Gluten-free(-ish) Mexican Pizza Night

I wanted to make something with this gluten-free crust I accidentally bought at Whole Foods the other day. And it occurred to me, I could make something gluten-free for my blog!! However, I'm an idiot and it didn't occur to me that there is gluten in the Boca Soy Crumbles. I'm sure there are some gluten-free alternatives I could have used. And you gluten-free folks out there probably know all about them. But like I said... me = idiot.

More Conscious Cook: My Heart Shaped Timbale

My obsession with The Conscious Cook won't end. I think I'm cooking my way through it, easily. Most cook books will take me years just to make 4-6 things, but not this one. A lot of the recipes are really accessible for me with how I cook, I already have a lot of the ingredients on hand.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a particularly exceptional dish. This, pictured above, is the timbale. It has a longer name, but I can't think of it now. From top to bottom we have: quinoa cooking in veggie broth with jalapenos & cilantro, some chopped avocado, roasted sweet potatoes, raw kale, and some spicy blue corn chips. The sauce is a roasted tomatillo, cilantro, & olive oil dressing. This is freaking amazing. Not only is it probably the most perfect meal you could eat [[3 super foods and the more nutritious grain ever]], but it's flipping delicious. The recipe calls for you to make your own spicy creole chips using a tortilla, but I just bought some from Whole Foods. It also calls for micro-greens, which I've only found at the Clintonville Community Market, so I just used chopped kale. Arugula works really well, too. The great thing about this meal is that after you've made it once, you have left over dressing so you can make it again really easily.

Also, if you want to make this look super fancy, you use a hollowed out cylinder-shaped item to place all the ingredients in a perfectly round shape. Since I don't own that, I just used a heart-shaped cookie cutter. It came out really adorable & perfect for Valentine's Day. :)

Tofu with Warm Cactus Relish

So, I dropped the ball and missed the last day of the Vegan Month of Food. But I did a lot better than I expected and posted nearly every day. I was having some camera difficulties and instead of just posting some recipe with no picture, I decided to wait. Yesterday I was at the dentist getting hacked and filled so I wasn't really in the mood to post. BUT, I'm back and hopefully I can keep up the momentum of before.

I bought a jar of cactus yesterday on a whim. I've had it before, never worked with it, but have always liked it. It seems to be in mostly Mexican dishes with eggs and I suppose it would pair nicely with a tofu scramble, but I didn't do that. I decided to pair it with a cornmeal crusted tofu and a creole sauce [[I used no-chicken broth instead of wine and halved the recipe for this]]. It's a little Southern-Cajun-Mexican fusion. And it's amazing. The cactus is a bit slimy at first, which is off-putting to me, but it picks up flavors nicely and pairs really well with onions and peppers.

[[Warm Cactus Relish]]

1/3 cup jarred cactus, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
a dash of cayenne pepper, more to taste
1 tbs olive oil

-- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, except for the olive oil. Toss to coat.
-- Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook mixture in olive oil until the onions and bell pepper are soft.
-- Serve hot on top of seitan, tofu, tempeh, a salad, tofu scramble, etc. Anything!
-- Optional: At the end of cooking, at about 1 tbs chopped green onions.

[[Basic Cornmeal Crusted Tofu]]

1/4 cup chickpea flour or white flour
1/3 cup water

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
a pinch of salt

4-5 1/2 inch slices of tofu, pressed
2 tbs vegetable oil

-- Mix the water and chickpea flour into a thick paste.
-- Mix the spices and cornmeal in another bowl.
-- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.
-- After pressing the tofu, rub the tofu in the wet mixture. You may need to massage it onto all sides of the tofu. Then press firmly in the cornmeal mixture on all sides. Repeat with all slices.
-- When all tofu is breaded, cook each slice on each side for about 3-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Place on a paper towel or paper bag to drain.
-- Top with creole sauce and cactus slaw.

Vegan MoFo Day 21: Cheesy Jackfruit Chimichangas

Whenever I'm super stumped about what to make for dinner, Andrew always says in a mocking voice "Chimichangas". I think it's because the word sounds so ridiculous. Either way, it never helps and it just frustrates me. So, when I was super stumped last night, I decided "F it, I'm making chimichangas". And I did.

