Taco Salad Salsa

If you have checked out my blog you know that I love making fresh salsa and that I rarely suggest canned ingredients.  However, this one stores well for days on end and goes great topped on mixed greens with avocado, a dollop of vegenaise and crushed tortilla chips for a great taco salad.  

It is a perfect way to have salad in a snap because you have already done the chopping ahead of time.  Of course if you just despise the idea of using canned beans, feel free to make your own and use them in this recipe.

Taco Salad Salsa

1 16 ounce Can Pinto Beans

1 16 ounce Can Diced Tomatoes

1/2 Yellow Onion

1 Cup Fresh Cilantro

2 Cloves Fresh Garlic

2 Jalapeno Peppers

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Sugar (optional)

Juice and zest of 1 Lime

Drain, rinse and strain pinto beans and add to a large glass bowl along with the whole can of diced tomatoes (juice and all).  Dice onion, peppers and garlic and toss those in.  (Your choice if you leave ribs and seeds in the jalapeno peppers, just remember that will add heat).  Thoroughly clean and chop cilantro and add it in along with lime, salt, sugar and other seasonings.  Stir gently but thoroughly and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to sit on counter for at least 30 minutes.  Store in fridge until ready to use.

Cheesy Garlic Tofu Spinach Nest

Cheesy.  Low Calorie.  Vegan.  Gluten-Free.  Low Carb.  Satiating.  Beautiful.  Best of all, easy and cheap.  Does it get any better?  Impress your guests with this fabulous dish.

Cheesy Garlic Tofu Spinach Nest

12 Cups Baby Spinach (washed and dried)

1 Pound Extra Firm Tofu

Coconut or Olive Oil (or BOTH for added flavor)

6 Cloves Fresh Garlic (thinly sliced)

1/2 Cup Nutrirional Yeast

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

If you have a Wok, now would be a great time to bust it out.  If not, any old large saute pan should suffice.  Chop tofu into 1 inch cubes and sprinkle with salt and pepper and half of nutritional yeast and toss to coat evenly.  Set aside.  Thinly slice garlic, set aside.  

Heat a dash of oil in Wok or pan and add all spinach.  Cook just until wilted.  Drain any liquid and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Remove and plate in a pile "nest".  

Using same pan, add another dash of oil and heat.  Add all tofu, stirring and tossing gently.  When golden, add another pinch of yeast and thinly sliced garlic.  Cook until garlic turns golden.  Place tofu mixture a top spinach nest and sprinkle with remaining yeast.  Serve immediately.  Makes about 4 servings.

Quick Spicy Pickle

1 English Cucumber

1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion

1 Serrano Pepper

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Dash of Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Peel (if desired) cucumber and chop off each end.  Thinly shave cucumber on slicer side of boxed grater (or slice by hand or use a mandolin).  Set aside.  In a glass jar add vinegar, sugar, cucumber and salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Finely slice onion into 2 inch peices.  Add to jar.  Remove stem from serrano pepper and thinly slice into rounds or smaller moon shapes.  For extra spicy, leave seeds and ribs of pepper in tact.  For less spicy, remove seeds and ribs using a small spoon.  Add pepper to jar.  Seal lid tightly and shake.  Allow to sit on counter for at least 5 minutes to ensure sugar has dissolved.  Shake again and serve or refrigerate unused portion.  Garnish with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro if you like.  Voila!  Quick Spicy Pickle!  Easy as pie!

Recipe Remix - Tostadas!

To create these beauties you will need to make the following recipes found here on my blog:

Arbol Chili Sauce

Perfect Pinto Beans

Autumn Harvest Veggie Medley

Directions: grab yourself a couple tostada shells.  Now pile on some beautiful green leaf lettuce, a generous scoop of perfect pinto beans, veggie medley and chili sauce.  Voila!  Heaven in a bite - I swear!

Creamy Hummus

2 cups prepared chickpeas (used dried chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours, then cooked in 6 cups water and a pinch of baking soda, allowed to cool and removed individual pea skins by hand.)

