Layered Chick'n Enchiladas with Tomatillo-Cilantro Sauce

Adapted from Epicurious

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package of 12 six-inch corn tortillas
• 2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 Not Chicken bouillon cube
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, about 2 cups of packed leaves
• 1 hot pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups vegetarian chick'n (I used soy curls rehydrated with Not Chicken bouillon)
• 1 bag Daiya mozzeralla style shreds

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 450 F
• Combine tomatillos, water, bouillon, onion and garlic cloves in a large saucepan; cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until tomatillos are soft, about 10 minutes
• Stir in cilantro, hot pepper, cumin and paprika
• Blend with immersion blender to make a coarse puree
• Season to taste with salt
• Overlap 4 tortillas in a 13x9x2 oval or rectangular glas baking dish
• Top tortillas with 1/3 of the chick'n, then 1/3 of the Daiya, then 1/3 of the tomatillo sauce
• Repeat 2 more layers
• Cover and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes
• Cool uncovered for at least 10 minutes before serving

NOTES:

• This is runny when it first comes out of the oven but the longer it sits and cools, the more it firms up. 
• Also tried this recipe with 2 pounds of green tomatoes, adding in 3 teaspoons lime juice before blending.  Tastes almost the same as with tomatillos but would reduce water to 1 cup the next time when using green tomatoes.

Red Lentil and Acorn Squash Soup

Adapted from The Canary Files

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 small acorn squash, peeled and diced (about 5 cups)
• 1 hot pepper, diced
• 2 cups red lentils, rinsed
• 8 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

METHOD:

• Heat coconut oil in soup pot; add onion and saute until just transluscent
• Add garlic and paprika, saute for 2 minutes until aromatic
• Add carrots, squash and hot pepper; saute to incorporate all ingredients
• Add lentils, water and bouillon cubes
• Bring boil then reduce heat to low and simmer 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender
• Stir in nutritional yeast and season with salt

Slow Cooker Split Pea and Butternut Squash Soup

Adapted from All-Creatures.org and Gluten-Free Cat

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups water
• 1 pound dried split peas
• 1 large onion, about 1 cup diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 hot pepper, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 1/2 cubes vegetable bouillon
• 1 small butternut squash, cubed

METHOD:

• Early in the morning put water and split peas in the slow cooker on auto shift
• After 5 hours stir in onion, garlic, hot pepper, curry, tumeric and vegetable bouillon
• After 3 hours turn slow cooker to high and stir in butternut squash
• Cook until peas and butternut squash are tender, about 1 1/2 hours

Mini Pasta with Baby Turnips and Greens

Adapted from The Farm at Miller's Crossing

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-2 bunches (about 15) baby salad turnips
• 4-6 ounces mini pasta
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 hot pepper, minced
• Veggie Parmesan cheese

METHOD:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt
• While water is heating, cut roots off of turnips, remove leaves and cut turnips in half
• Leave turnip leaves whole and cut stems into 1 inch pieces
• Put turnips in the boiling water and cook a few minutes until tender; remove
• Put stems then leaves in the same boiling water, removing when tender
• Add pasta to the same boiling water and cook per package directions
• While pasta is cooking, heat oil in skillet
• Add garlic and hot pepper; saute until garlic is pale gold
• Add cooked turnips, stems and leaves
• Add cooked, drained pasta and a little of the cooking water
• Serve with veggie Parmesan cheese

COMMENTS:
There would normally be more greens but due to frost, at least half of the leaves had yellowed and could not be used.  Delicious regardless!

Green Chick'n Enchilada Casserole

Adapted from What's Cooking America

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups (about 30 marble - golf ball size) fresh tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
• 2 small green hot peppers
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 ounces evaporated soy or rice milk (simmer 8 oz soy or rice milk uncovered 10-15 minutes to make 4 oz evaporated)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 - 6 ounce package chicken breast substitute, shredded (I used Lightlife Smart Strips)
• 18 six inch corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded veggie Cheddar cheese (I used Galaxy Veggie Shreds)

METHOD

• In a food processor, blend the tomatillos, hot peppers, oregano, cilantro, parsley, onion and garlic; pour into a large saucepan
• Heat the tomatillo mixture over medium-low heat, add evaporated soy or rice milk, water and bouillon cube and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 - 45 minutes until mixture has reduced to about 2 cups, stirring occasionally
• Remove from heat and stir in shredded chick'n
• Grease a 9 x 3 inch baking pan and preheat over to 400 degrees
• Cut 6 corn tortillas into quarters and spread in baking pan to cover bottom; top with 1/3 of tomatillo mixture then sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese.  Repeat twice to make 3 layers.
• Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes; remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer until bubbly

NOTE:  Although the flavor is nice without adding any salt and there is a zing from the peppers, I found it to be heavy on corn tortillas and light on filling so I would either increase the filling the next time or reduce to 12 tortillas (3 layers of 4 tortillas) and bake in an 8 x 8 inch pan.

Penne With Red Pepper Sauce and Broccoli

Adapted from Rocking F Farm.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 hot pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• reserved pasta cooking water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 bunch broccoli, flowers and stems peeled and diced
• 1/2 pound mini penne
• 1/4 cup grated veggie Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

METHOD:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in large skillet
• Add onions and saute about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions soften
• Add garlic, red bell pepper and hot pepper
• Lower heat and continue to cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes
• Set aside to cool
• Steam broccoli about 7-10 minutes until tender
• In water used to steam broccoli, cook mini penne for 7 minutes
• While penne is cooking, put sauteed vegetables in blender, add balsamic vinegar, salt, remaining tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 - 1/2 cup pasta cooking water; blend until smooth
• Drain penne, return penne to pot and stir in red pepper sauce
• Stir in Parmesan cheese, steamed broccoli and basil
• Add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary

Black-Eyed Peas with Mustard Greens and Rice

Adapted from Food.com.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable margarine
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 3 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 hot pepper, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bunch mustard greens, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cup brown rice soaked in 3 cups water for 3 hours
• 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

METHOD:

• Melt margarine in soup pot over medium heat
• Add sesame oil, onions, bay leaves, celery, celery leaves, garlic, hot pepper, thyme, paprika and cumin
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned
• Add in tomatoes and mustard greens; cook until mustard greens start to wilt
• Add rice with soaking water, cover and cook 30 minutes or until rice is tender
• Add cooked black-eyed peas, cover and simmer 5 minutes
• Season with salt and hot sauce, if desired