We had this lingering can of jackfruit in our cupboard that Andrew usually makes amazing BBQ "pulled pork" with but since he hasn't been in the kitchen since his green thai curry adventure, I decided to use it. I wanted it to be sort of carnitas-flavored, this time, which I hadn't done before. The results were very successful. I think this deep fried beauty has taken the place in Andrew's heart that my creole once held. And I'm ok with that.

I felt a little guilty about making these. But if you think about it, jackfruit is like a whopping 30 calories a serving. And vegan cheese is hardly something to worry about. I'm reaching-- but I never said this was a diet plate. At least the tortillas are whole wheat.

[[Jackfruit Carnitas]]
I read a lot of jackfruit failures online, and it usually because people buy the wrong kind of jackfruit. Use YOUNG GREEN JACKFRUIT IN WATER-- NOT BRINE! I can't stress that enough. And if prepared properly, I guarantee it's delicious.

2 tbs vegetable oil
1 can of YOUNG GREEN JACKFRUIT IN WATER, drained
2 tbs chili lime cholula
1/3 cup beer, I used my trusty magic hat #9
a few shakes of liquid smoke
1 chopped roma tomato
seasoning: chipotle powder, ancho chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
* a small dash of cinnamon -- small!

-- Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat.
-- After draining the jackfruit, keep the pieces whole and let them cook in the vegetable oil for a few minutes.
-- Some may feel soft enough to pull apart. At this point, add the cholula and allow it to saturate into each piece, flipping them over to fully coat. Coat each piece with a little seasoning-- all but the salt and cinnamon. Simmer for a couple more minutes.
-- Add the tomatoes, beer, and liquid smoke. By now you can probably break them apart. Some may be more easily broken than others. So, as they simmer in the beer mixture, break them apart, using the back of a fork for the harder parts. Partially cover, leaving an opening for some steam to come out, and allow to simmer on medium low-heat for 10-15 minutes.
-- The beer should evaporate and the tomatoes show have dissolved into the sauce. Add another layer of seasoning, including the salt and cinnamon. Taste. Keep on low heat and mix every so often until ready to serve.


[[Cheesy Jackfruit Chimichangas]]

1 recipe for jackfruit carnitas
1/2 cup daiya or FYH cheese
4 medium sized, whole wheat tortillas
1/2 inch of vegetable oil heated on high heat.

-- Place the tortillas on a baking sheet, top with cheese substitute of choice. Under a low broiler, melt the cheese. Keep an eye on them so you don't dry out the tortiallas
-- Remove from oven and top with jackfruit carnitas.
-- Closing the ends, roll the tortilla up and place in heated vegetable oil FOLD SIDE down first. Allow to brown about 20-30 seconds. Flip and brown the other side.
-- Remove chimichanga and place on a paper towel or a brown paper bag to drain.
-- Serve with guacamole or tofutti sour cream or salsa... or eat it by itself.

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Chili Rubbed Seitan Tacos

I think I make entirely too much Mexican food. My love of pickled jalapenos and large amounts of guacamole is intense. But I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with that. I just worry I'm becoming too one dimensional: creole or mexican. It's just so good......

Anyway, I just wanted something that was spicy and flavorful. I'm discovering more and more that homemade seitan is WAY better than store-bought seitan. If you haven't tried to make it yourself, I encourage you to do so. It's cheaper than buying it and really not that hard. I find that I can control the texture more and get better shapes than the cube chunks you get when you buy it.

Don't worry too much about using these exact chilies. You can use whatever you have or can find. There are endless possibilities for flavor combinations.

