Black Bean Tofu

Black Bean Tofu

So after I poster the Black Bean dip recipe yesterday a friend of mine Eleana asked if I have ever made black bean sauce and I replied no but I would love the recipe. So she sent me a message via FB and gave me the link for the original recipe, which calls for chicken. I of course changed it a little and used up some baked tofu I had in the fridge. 

 I also took Elenan advice and used a little bit more garlic, ginger and canned beans. 

Made it early for Luke, He's going to a friends house to watch the Dolphin Game

Here is the original recipe: BLACK BEAN CHICKEN

And this is what I did:

BLACK BEAN TOFU:

½ a block of Baked Tofu**** See note
1 can of low sodium black beans (do not drain)
5 garlic cloves
3 slices ginger

5 baby Portabella Mushrooms sliced or chopped

½ cup of broccoli florets

1 tsp. Braggs Amino Acids
1/2 tsp. cooking wine
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. Agave nectar

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 scallion

1. Cut the tofu into 1-inch pieces. Mix the tofu with sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, Agave nectar, cornstarch and mix all together. Let sit while you cut up the Garlic, scallions and ginger.

2. Chop the garlic, ginger and scallions into tiny pieces. Fry them with a little oil. 

3. Add the black beans and liquid, mush them up a little with a fork or potato masher. Heat 

4.  Add the mushrooms and broccoli florets heat on med for 5 min

5. Add the tofu and sauce cook till heated and veggies are cooked like you like them. 

6.  If you like you can add some Chinese Chili Sauce to add a little heat.

7. Serve over Brown rice. 

8. Enjoy

****Note: Baked Tofu, I usually do this once I have a block of tofu so I can add it to a bunch of things.

 Recipe Here: BAKED TOFU

Black bean dip

So I was looking though my recipes today trying to figure out what to make for this weeks lunch and I remembered my friend Vanessa (which has an amazing coupon website HERE) asked me to post this Black bean dip I make from time to time, SUPER EASY! So here is folks! Enjoy!!!

 Photo from mycolombianrecipes.com

 Ingredients

·  1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

·  3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (I actually use plain non-fat Yogurt in place of the sour cream)

·  2 tablespoons prepared salsa* (any brand u like)

·  2 scallions, chopped           

*Note: if you like it spicy use mild salsa and add 1 full jalapeño! 

In a food Processor: Process black beans, sour cream or plain yogurt, salsa, Jalapeno if using and scallions in until smooth.

Now you can serve as is or refrigerate it or you can even microwave it (with some cheese on top) and serve with chips or what ever else you like…

This dip is awesome on tacos!

Vegan Feijoada and Sweet & Spicy Shrimp w/ mango Salsa

I haven’t really had time to actually cook in a few but today I made two new things and OMG yummy!!!!

For my Vegan friends I made Vegan Feijoada a recipe that showed up in my inbox yesterday from Vegetarian times. I looked at the Ingredients and thought yum that would be perfect for this week’s lunch.

Here is the recipe: Vegan Feijoada

Only difference is I made some brown rice and added it to the recipe once cooked.

For Dinner I got excited when I noticed this recipe has one of my most favorite things ever……

Coca Cola!!!!

How could I go wrong Coca Cola, Shrimp, and Spicy! It was yummy can’t wait to make it again… Luke loved it as well! Total score. The recipe is as follows.

Ingredients

For Tacos:
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup Coca-Cola
1/3 cup chili sauce
2 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
6 lightly grilled flour tortillas

Mango Salsa:
2 mango's, pitted & chopped
1 cucumber peeled, seeded & chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 Teaspoons chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon Coca-Cola
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

For Tacos:
1. Place shrimp in medium bowl and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Stir to coat and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat Coca-Cola, chili sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and hot sauce in small skillet over medium heat until sauce begins to simmer and thicken. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and set aside.
3. Cook shrimp in large skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opague.
4. Drizzle sauce over cooked shrimp and serve in flour tortillas topped with mango salsa.

MANGO SALSA:
1. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours before serving.

