Spanish Rice Bake

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I have to say, I am not 100% sure where this week went. How is it possible that I am writing about Monday night's dinner, on Thursday night? St. Patrick's Day no less?

The older I get, the faster time seems to elude me. It's a horrible thing that no one warns you about. All the focus is on covering the grays, and making those laugh lines disappear. Smoke screens I tell ya'. Time. Time is of the essence!  Someone needs to come up with a miracle cream to bring back the past couple days. Now THAT would be the fountain of youth.

Back to Monday.....since it was soooooooooooo long ago. All I can tell you is dinner was awesome. There's no other word. Even the huz would agree. It was so good, all I can really say is you have to cook it for yourself to truly appreciate it. I can whip out the thesaurus and try to come up with a bunch of flowery words to describe just how good dinner was, and it wouldn't do it justice. It's like trying take a picture of sunset. It's never the same as being there.



Not a bad sunset afterall



Vegetarian Spanish Rice Bake

Yields 6 servings

1 package Morningstar Farms crumbles or other vegetarian "ground beef"
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can canned petite diced tomatoes
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 tablespoons chile sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepperjack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onion and green bell pepper until softened.
3. Add the Morningstar Farms crumbles and cook until they are heated through - 5 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.
5. Le simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with a fabulous salad (like mine) or steamed veggies of your choice.

Red Enchilada Sauce

Hola!  Last night it was enchiladas on the menu. They were muy delicioso!  I love enchiladas because they are so easy, and so good. It is one of those dishes where it is easy to accomodate the carnivore and me.

I'm not going bore you with the logistics of my enchiladas. I think we all have our favorites.  For the huz I put rotisserie chicken, cheddar cheese, and black beans. For mine I put tofu, cheddar cheese, and black beans.

I will tell you that these have to be the best enchiladas I have made in a long time. I think every time I make them I do a different filling. For my tofu, I actually sliced up a brick, and roasted it in a 350 oven for approximately 40 minutes. I didn't freeze it, thaw it, squeeze it, like some recipes I have seen. Nope. I kept it simple.  I put them in the oven on my Silpat. If you do not know what a Silpat is - you really need one. The Silpat could be it's own blog topic. This tofu was my "chicken" and it worked out perfectly.

Look at those tofu soldiers!

The key to any good enchilada is really the sauce, because really without the sauce, you'd just have a 9 x 13 pan of soft tacos. I have had this enchilada sauce recipe for 10 years. I never buy enchilada sauce because of it. The ingredients are staples that I always have in my pantry. The beauty is that while it simmers I am able to roll my enchiladas, and then cover them with this fantastic red sauce when it's done. It's a win-win.

The other bonus is that while my enchiladas were busy cooking away in the oven, I put together a lovely assortment of vegetables to steam.  The perfect side dish.


Admit it - you know you want some


All that was missing were margaritas....and chips....and deep fried ice cream.  Really nothing was missing, because these were AWESOME!

Red Enchilada Sauce
Makes 3 cups (8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, oregano, chili powder, basil, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, salsa and tomato sauce.
2. Mix together and then stir in the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

The veggie enchiladas have beans on top - sneaky, huh?

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I became a vegetarian toward the end of my college career.  Ironically enough one of the reasons I became vegetarian was because I was addicted to a soup.  When I was in college I worked at a small coffee shop long before there was a Starbucks on every corner. I was a barrista before the word existed.  I loved working in this coffee shop. The owners were like family, the place had history, and people loved going there.

We were a typical coffee shop: coffee, tea, in house baked goods in the morning, soups, salads, and sandwiches in the afternoon. Every day we had two soups on the menu, Vegetarian Vegetable and a daily special. The daily special changed every day, just as the name implied,  and I never knew what wonderful soup would be on the menu  until I came to work that morning.  My kryptonite….Turkey Noodle Soup.

I had to pause for a second there. I’m sure it s like an addict remembering their last fix. This soup was intoxicating. This was no ordinary Turkey Noodle Soup. This was NOT some weak, little chicken noodle soup made with turkey. This was its own being.

Turkey Noodle Soup was a cream based soup, not broth. This was not a cream base that you could stand your spoon in, but a perfectly smooth, coat your spoon kind of base.  The pasta of choice was elbow macaroni.  As the soup simmered throughout the morning, the pasta would plump up, absorbing the creamy deliciousness.  Of course there was cubed turkey, carrots, celery, and fresh parsley, but this soup really had me with the noodles and cream.

I couldn’t resist it. It would call to me all day. Every time I walked by the steam table, I had to have a taste. And then another.  Then a little cup.  Then another spoonful. I could not stop myself when it came to this soup. I gained 10 pounds working in this coffee shop strictly because of this soup.

 I had to do something. What could I do to keep from eating this gift from God?  I knew the only remedy was to stop eating meat. That would be the only way I would not eat this beautiful soup. No meat = No Turkey Noodle Soup. I know it sounds drastic, but when you are faced with an addiction it is never easy. You have to take the first step. The detox was rough, but I white knuckled it. No support group necessary.  I have lived to tell the tale. 

Eventually the owners sold the shop and the new owners turned it into a sushi place, so that was the definitive end of Turkey Noodle Soup for me. I have never seen it since, but its memory lives on.

You are probably wondering what Turkey Noodle Soup has to do with Vegetarian Tortilla Soup.  Since I became a vegetarian roughly 18 years ago a new soup has come to fruition: Chicken Tortilla Soup. Of course I’ve never had Chicken Tortilla Soup, but it has always intrigued me. No, it’s not cream based, and there is no noodle in sight, but the thought of vegetables and beans, simmering in a flavorful broth topped with fried tortilla strips – who doesn’t want some of that?

The Oregonian recently published a Vegetarian Tortilla Soup recipe that I could not wait to try. We had this on Tuesday night.  It is amazing the depth of flavor it achieves in such a short period of time.  I actually let mine simmer for 45 minutes, because I had the time.  I may have a new favorite.  Bring on the chips and salsa!!!

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Published January 19, 2010

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

·       4 6-inch corn tortillas (see note)

·       3 tablespoons vegetable oil

·       3/4 cup chopped onion

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1 tablespoon tomato paste

·       1 teaspoon ground cumin

·       3/4 teaspoon chili powder

·       4 cups canned vegetable broth

·       4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

·       1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

·       1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

·       2/3 cup frozen corn kernels

·       1 1/2 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeño chile

·       Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·       Garnishes: diced avocado, sour cream, shredded jack cheese or queso fresco, lime wedges, minced green onion

Instructions

If the tortillas are fresh, dry them in a 200-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Cut tortillas in half, then cut the halves crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat until hot. In batches, fry the tortilla strips until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

If necessary, discard all but a couple teaspoons of the oil. Add the onion and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add broth and 2 tablespoons cilantro and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes, beans, corn and jalapeño to the soup. Cover and simmer until ingredients are heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide half of the tortilla strips among the bowls. Ladle soup on top and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and tortilla strips. Serve, letting guests embellish their own soups with the garnishes.

Note: If you like, you can skip the tortilla-frying step and just use a few cups of broken tortilla chips instead.

PER SERVING (without garnishes): calories: 330 (31% from fat); protein: 4.4 grams; total fat: 11.5 grams; saturated fat: 1 gram; cholesterol: 0; sodium: 984 mg; carbohydrate: 53.2 grams; dietary fiber: 13.8 grams

Adapted from Bon Appétit