1/2 cup Tahini (100% pure sesame seeds, no additives)

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

2 cloves fresh Garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

Begin by soaking dried chickpeas for 24 hours.  Rinse and add to a large pot and cover with six cups of cold water and a scant dash of baking soda.  Cook for 60 minutes or until tender and skins pop off easily when you pinch peas between two fingers.  Working carefully, remove all skins from peas by hand.  Place peas, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and lemon in food processor and blend until fully combined.  Lastly add Tahini and continue to blend until creamy and fluffy.  Be sure to scrape down sides of blender so all ingredients are incorporated.  Serve fresh hummus immediately or refrigerate unused portion in tightly sealed glass for up to one week.  Garnish with olive oil, if desired, and serve with fresh pita chips and vegetables.

Best Pizza Sauce

1 can tomato paste

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons red wine (or water)

Combine all ingredients well.  Can be stored for 8-10 days for ongoing use.  This pizza sauce is very thick and rich so a little goes a long way.  It works very well spread thin on english muffins to create fast easy mini pizzas with your toppings of choice.  Enjoy!!

Easy Goddess Green Beans

This recipe was adapted from my Godmother, Sondra. It is so simple to prepare and yet extremely complex in flavor. I strongly suggest dressing up your next batch of green beans with the following recipe.

I am being pretty imprecise with measurements because it all varies based on the size of batch you are making and what strength of seasonings suits your individual palate. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Easy Goddess Green Beans

1 bunch of fresh green beans (ends trimmed)
Splash of olive or canola oil
Splash of tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 inch nub of finely grated fresh ginger
1-2 cloves finely grated fresh garlic
Water (for steaming beans)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Splash of Agave syrup (optional, I usually don't add this but it does make it more appealing to kids and picky spouses, when you do) :)

Steam green beans in an inch or two of salted water just until fork tender (should be a tad bit crunchy). Transfer beans to a collander and run cold water over them to stop cooking process.

Return beans to the warm pan you used to steam them and toss with oil, tamari, garlic, ginger and agave. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Can be served warm or at room temperature. They get tastier as they hang out and all the flavors marry one another. A real crowd pleaser for a potluck party. Enjoy!

Easy Goddess Green Beans

Super Versatile Savory Seitan

Super Versatile Savory Seitan (meat substitute)
1 T Spike
1 T seasoned salt
2 T nutritional yeast
1 t allspice
1 t black pepper
1 t black sesame seeds
1 t coffee grounds
1 t agave
1/4 c molasses
Juice from 1 lime
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 cups water
2 cups vital wheat gluten

Put water, bouillon cube, yeast and spices into bread machine (***see note below). Add vital wheat gluten flour. Set pizza dough setting and hit start. Meanwhile bring 10 cups water to boil and turn down to simmer. Remove seitan dough from bread machine. It should be wet and rubbery. Cut into 1/2 inch strips, chunks or cubes and add one by one into simmering water. Give it a gentle stir. Leave lid cracked so steam lets out and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove peices using a slotted spoon and allow them to rest to cool to room temperature. Use in a variety of recipes. Slice thin for sandwiches, leave in chunks for stirfry or whatever strikes your fancy. Store unused portions sealed in refrigerator. You can also skip the boiling and fry small peices of dough in hot oil until they puff slightly and become golden brown. I did some like this and coated them with a little barbecue sauce. They reminded me of burnt rib tips! Yum! I can't stop eating it. I just tried a peice sliced thinly with all of the following sauces and applications individually. Wow. Seriously.
-Bbq sauce
-Steak sauce
-Peanut sauce
-Vegan cheddar spread
-Avocado cream sauce on flax bread
***you do NOT need a bread machine! Just mix wet and dry ingredients separately and then combine and knead dough for a few minutes. I only used a bread machine so I would have less dishes to wash.

Vegan Cheese Review #1 - Soy Bleu

Vegan cheese review #1
Soy Bleu (pictured)
Not bad. Smells like the real thing and has subtle flavor notes resembling bleu. I look forward to experimenting with it further. Next up: see how it fairs in a vegan bleu cheese salad dressing. I have yet to cook with it so I can't comment on it's mouth feel when heated. Stay tuned for more vegan cheese reviews and please share with me your favorites.
Signed, I Dream in Cheese...

Serving suggestion:  Roasted Golden Beets with Vegan Bleu and Cracked Black Pepper