Serving Size: Makes 6 servings

And for dessert I made Berry cobbler with vanilla ice-cream… Yum… all in all today was a great day.

Sweet potato black bean unrolled enchiladas and Meatless Meatballs over Herbed Spaghetti Squash

I have been so busy with work lately I haven’t really been cooking so today I went to the store and had a cooking day. I proceeded to make two things today. The 1^st was this:  

Sweet potato black bean unrolled enchiladas

Quickie Green Chile Sauce:

1 cup light vegetable broth
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water
1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles- hot or mild
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste

For the filling:

1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
2 heaping cups cooked sweet potatoes, smashed a bit, but still chunky [I cube mine, then soften just a little]
1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or curry, mild or spicy, as you prefer
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

To Assemble:

2-4 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil, as needed
12 small white corn tortillas
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or vegan cheese, if desired


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and a baking dish

Make your Quickie Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test. Set aside.

In the meantime, using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the lightly smashed sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.


Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

Make a layer of your  tortillas over sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce.

Spoon 1/2 of the sweet potato mixture on top of the tortillas and spread, Cover the sweet potato with half the beans, add some cheese if using and some more of the green sauce. Make another layer of the tortillas and repeat. Finish with another layer of tortillas cover with the remaining sauce and cover with cheese if using.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Cook time: 25 min

Yield: 6 servings

This will be a good lunch for a few days for Luke and I …

Now for the dinner I made:

 Meatless Meatballs over Herbed Spaghetti Squash

• YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup meatball-sauce mixture and about 1 cup herbed spaghetti squash)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 Small onion chopped
• 1 (12-ounce) package frozen zesty Italian-flavored meatless meatballs (such as Nate's)
• 1 (26-ounce) jar fire roasted tomato-garlic pasta sauce (such as Classico)
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto (such as Classico)
• Herbed Spaghetti Squash (***See my note below***)
• Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

• 1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add meatballs, pasta sauce, and pesto to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly heated. Spoon meatballs and sauce over Herbed Spaghetti Squash, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

 

Herbed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/4-pound) spaghetti squash
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

***Note: The original recipe calls for microwaving the Squash. I personally think it comes out better in the oven. I pierce the squash several times as said below, then put the entire squash in the oven at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 mins., the squash will be tender. Let it cool. Cut it in half and throw out the seeds then Using a fork, remove spaghetti like strands, and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil and remaining ingredients; toss well. I usually cook the squash the day before and then heat it up in a large skillet.***

• 1. Pierce squash several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise, and remove seeds and membrane with a spoon.
• 2. Place squash halves in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish (squash halves will overlap); add 1/2 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes or until tender. Using a fork, remove spaghetti like strands, and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil and remaining ingredients; toss well.

And OMG YUM!!!! Served this with a side salad….

Two recipes in one Post!

 The other day I decided to make my friends "meatloaf" (Ty author of the cameraphonevegan blog) Ty’s TVP “meatloaf” and yummy! Here it the recipe. It’s really good but to warn meat eaters it’s not like eating the real thing. The texture is the same but not sure most true meat eaters will like it. On a good note tho, the hubby liked it, but he has gotten use to eating vegan and or vegetarian a lot.  Here is a picture of it from last night with half a sweet potato and corn on the cob… 

 Tonight the Hubby has gone over to his Dad’s to watch the NFL draft and for those who know me, know my take on football… UGH!... So I went to the bookstore and bought two new cookbooks Veganomicon and Vegan with a Vengeance. Can’t wait to sit down and look them over tonight. 

Since I came home a little late I decided to use a portabella mushroom that I had and make portabella mushroom tacos for dinner. Super easy!

I made enough for just me so make more depending on who's eating

1 portabellla mushroom

¼ onion cut up

½ cup of Braggs amino acid

1 tablespoon of olive oil

¼ of Balsamic vinegar

2 corn tortillas

Some vegan sour cream

Salsa of choice and hot sauce to taste

Whatever other toppings u may like

Take the mushroom clean it and remove the gills. Marinate it in the braggs amino acid, oil and balsamic vinegar for about 10 to 20 min.