[[Chili Rubbed Seitan]]

5-6 serrano chilies, seeded and chopped up
1-2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped up
2-3 tbs safflower oil, plus more for frying
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
a little salt, pepper, and cumin
opt: add a little chipotle powder for some smokiness

-- Slice seitan into strips and pat dry if you had them in stored in a liquid. Place in a shallow dish
-- Put all ingredients in a blender and combine until a coarse paste is formed.
-- Pour over seitan, be sure to coat all sides. Allow to marinade for about an hour.
-- When ready, heat oil in a pan and fry with a little marinade.
-- Eat them in a taco with some tofutti sour cream and guacamole or in a burrito or whatever. They're crispy and spicy and perfect for almost anything. Hell- throw 'em in a stir fry!

I Know Weiners Better Than Dirty Frank....

... well, vegan dogs at least. I wanted to create some hot dogs that you will probably never find as a vegan, or a meat eater. I hate the cheeky naming of food, but it seems to be hot dog culture so, I give you "The Reubenio" and "The Gambit". "The Reubenio" is a Mexican-styled, Reuben fusion dog topped with a Mexican thousand island dressing, sauerkraut, chopped red onion, and avocado slices. "The Gambit" is a southern, creole dog with cornmeal crusted onions fried in vegetable oil with a creole cream sauce.

I hate soggy, crappy buns so I got some fluffy, thick whole wheat buns and toasted them slightly. We also bought some chipotle dogs from Whole Foods. They aren't rubbery at all like other vegan dogs. They were hardy and when cooked right, get a delicious crispiness on the outside.

There's nothing like some fried onions and a spicy, creamy sauce. It just feels so southern. For the onion rings, I battered and fried the onions just like my fried green tomatoes. The creamy sauce was just the sauce from my creole pasta.

Please excuse how phallic this dog looks. I tried my best to photograph it in the best possible way possible. This also has a bit of a kick-- it's like a crunchy hot dog burrito sandwich of doom. For the Mexican thousand island, I mixed up 1 tbs. vegenaise and ketchup, a squirt of lemon, about 6 pickled jalapenos chopped, a dash of cholula seasoning, and 1 clove garlic. I topped it with sauerkraut, chopped red onions, and avocado slices.

Chewy Baked Tofu and Salsa Verde

Tomatillos are one of those things I always mean to try but never do. I finally saw them in the grocery store [[Kroger, for those in Columbus looking for some]] and I had to try them out. I suppose next time I should try something more creative than a salsa verde but I had to take a stab at it myself. Besides, I was really craving that tangy goodness.

I decided to make a tofu wrap. Whenever I used to make tofu burritos, Andrew's brother would complain that the tofu is too soft and doesn't really work well texture-wise. In a lot of ways, I agree. It's important to contrast textures in a burrito. Mushy tofu with mushy guacamole, while delicious, is too soft. So I baked the tofu and broiled it so it was both crispy and chewy. Topped it with some salsa verde and it was perfect.

I'm starting to think I have a crazy addiction to things in wraps. I've always loved burritos and it's a strange situation when you meet someone who doesn't like avocado/guacamole. I should open a wrap stand, or something.


[[Salsa Verde]]
I don't have a picture of this for one reason. I used a red onion, because I forgot to buy a white one, and it came out looking purple. But if you do it right, it should come out a pretty green. You can see a little purple in the picture above if you look closely.

4 tomatillos
1/2 WHITE onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 chopped cilantro
6-8 pickled jalapenos, chopped
a squirt of lime juice
1/2 tsp raw sugar

-- Remove paper husks from the tomatillos and cut in half. Turn your broiler on high. Place halved tomatillos on a cookie shit lined with tinfoil and roast until skim blisters. See photo aboved.
-- Remove blistered skin from tomatillos. Place those and all ingredients in a blender and blend until fully combined.
-- Chill before serving.

