Easy Enchiladas with Easy Cashew Cheez

more enchiladas
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The cashew cheese we made the previous night was so delicious, we decided to try it atop some enchiladas. This is the easiest enchilada recipe ever since it consists of a lot of pre-made elements (the enchilada sauce, the black beans, salsa, etc).

In future incarnations, I imagine we'll stuff these enchiladas with roasted veggies (cauliflower, chickpeas, broccoli, carrots) and even different kinds of rice (spanish rice, etc.). It's very quick and easy to make and tastes really gourmet.

Ingredients

• 1 package of corn tortillas
• 1 can of enchilada sauce (we used green enchilada sauce)
• 1 recipe of cashew cheese
• salsa
• 1/4 cup cilantro (for garnish)
• 1 can of black beans
• 2 cups of cooked brown rice
• a little canola oil for heating the tortillas
• Native Kjalii Foods Roasted Fig Mole (totally optional--we found this at our local health food store, but it does not seem to be widely available)

Prepare 2 cups of cooked brown rice per the package instructions.

When the rice is within 10 minutes of being done, start heating the tortillas. Heat the oil in a 8-inch pan and when it's hot, heat the corn tortillas for 5 seconds on each side.

Dip the heated tortilla into the enchilada sauce.

Add ~1/4 cup or rice and ~3 tbsp. of beans into the tortilla (the amount of the filling is really up to you).

Add a line of salsa and a line of mole sauce and fold the sides of the tortilla up.

Zig zag cashew cheese on top and add cilantro to garnish.

Cashew Cheese

We love us our cashews in this household and when Dylan came home from school yesterday, he was craving them, so I decided to try my hand at a raw cashew cheese. This recipe is based on the one here and the making of it was inspired by another mommy friend. The consistency is suitable for nachos or a rich, creamy sauce. Tonight, we drizzled it over brown rice and black bean enchiladas.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashew nuts
• 1/4 c. roasted red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup shallots
• juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. Bragg's Liquid Amino Acid
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• salt to taste

Place everything into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Adjust consistency to your liking by adding more water to make it thinner or more nuts to make it thicker.

Tom Kha Soup

They're serving soup at Dylan's school tomorrow and it's a super rainy night, so I thought a Tom Kha soup could nicely serve a dual purpose!

We were able to find Thai Taste Minced Galangal and Thai Taste Sliced Lemon Grass Stalks in our local Whole Foods. If you can't find them locally, the company's website is www.thaitaste.us.com

Ingredients

• 1-14oz. can of coconut milk
• 2 cups vegetable stock (we use 3 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base per 2 cups water)
• 7 kaffir lime leaves (obtained from our tree, but also sold on eBay)
• 3 tbsp. sliced lemon grass
• 2 tsps. minced galangal
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4-1/2 cup of tofu, diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Bring water, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and lemon grass to a boil.

Let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until your kitchen smells pretty yummy.

Add coconut milk and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. (You may want to strain out the kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass before adding in the veggies -- I usually only strain it out upon serving, so that the flavors can continue to steep).

Add in carrots, mushrooms, and tofu and simmer until vegetables are done.

Add lime juice to taste and garnish with cilantro.

Cauliflower-Carrot-Peas and Marinated Tofu Masala

This recipe is a little more time-intensive, but it's so worth it (the tofu needs to bake for 45-60 minutes). It's delicious and it makes enough for 2 meals (for our little family of 2 adults and 1 pre-schooler) and Dylan really loved the tofu!

We can easily see adding/using other veggies that work well in curries (e.g., potatoes and chickpeas).

We also had the opportunity use some more of the tomato sauce we made last summer!

Tofu and Marinade Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package tofu
• 1/2 c. plain soy yogurt
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. garam masala (we got our's from Penzey's)
• 1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger root

Curry Ingredients

• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. Earth Balance
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 tsps. ground cumin
• 2 tsps. garam masala
• 1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 16 oz. of tomato sauce
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 carrot, quartered and sliced
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Press as much water out of the tofu as possible by placing it on a plate or cutting board, putting another sturdy cutting board on top of it and placing a 3-5 pound weight on top (we used our kettle).

Preheat oven to 375F and start marinade.

Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and minced ginger together in a bowl.

Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes

Gently stir tofu into the yogurt mixture.

Place marinated tofu cubes on a lightly greased baking sheet making sure that they do not touch each other.

Bake the tofu in the preheated oven until the tofu has firmed and the sauce is no longer sticky, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Gently turn the tofu every 15 minutes during baking.

While tofu is baking, heat Earth Balance in a large pan over medium heat.

Add garlic and serrano peppers and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the coriander, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons garam masala, and salt and cook for another minute.

Add the tomato sauce and cauliflower florets; cover and cook, stirring frequently until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.

Once the cauliflower is tender, stir in the coconut milk, peas, cilantro, and baked tofu cubes.

Bring to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes, or until desired consistency.

Serve over basmati rice.

A Classic Minestrone

You just know that if I'm cooking, it's gotta be a simple dish. Fast, easy, nutritious, filling, delicious, and excellent for this rainy weather we're having...! It's also pretty flexy -- add different vegetables (e.g., broccoli, green beans) or different beans -- use alphabet pasta instead, etc.

The crushed tomatoes give the soup more body, but feel free to use an equivalent amount of fresh, diced tomatoes instead.

45 minutes, tops, from prep to table.

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable stock (or 4 cups water with veggie bouillion added)
• 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (or stewed tomatoes)
• 1 can of garbanzo beans
• 1 can of white beans (or beans of your choice)
• 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 cup of orzo (or shell pasta)
• salt and pepper to taste

Add stock, onions, carrots, celery, crushed tomatoes (not drained), and Italian seasoning to a pot and bring to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, lower the temperature and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Add beans, chickpeas, and orzo and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until veggies are tender and orzo is done.

Add salt and pepper to taste.