Once done marinating cut up however you like

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for a few minutes on med then add the mushroom. Cook for about 3 to 4 min more, remove from heat and set aside.

Heat up your tortillas, once warm add the vegan sour cream and salsa and then the mushrooms and onions. Add what ever else you like. I added some cabbage and hot sauce. Yum.

 

Had just enough to make two for myself... 

 

Red Curry Chick'n and Banana Pudding for dessert

So tonight I made Red Curry Chick'n a recipe my friend camerphonevegan posted a while back here it the recipe http://cameraphonevegan.com/tag/gardein/ 

It was really good and we have leftovers which is always the best  for those nights I do not have time to cook. I also made some brown rice and tondora chef’s Channa Masala mixed together with a side salad to round out the meal…

 

For Dessert I made Banana pudding yum!!!

Super easy to make... 

 recipe as follows: 

What You Need

3 1/2 cups cold milk

2 pkg.  (4-serving size each) JELL-O Banana Flavor Instant Pudding (I used the sugar free and fat free one)

30 NILLA Wafers

3 medium bananas, sliced

 

Make It

POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Let stand 5 min. 

ARRANGE half of the wafers on bottom and up side of 2-qt. serving bowl; top with layers of half each of the banana slices and pudding. Repeat all layers. 

REFRIGERATE 3 hours. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator. 

Black bean and mushroom quesadillas, roasted acorn squash and a side salad

So this is an adaptation of this: original recipe.  I didn’t have an avocado so I felt out the guacamole and the lemon juice and the cumin mix just didn’t sound appealing to me. I followed the recipe for the black beans and mushrooms and the acorn squash which was sweet and delish!!!

 

Black bean and mushroom quesadillas , roasted acorn squash and side salad

Serves 4. Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients for acorn squash:

1 medium-to-large acorn squash
1 t olive oil

Ingredients for quesadillas:

4 White corn tortillas
2 t olive oil
1 sm onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced small (from my garden)
4 oz baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced (you could also use regular white mushrooms, though they’re not as hearty)
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1 14-oz can (about 1 3/4 cups) black beans

1. START THE ACORN SQUASH. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut surface with olive oil. Place the squash cut-side down on a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes or until you can easily poke a fork in it.

2. START THE QUESADILLA FILLING. Place the olive oil in a large fry pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook for about 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft.

3. While the onion mixture is cooking, MASH THE BEANS. Rinse and drain the black beans. Put them in a medium bowl with a little water to moisten them (start with a couple tablespoons and add more as needed) and mash with a potato masher or the bottom of a glass. The beans should be nice and gooey, but they don’t have to be perfectly mashed.

4. CONTINUE THE QUESADILLA FILLING. Add the chopped mushrooms, chili powder, and salt to the onion mixture. Cook for an additional 10 minutes until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.

6. FINISH THE QUESADILLA FILLING. When the mushrooms are cooked, add the bean mixture. Stir to incorporate, adding water if necessary to keep things somewhat moist and gooey. Heat 2 more minutes, then turn off the fire.

7. ASSEMBLE THE QUESADILLAS. Preheat a separate; dry fry pan (preferably one with angled, as opposed to straight, edges) over medium heat. Place one tortilla on the fry pan and spread half the bean mixture on it, leaving at least 1 inch around the edges. Top with another tortilla. After about 2 minutes, flip using a large spatula and lots of loving care. After about 2 more minutes, remove from heat and repeat the process to make another quesadilla.

8. TAKE THE ACORN SQUASH OUT OF THE OVEN, if you haven’t already.

9. TO SERVE: Cut the two quesadillas into wedges, and cut each half of the squash in half again.

Serve with extra hot sauce if you like. 

10. any kind of salad you like put on the side

This came out really good.

The second time I made for lunch it’s cause I had leftovers but this time I made them in my Forman. I put one corn tortilla on the grill put the bean mixture a little cheese this time and another tortilla, grilled for about a min on high… OMG YUM!!! Even better this time. I served them with some grilled shrimp and brown rice that I mixed some southwestern corn mix in…