[[Chewy Baked Tofu]]
I don't really have an exact recipe for this. But I'll do my best to explain how to recreate it.

tiny, cubed tofu
nutritional yeast
whole wheat flour
cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, salt, pepper
grapeseed oil

-- Wrap tofu in paper towels or a cheesecloth and cover with a heavy object. Press for about an hour.
-- Preheat the oven to 375 F
-- Lightly dust the cubed tofu with whole wheat flour until fully coated. Then do the same with the nutritional yeast. Obviously you'll be using a little less nutritional yeast since the tofu should already be pretty well coated with flour.
-- Then lightly dust with seasoning. Go light on the salt and pepper. You just want a trickle of flavor on each piece, so try not to over season.
-- Line the bottom of a baking dish with about 2 tbs grapeseed oil. Add tofu and cook in oven about 45 minutes. Half way through cooking, flip the tofu, mix it up a bit, so the other side gets golden. Then for the last minute of cooking, turn the broiler on low.

-- I put the tofu in a whole wheat wrap and topped it with salsa verde, avocado slices, lightly sauteed spinach with red pepper, hot sauce, and a little tofutti sour cream. It was off the chain.

Pico de Gallo

You know what's funny? People always say how much they love salsa, but really they're saying I love sauce. Or when you say you love pico de gallo you're really saying I love rooster beak. Granted, in Spanish they will know what you're talking about. As will everyone you say it to in English. It's just funny.

I don't think I knew what pico de gallo was until very recently. I always thought of it is the chunky, not spicy salsa, when in reality it's the chunky, not spicy, yet flavorful salsa. And probably the easiest and most impressive looking salsa to make.

If you've noticed, I've made a lot of recipes with cilantro in it lately. When I buy fresh, organic cilantro, it comes in large quantities, so I plan on making a lot of cilantro recipes that week. I hate to waste anything.

We went to Kung Fu last night and the grocery so it was too late to make anything exciting. A little pico de gallo can really boost a simple dish of black beans and brown rice. I didn't do anything special to the rice, but I do like to add a little chili powder or chipotle powder to the beans to give it some smokey flavor. Avocado adds a little fat [[well a lot, but it's good fat]] and flavor.


[[Pico de Gallo]]

1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 small Roma tomato, chopped
6-7 pickled jalapenos, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
juice from 1/2 small lime

-- Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate leftovers.
-- You can experiment with other mild peppers or try red onions instead of white.

Burrito Night Con Seitan

I'm officially obsessed with this creole seitan. It can do not wrong in my mind. Last night, I made some chipotle couscous, creamy guacamole, and creole seitan to make an amazingly delicious burrito.

Some of the best parts of the Mexican cuisine [[and Cali-Mex]] is the use of cilantro and aromatic spices like chili powders. I love getting a mouth full of mild spice on a crispy piece of seitan covered in a creamy, cilantro-heavy guacamole. And there's nothing better than the smokey, hardy flavor of a chipotle. I think people too often rely on fatty things to carry flavor, like cheeses and creams, when you can get a great depth of flavor using the right spices and herbs in the correct moderation.

[[Creamy Guacamole]]
I usually keep mine chunky and very avocado-y, but for this burrito I want it to be a runnier, creamier topping. It worked out nicely.

1 very ripe avocado
1 bunch cilantro, chopped, about 1 tbs packed [[see above photo]]
1 squirt of lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
a dash of pepper
a dash of chili powder
a dash of crushed red pepper
1 tbs tofutti sour cream

-- Blend all ingredients until smooth


[[Chipotle Couscous]]
That picture is about 2 cups couscous [[too much!]], this recipe will serve about 3 people.

1 cup dry couscous [[check the instructions on bag]]
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tbs chipotle sauce from canned chipotle in adobe sauce,
plus one seeded, chopped chipotle pepper

-- Heat vegetable broth to a simmer, add couscous and cook until liquids fully absorbed. About 7 minutes.
-- Remove from heat and add the garlic and chipotle/sauce. Mix well.

[[Burrito]]

guacamole
raw spinach
chopped red onion
creole seitan
chipotle couscous
whole wheat or whole grain or Ezekiel tortilla [[Andrew likes the Ezekiel's]]

--Pack together and enjoy.

Spicy Tortilla Soup

After my recent post about almonds, I've been thinking a lot about oils and whether or not it's healthy to heat them. A lot of people are under the impression that roasting nuts and heating oils releases free radicals that are harmful to your body and potentially cause cancer. I've tried to do some research online, and I have not found any compelling cases for not heating oils.

