Our family decided to stop eating meat for a number of reasons, and then our reasons evolved, and then we gave up dairy and eggs for a while, and then we went back to eating dairy and eggs, and then I got cancer (which was surgically cured), and then we saw an informative program on PBS, and then we decided to be vegan again. I will never go back to consuming animal products and at this point in my life, it is as much about cruelty issues as it is about my own health. Our western meaty diet is not only cruel to animals, but cruel to our environment and to the rest of humanity. We could produce so much more wholesome, organic vegan foods for our world population than we could produce cheap, toxic animal protein. I'll get off of my cruelty soap box for now, but I will on occasion provide links to articles and web sites that better explain the science behind why a plant based diet is better for humanity. Just remember one thing about eating animal flesh and eggs and dairy--cholesterol is their way of killing us back!
I am the primary cook in our household and I will definitely post recipes on this blog, but I also expect that there will be an evolution to my cuisine. Eating vegan does not necessarily mean eating healthy. There are plenty of foods that are technically vegan but provide little nutritional value and can contribute to an unbalanced diet. Some of these are processed foods that contain high levels of sodium or fat, some are foods that many of us vegans make from scratch. Again, I will at times provide links to articles and web sites that give better guidelines for proper vegan nutrition. I will also include some commentary within any recipes to provoke your thoughts about what you are trying to achieve through your own diet.
So, on to the first recipe and it will contain quite a bit of commentary. I do need to mention that I currently specialize in vegan transitional food, that is, food that helps pre vegans become vegans because it has familiar tastes and textures (yes, I use meat analogues). Some vegans shun meat analogues, so my recipes are versatile enough for anyone to adapt to their own personal taste. Many of my recipes are also convenient one pot, one pressure cooker, or one casserole meals, because cooking should not be complicated just because you don't eat meat and potatoes!
Nate's Mexcellent Casserole (so named because my wife said, "This Mexican Casserole is excellent!")
Ingredients (original recipe)
- 1 15 oz can black beans with liquid (organic and low sodium)
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with liquid (organic, low or no added sodium)
- 1 6 or 8 oz can sliced black olives, drained
- 1 4 oz can mild diced green chilies with liquid
- 1 15 oz can corn, drained, or 1 lb frozen corn
- 2 heaping Tbsp chili powder
- 1 heaping Tbsp cumin
- 1 12 oz package corn tortillas, quartered
- 1 8 oz package Daiya vegan cheddar style shreds (or one recipe cheesy sauce, below)*
- 1 bunch of kale, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1-2 cups dried TVP (textured vegetable protein) chunks, re hydrated (recipe below)**
In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, chilies, olives, corn, chili powder and cumin (and, if using, kale, onions and re hydrated TVP chunks). The liquid from the vegetables along with the spices will make a nice, enchilada like sauce as the casserole bakes.
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| Simple ingredients and spices in the convenient economy size! |
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| Use a large (GINORMOUS) mixing bowl when adding kale. |
Spray a large casserole dish with non stick cooking spray (I use canola or olive oil spray). Put about a cup of the mixture on the bottom of the casserole, then one layer of the quartered corn tortillas, then another 1-2 cups of the mixture over the tortillas, then about a third of the Daiya shreds (or spread a third of the cheesy sauce). Repeat mixture, tortillas, shreds/cheesy sauce another two times ending with the shreds/cheesy sauce on top and cover the casserole with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour (depending on how thick your casserole is and whether you used frozen corn and raw onions). The original recipe will serve six hungry people (or our family of three twice), and I would serve with sides of kale and green salad. If you add the kale to the casserole, then maybe just serve with a green salad. My original recipe tasted amazingly like a combination of Amy's Cheese Enchiladas and Amy's Black Bean Enchiladas.
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| Kale adds volume so use a huge casserole. |
My family loves Daiya non dairy cheese, and although vegan, it does have a considerable amount of oil and sodium. (Note that there was no salt added to the above recipe. The spices give it so much good flavor there is no need for salt other than what's already in the ingredients.) For vegans who would like a more nutritious, whole foods cheesy sauce, use the following recipe. It might add time to your cooking, but if you really like it, you can make several batches on the weekend to use during the week.
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| With raw onions and kale, I baked this for 75-90 minutes. |
My family loves Daiya non dairy cheese, and although vegan, it does have a considerable amount of oil and sodium. (Note that there was no salt added to the above recipe. The spices give it so much good flavor there is no need for salt other than what's already in the ingredients.) For vegans who would like a more nutritious, whole foods cheesy sauce, use the following recipe. It might add time to your cooking, but if you really like it, you can make several batches on the weekend to use during the week.
*Cheesy Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup oat flour (or 1/2 cup oatmeal)
- 1/4 cup large nutritional yeast flakes (or 2 rounded Tbsp fine nutritional yeast flakes)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 4 oz jar pimientos
- salt to taste (either none or up to a tsp depending on whether you are controlling your sodium)
**Reconstituting TVP chunks (I buy mine online since I cannot find them at Whole Foods or other natural markets in our area)
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan red wine (I use Merlot)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp Better than Bouillon No Beef Base (they are just coming out with half sodium products!)
- 2 cups TVP Chunks
Note that my recipes often include convenience options--canned beans, canned tomatoes, canned corn, packaged vegan cheese. If you are on a budget or would otherwise prefer to start your recipes with dry beans, by all means do so. You can plan your meals ahead for the week and cook a larger pot of beans then, along with multiple batches of cheesy sauce, etc. I use a pressure cooker any time I want to cook brown rice or brown basmati rice or dry beans or lentils. You can also use completely fresh ingredients, and make your own vegan corn tortillas. It all depends on how much time you want to spend in creation mode!
Live long and prosper! (except the V I am now forming with my hand, stands for vegan rather than Vulcan! LOL
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