Meatless Monday, Mexican Style

It's time for a Meatless Monday, Mexican Style.

Ever notice how different countries and ethnicities have different ways of fixing foods? No one would mistake Italian food for, say, Thai, or Mexican food (today's offerings) for Irish food. Even different regions of the same country have different food preferences. (Grits come to mind as a Southern U.S. food.)

Anyway, today's offerings show that you can have Mexican food (including Mayan Spiced Chocolate Pudding and Chipotle Asparagus Quesadillas) without meat. Enjoy!

BEAN AND SALSA QUESADILLAS

This comes from page 32 of the April/May 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Salsa and roasted red peppers are blended together with cooked beans to make a smooth, rich quesadilla filling.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

1 1/2 cups cooked pinto or black beans, or 1 15-oz. can beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup prepared salsa

3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (6 Tbs.)

1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, and chopped

2 green onions, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

4 8-inch whole-wheat or multi-grain tortillas

Blend beans, salsa, cream cheese, roasted peppers, green onions, and cilantro in blender or food processor until mostly smooth.

Spread 1/2 cup filling on one half of each tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Fold over tortillas to enclose filling. (If a tortilla’s edges don’t stick together, brush some oil along bottom inside edge.)

Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Cook quesadillas in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.

nutritional information Per Quesadilla: Calories: 295; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 43 g; Cholesterol: 16 mg; Sodium: 664 mg; Fiber: 10 g; Sugar: 2 g

SWEET POTATO QUESADILLAS

This also comes from page 32 of the April/May 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “This fork-and-knife quesadilla is great topped with salsa and guacamole.” It serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

3 cups grated sweet potatoes

1 small jalapeno chile, chopped

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

4 8-inch flour tortillas

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt, if desired. Cook, covered, 8 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, jalapeño, cumin, and oregano; cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in corn, and cook 1 minute, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spread 1/2 cup filling on one-half of each tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Fold tortillas to enclose filling. (If a tortilla’s edges don’t stick together, brush some oil along bottom inside edge.)

Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Cook quesadillas in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.

nutritional information Per Quesadilla: Calories: 355; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 57 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 503 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 9 g; Vegan

CORNY GREEN ENCHILADAS

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

12 corn tortillas

1 can of fiesta corn (drained)

1 can of black beans (drained)

1 can of green enchilada sauce

2 cups of vegan cheese

2 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

This is a layered casserole. You can vary the layers to your liking.

Mix the spices with your enchilada sauce and stir until well incorporated. Taste the enchilada sauce to see if it needs salt. Normally the canned sauce is seasoned very well.

Using a casserole dish, layer the ingredients, starting with 1/4 of sauce on the bottom. Layer sauce, tortillas (torn or whole), corn, beans and vegan cheese. Continue layering and end with a layer of tortillas and then sauce.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of vegan cheese over the top and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes to let the vegan cheese brown.

Serve with a salad, salsa and smoothie! Good eats!

CHIPOTLE ASPARAGUS QUESADILLAS

This comes from the April/May 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 34. It begins, “Canned chipotles in adobo sauce lend mellow, smoky heat to quesadillas. Leftover chipotles (there are usually four or five in a can) can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for future use.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Quesadillas

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, sliced (1 cup)

1 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

1 tsp. dried oregano

4 8-inch sprouted-grain tortillas

Chipotle Spread

3 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise

2 tsp. minced, drained chipotles in adobo sauce

1 Tbs. lime or lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F.

To make Quesadillas:> Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, onion, oil, and oregano in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread on large baking sheet, and roast 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, to make Chipotle Spread: blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.

Spread 1 1/2 tsp. Chipotle Spread on one side of each tortilla, spreading all the way out to edges. Top with 2/3 cup filling on one half of each tortilla, then fold over tortillas, pressing edges together to enclose filling and form half-moons.

Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.

nutritional information Per Quesadilla: Calories: 273; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 235 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 3 g; Vegan

FARROW BLACK BEANS MEXICAN BOWL [VEGAN]

This recipe comes from One Green Planet, and begins, “My idea was to make a one pan, flavorful, Mexican meal – so I flavored the warm oil with garlic and oregano first and then mixed in the rest of the ingredients except lettuce and avocados. I love the fresh and crunchy texture of lettuce, and fresh sliced avocados give this Farro Black Beans Mexican Bowl a light creamy texture. Serve this healthy, nutritious and vegan Mexican bowl to yourself and feel the happiness and energy flowing in your body.” Cook Time: 10 minutes; Serves: 4; Calories: 435

To view this online, go to http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/farro-black-beans-mexican-bowl/.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 tsp oregan

1 cup red onions (chopped)

1 cup green bell pepper (chopped)

1 tbsp jalapeno pepper (seeds removed and chopped)

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

3 roma tomatoes (blanched, peeled and mashed)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup sweet corn kernels

1 15 oz. can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp lime juice

2 cups farrow (cooked)

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 whole avocado (seed removed and sliced/chopped

Preparation

Heat oil in a nonstick pan and add garlic, oregano and onions. Saute well.

Add green bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, tomatoes. Mix, cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Add sugar, corn, black beans, salt, lime juice.

Mix very well and cover and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.

Lastly add farro and mix well so that farro is properly coated and turn off the flame.

In a serving bowl/plate empty the pan. Top it with lettuce and avocado and serve.

MAYAN SPICED CHOCOLATE PUDDING

This is from the April 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “We've provided instructions for having this pudding ready to eat in 30 minutes, but you could also just chill with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

1 13.5-oz. can light coconut milk, divided

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. chili powder, plus more for garnish

1/8 tsp. salt

1 3-oz. bar vegan dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together 1/4 cup coconut milk and cornstarch in small bowl. Set aside.

Combine remaining coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt in saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk 1/4 cup hot mixture into cornstarch mixture to form slurry.

Whisk slurry into hot mixture, and cook 3 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, and whisk in chocolate and vanilla.

Transfer to metal bowl, and set in larger bowl filled with ice and water. Whisk occasionally to cool. Serve sprinkled with pinch of chili powder.

nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 285; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 18 g; Saturated Fat: 11 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 95 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 16 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free