What I do know, however, is that olive oil is the best oil you can eat. It has the best fats, lowers cholesterol, and prevents heart disease [[go here]]. I also know that it's a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which has always been praised for being extremely healthy.

With oils, you just need to be sure not to over heat it. Know the temperature ranges for your oils. Olive oil is low/no-heat cooking. Safflower oil is medium heat cooking. Grapeseed, vegetable, and canola oil are high heat cooking.


With that in mind, I have for you a no-oil dish. I always use oil so it's a little odd for me, but this is an amazing and extremely healthy tortilla soup [[you can make it even healthier and not use sour cream]]. Enjoy.

[[Spicy Tortilla Soup]]
Please note that this is a bit spicy. The sour cream helps cool it, but you may want to adjust some of the spices for those with a softer palate. Cutting the cayenne pepper out and the hot sauce will help.

*all organic ingredients
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus two tbs
2 ancho chilies, broken up into pieces [[they come in little plastic bags at Whole Foods]]
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups no-chicken broth [[you can find this at Kroger or Whole Foods]]
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbs cholula hot sauce [[or whichever Mexican hot sauce you like]]
2 bunches chopped green onions, diced
some Tofutti sour cream [[at Kroger and Whole Foods]]

-- Blend onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 cup cilantro in a blender or food processor until smooth-- just do it 'til they are combined, it doesn't need to be a completely smooth paste. Add 1 tbs water if it's sticking, and give it a shake.
-- Add to sauce pan and heat on medium stirring often with a wooden spoon. Add garlic, corn, and drained tomatoes. Once it has simmered a bit and the top layer seems to be separating, like a pool of oil, add the broth.
-- Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add spices, the 2 tbs reserve of fresh cilantro, hot sauce and stir.
-- When ready, top with a dollop of sour cream and a handful of chopped green onions.

Baked Pita and Black Bean Dip

I love chips and dip. It's usually lays potato chips and an onion dip-- those are the most delicious to me. I'm trying to stay away from chips for obvious reasons, and I'm pretty sure your standard store bought dips are loaded with creams and cheeses and fats.

In my attempts to make a healthy alternative [[besides corn chips and salsa, which are not that bad]], I made pita chips with a black bean layered dip. It was really easy and fast. If you ever have dinner parties or just want to do something nice for someone you love, this turns out really pretty while being incredibly delicious.

[[Seasoned Pita Chips]]
I know you can just buy these, but they're always made with white flour pita. This way you can control preservatives and crispiness and make them whole wheat. Andrew and I ate it all and then we were too full for dinner, so this is probably a good appetizer for four people. :)

2 pieces of whole wheat pita bread, sliced into triangles
about 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried cilantro
a few dashes of salt and pepper

-- Preheat your oven to 375 F
-- Lay your sliced pita out on a cookie sheet so you have one layer. Drizzle with oil. If you have a spray bottle, that may work better to get an even coat.
-- Sprinkle with seasoning and bake for about 10 minutes. It may need more or less time. Check them periodically to be sure they're not too hard or soft for your taste. It'll be around 10 minutes though.


[[Bean Dip]]
You can use another chili powder. Chipotles just have a great smokey flavor that really stands out in a dish. I recommend getting some. This looks really pretty in a glass dish so you can see the layers. Regular tortilla chips would work well with this, too.

1/2 can of black beans
1/2 container of tofutti sour cream
1/4 cup pico de gallo [[we just got some fresh from whole foods, but it's easy to make]]
1 tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
a few dashes of chipotle pepper powder
2 tbs chopped green onions

-- In a serving bowl, place on layer of cooked black beans. Then, a layer of pico de gallo.
-- In a seperate bowl, mix the lime and cayenne pepper with the sour cream. Place that mixture on top of the pico de gallo layer.
-- Top with a few days of chipotle pepper and the chopped green onions.
-- Serve with a side of pita chips.

Mexican Style Tempeh

Beans and rice are my go-to when I'm tired as hell and don't feel like cooking. I make a fast guacamole and top it with some hot sauce and pickled jalapenos. It's pretty delicious for a 20 minute meal.

