, rosemary and thyme and saute until fragrant, 1 minute.  Add wine to deglaze and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.  Add tomatoes, cabbage, edamame, white beans, tamari, water, worchestershire sauce, agave nectar, tomato paste, sea salt and freshly pepper.  Bring soup to a low boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.  Taste for seasoning and add more sea salt if needed.  Meanwhile, make the croutons.  Heat oven to 475 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Toss bread with just enough olive oil to moisten, along with garlic and a little sea salt. Spread out on sheet, and bake until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly.  To serve, ladle soup into bowl, and top with a few croutons.