Well, I felt like making it a little different. So I topped our brown rice and beans with some Mexican Style Tempeh. It's just as fast and easy. It'd probably be good on a salad with vegan ranch. Or wrapped up like a taco or burrito.



[[Mexican Style Tempeh]]

* 1 Tbs. tomato paste
* 3 Tbs. white cooking wine
* 1 package of tempeh, cubed
* 1/4-1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
* 1/4-1/2 tsp. chili powder
* 1/2 tsp. cumin
* 1/2 tsp. coriander
* EVOO for frying
* 1 cup chopped red bell pepper and onion

-- Toss all ingredients in a bowl to coat the tempeh. Once completely coated, heat a pan with about 1 tbs. oil, and fry until brown and crisp. Add the onions and bell peppers about half way through cooking and cook together in one pan. Serve over black beans and brown rice, with some guacamole, hot sauce, and pickled jalapenos.


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As far as the regiment goes, it's been going well. I'm sort of doing a modified regiment as compared to Andrew. I still drink coffee [[I'm not trying to break any sleep records here!]] and I'll have a tofutti cutie every now and then. But I'm working out hard and I'm sticking to the whole grains. Although this program isn't about losing weight, but more about feeling better and being healthier [[and breaking world records]], I thought I'd share some more tangible progress. When I first went vegan, I lost weight and then I slowly gained it back-- and then some. I ate out at restaurants more than I ever had before in my life. I was constantly baking, loading up on sugar and white flours. I think in total I gained about 15 pounds. But in the couple months that Andrew and I have been doing this-- eating at home, eating healthier, working out a lot more -- I've lost about 8 lbs. Now that I'm getting back down to what I consider a more natural weight for me, I really feel like I'm doing my body good [[and no, not like milk does]]. And to me, that's pretty freaking awesome.

The Weekend Regiment

Instead of doing my three usual brackets, since I'm so far behind, I'll just do a brief synopsis:

- Breakfast for Andy as per usual -- his Ezekiel with Rice Milk and Blueberries
- Friday lunch: an Awesome burrito I made -- tofu black bean burrito
- Saturday lunch: TLT from the Wellness Forum [[Clintonville]]
- Sunday lunch: Amy's quarter pounders with spinach, onions, spicy mayo & kethcup
- Friday dinner: some Amy's frozen stuff [[honestly I can't remember]]
- Saturday dinner: V'con Seitan Piccata with some alterations:
* used whole wheat flour to batter the setitan
* add spinach to the mashed potatoes
- Sunday dinner: An awesome sandwich I made -- lemon seitan sandwich

Busy weekend, sorry about the delay. Snacks were some pears, grapes, and bananas, and a couple clif bars here and there. We ran on Saturday -- Andrew's really progressed and upped his game since the regiment. He'll usually run 1/2 mile, walk 1/4, run 1/2 mile, walk 1/4, then run a 1/2 mile. This week he did his first full consecutive mile, plus another 3/4 of a mile. He's really building his strength and getting into shape for his event. Read more about his progress.

Spanish Rice

So, with only two left over enchiladas, I needed to make a side-- and sort of pick up the pieces and try again, since my Spanish rice was an abysmal failure last time. I'm pretty sure it would have worked out last time had I used minute rice and boiled that in vegetable stock -- but I work 8 hours a day, and come home at 5:30. If a dish fails, I just have to dump it out and try next time I get time. I can only cook a couple times a week-- it's exhausting living the dream and working full time. :)

This is my rendition of a Spanish Rice. I don't know what the difference between a Spanish Rice and a Mexican Rice is-- so I'm just going to call it a Spanish Rice.

The first time I tried this, it wouldn't cook. Traditionally with a Spanish Rice, you fry it in oil, boil it in stock, and add a little tomato paste and seasoning. It just wouldn't cook though. No matter how much stock I added, it would just boil out and the rice would stay hard. I decided to work around that this time.

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[[Spanish Rice Recipe]]

This recipe is pretty kick ass. It's flavorful and healthy, which are my two favorite things... kind of. I don't measure things, so these are a rough guess. I under guess, so you may need to add more. Use your best judgment.

* One cup uncooked brown rice [[not that minute rice]]
* water
* 1 cup no-chicken broth
* 2 Tbs. Tuscan Tomato Paste [[or whatever]]
* 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
* 2 tsp. minced garlic [[I use jarred garlic, because I work and who has time to mince gloves of garlic?-- I think it's like 4 cloves]]
* Spices to taste: lots of cumin, like 2 tsp.
* Some oregano
* Lots of cayenne, again, like 2 tsp.
* Some salt and pepper
* Fresh chopped cilantro
* 2-3 chopped jalapenos, seeded

*Go ahead and cook the rice as the instructions tell with water. My bag cooks for an hour. I pulled it out a few minutes before I thought it was ready, and drained it. Then, I heated some EVO, and sauteed the onions, garlic, and jalapenos [[I seeded the jalapenos, scraped out all the white stuff, and chopped them with gloves on]] for a minute. Then, I added the cooked rice, and fried it a little. I added the no-chicken broth, tomato paste, and seasonings, and I cooked it about 10 more minutes. Once the rice was fully cooked through, I chopped some fresh cilantro and stirred it in.

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It's a really good, simple dish. Not cooked traditionally, and much healthier with the brown rice instead of the traditional white rice. I hope you have enough time in your day to try it.

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On an awesome note, our co-worker Courtney is trying out On The Fly tonight with her friend Drew thanks to the helpful guidance of the ever-persistent Andy and I. She's vegetarian and I believe her friend isn't. So, hopefully she loves it. Yay vegan restaurants!

Jackfruit

Since I just did a blog on Jackfruit Enchiladas, I thought I'd dedicate a blog to fun facts about jackfruit.

I like fun facts [[and boring facts, too]], and I felt like sharing some with you.

* Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh AND Indonesia
* It's the largest tree fruit in the world-- 10" in diameter!
* It's suspected that it is an ingredient in Juicy Fruit Gum
* Vitamin Water has a jackfruit drink!
* It has some cancer fighting agents in it, but what doesn't either prevent cancer or cause cancer these days?
* The young fruit had a much milder flavor than the ripened fruit
* The jackfruit tree bears it's fruit three years after planting


That's all I got so far. Enjoy! Try it, it's delicious!

[[image from http://www.tastesofkerala.com/blog/]]

Vegetable Love

[[The Back Story]]

When I saw Fat Free Vegan's post about a V-day competition to create a vegan, relatively low-fat, V-day inspired recipe, I almost ignored it. I hate low fat food, and I figured everyone would make their veggies into heart shaped creations. Which is ok, but I don't think I could make something terribly inspired that way.

But I sort of kept the idea in the back of my mind to keep my eye out for inspiration. In a starbucks brainstorm with the hubby, we first came up with hot sex chimichangas. I was stoked to use a deep fryer. Then, I remembered that minor detail about fat, and figured that was the wrong way to go. [[They would have been so good, though!]] So, we decided to create some messy, hot sex enchiladas. They're baked, we can control oil amounts, and they're hot! This was a very time intensive test-kitchen, with many parts-- but it was a learning experience.

[[Intro to Jack Fruit]]

So-- here's the strange, hard to find, but totally worth it part, jack fruit. It's this funny, pineapple looking fruity, chunky stuff. It doesn't taste sweet though, or much like anything really, and and it falls apart like pulled-pork. It's a lot like tofu, in that it takes on all the flavors you marinade and season it with. And the best part-- it's 30 calories a serving and zero grams of fat! Andy had some pulled-pork inspired jack fruit sandwich on his cross country travels and recreated it a few months ago-- and it was totally delicious. I believe Vegan dad and a few others did a jack fruit sandwich as well.

You have to special order it on online [[go here]], and it's cheap, unless you have some super duper, awesome Thai or other asian market where you're from that provides such obscurities like jack fruit-- but for the rest of us, you order it online and wait 3-5 business days. **What's super important is that you get young green jack fruit in water, any other kind will not work.


You want to drain and rinse it in the sink, and then once your sauce is prepped, just plop it in there and slow cook it for 30-45 minutes. Also, once you've cooked them, avoid the pitted parts that don't pull, those don't taste as good-- they have a strong jack fruit flavor.

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[[Messy, Hot (Sex) Jack Fruit Enchiladas --The Recipe]]

Like most good things in life, these are messy, kind of spicy, and really delicious. First, I'll post recipes for the various components, and then I'll give you an assembly method you could use, or could not-- do whatever you want with it. The part I care about is the delicious jack fruit.



Adobo Marinated Jack Fruit

* one orange
* one lime
* one can chipotle chilies
* 1.5 tsp. garlic
* 2 tsp. cumin seed
* 1 tsp. black pepper
* a few dashes of salt
* ¼ cup red wine vinegar
* one can tomato sauce
* two cans of young green jack fruit, in water [[this is SUPER important!]]

* Drain two cans of jack fruit and rinse.
* Blend together all ingredients, keeping chilies whole (I ended up removing a bunch of the chilies because the sauce was so hot, so taste test it, see if it’s manageable, the spiciness cooks out a lot, but not completely). Heat sauce over medium heat, add jack fruit and completely coat them in the marinade. Let them cook for 12-15 minutes covered. Uncover them, and try jabbing at it with your spatula to see if they come apart. They should start to pull apart like shredded beef or like a splintering piece of wood. If not, cook a little longer and keep checking on them. Once they pull apart, cook for 10 more minutes, taste test them to see if they’re tender, then remove them from heat and set aside. If you overcook them, add a little oil or water-- mine got a little dry.
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Enchilada Sauce

* ½ cup No-chicken broth
* One can of tomato sauce
* 3 Tbs. of tomato paste
* Olive oil
* 1.5 tsp. garlic
* ½ an onion
* 3-5 Tbs. Chili powder
* 3-5 Tbs. Ground Cumin
* Some dried parsley
* Black pepper
* Salt

* Sautee garlic and onions in some EVO. Add tomato sauce, paste, and no-chicken broth. Add spices, and heat for a few minutes. Set aside.
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Smokey Cheddar Cheeze Sauce

This is an Isa Recipe that I'm re-posting for you-- I added some liquid smoke to it to give it a smoky cheddar flavor.

* 2 cups vegetable broth
* ¼ cup AP flour
* 1 table spoon EVO
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* Pinch tried thyme
* Fresh ground black pepper
* 1/3 tsp. turmeric
* ¼ tsp. salt
* ¾ cup nutritional yeaste
* 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
* 1 tsp. yellow mustard
* Liquid Smoke



*Combine broth and flour until fully dissolved. Heat oil and garlic. Don’t burn garlic. Add thyme salt, and pepper. Cook 15 seconds. Add broth mixture, turmeric, and nutritional yeast. Stir constantly. Allow to thicken, raising heat. Add lemon and yellow mustard.
* For a smokey flavor, add a few dashes of liquid smoke, until you reach your desired smokiness. Set aside.

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[[Assembly Method]]

To make them super delicious, I fire roasted some red peppers [[which was really cool to watch]]. It's winter, and I have a gas stove, so I used my broiler-- 4-5 minutes on each side. Or, you can just buy a can. I also sauteed some spinach in lots of red pepper and cooked a can of vegetarian, fat free refried beans.



To assemble, I spray-greased a pan, and fried some whole wheat tortillas on each side. Added a little beans, lots of jack fruit, some peppers and spinach, and touch of cheesy sauce, rolled them up and made about 6. Then, I smothered them all in the enchilada sauce with some left over cheezy sauce and baked at 350 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Take out, cool, and eat.



I know, I know-- they look like poop. But they're messy and sexy, and very delicious. Hence the name. Get it now? Plus, I was hoping the romantic candle would help spice up the romantic side of this messy concoction. I swear to you, it's really good.