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Mushroom & Bean Enchiladas

Step 1: Preparing Your Mise en Place

• 3 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced or sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced or sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced or sliced*
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced*
• 1 recipe Enchilada Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups white beans (or beans of choice)
• 1 cup fresh corn (or frozen)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 cups cooked potatoes (or cooked brown rice) 
 
To start your mise en place, first prepare the Enchilada Sauce and also the potatoes or rice, whichever you are using.
For the potatoes, either use leftover steamed potatoes or simply steam some potatoes. Once done, mash them slightly and then season to taste. Note: Make sure the potatoes are not overcooked as they will be too mushy in the enchiladas.
*Note: For more heat/spice, the seeds can be left in the jalapeño.
 

Step 2: Cooking the Filling

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin  

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
To cook the filling, heat a large fry pan, over medium heat. Once hot, dry-sauté the onions until golden and translucent. Adding stock or water as needed, to prevent the pan and/or food from drying out and/or burning. This should talk about 6 to 8 minutes.
Once the onions are ready, add the garlic and jalapeño and let cook for 30 second or so.
Next, add the peppers and let cook until all of the their moisture has been released.
At this point, add the cumin, stir to combine and then transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Now, using the same pan, dry-sauté the mushrooms. Season the mushrooms to taste. Once all of their moisture has been released, add the pepper and onion mixture back to the pan.
Lastly, fold in the corn, beans, nutritional yeast and fresh cilantro and gently fold everything together. Taste for seasoning.

Step 3: Assembling & Baking the Enchiladas

• 6 to 8 large tortilla shells* 

*Note: Regular flour, corn or gluten-free tortillas can be used for this recipe. The amount of tortillas needed, will depend on the type used and how full you fill the enchiladas.
Next, prepare and appropriate-sided casserole dish, by very lightly spraying the bottom of the dish with non-stick spray. Next, pour a few tablespoons of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish.
To assemble the enchiladas, the easiest and cleanest way to assemble them is to first cover a part of the countertop with some plastic wrap. Next, pour about half of the enchilada sauce into a round flat dish (big enough to fit the tortilla shell).
Now, with all of your other mise en place ready, begin to fill the tortillas. To do this, place a tortilla shell into the enchilada sauce and then flip it over to coat the other side. Once the tortilla has soaked for about 30 seconds to a minute, it should be soft enough to roll. At this point, remove the shell and place it onto the plastic wrap.
Next, place about a few tablespoons of cooked potato onto one half of the tortilla (the side closest to you). Add a few tablespoons of filling and then roll up the tortilla. If the tortillas are quite long, fold the ends in as you roll up the tortilla (more like a burrito shape). For shorter tortillas, you can simply roll them up, without tucking in the ends.
As you roll up the enchiladas, place them into the prepared casserole dish. Continue with the rest of the tortillas, packing them tightly next to each other as you place them into the casserole dish.
Note: If the tortillas are still not soft enough to roll easily, gently heat them for about 30 seconds before soaking in sauce.
Once done, pour about 1/2 to 3/4’s of a cup of sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Save the remaining sauce for serving later. Bake the enchiladas in uncovered for about 20-30 minutes, until the tortilla edges start to become crisp.
Allow enchiladas to cool slightly before serving. Serve with the remaining sauce, warmed slightly. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and fresh cilantro, if desired, and enjoy!
These enchiladas go well with either this Cashew Sour Cream and/or this Lime-Avocado Sauce

Thai Chili Paste | Nam Prik Pao

Step 1: Making the Chil Paste

• 1/2 cup minced shallots (approx 3 shallots)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder*
• 1 tbsp miso or tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp palm or cane sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (preferably Thai)** 
 
*This is the Chili Powder recipe that was used in this recipe, which adds nice flavor to the paste, without adding a tremendous amount of heat. If using another chili powder, the final paste may be quite a bit spicier — so keep that in mind when adding it to dishes. Also note that whole dried chiles can also be used instead of chili powder.
**Traditionally half dark and half light soy sauce is used, but honestly, any good soy sauce or tamari will work just fine.
To cook the paste, heat a wok, or non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook for about a minute or so. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute, or until the onions and garlic are nicely browned and aromatic.
Since this particular recipe was made without oil, you will need to keep an eye on the onions and garlic so that they don’t burn. If needed, add a touch of water during cooking. Alternatively, a tablespoon or so of oil can be added at the beginning to fry the onions and garlic. Once done, turn of the heat and set aside.
Next, using a mortar and pestle, crush the cashews, sesame seeds, chili powder and sugar into a paste-like consistency. Then add the miso (or tamarind) paste, lime juice and soy sauce continue to mix the ingredients together. Once a paste as formed, add the onion and garlic mixture. Continue to crush and mix the ingredients together until you reach a somewhat smooth paste.
Lastly, return the paste mixture to the fry pan and cook over medium heat, for a few minutes, or until the paste takes on a rich dark red/orange color. Again, be careful not to burn the mixture. That being said, the oils from the nuts and seeds will help to keep the paste moist as it cooks.
Once done, either use immediately, or refrigerate for later. This paste will last for several days in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.
 

Roasted Cauliflower w/ Lime, Chili & Cilantro


Step 1: Preparing Your Mise en Place

• 1 lime, halved
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
to 3 tbsp stock or water • 2  

To start the cauliflower, preheat your oven to 450° degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the large florets from the cauliflower and cut them into even-sized pieces. Any of the very large florets can be sliced in half.
Next, place the cauliflower into a large bowl and add the stock and lime juice — toss to evenly coat the cauliflower in the lime juice. Reserve the lime for later. Next add the chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and pepper. Note: The amount of chili powder needed will ultimately depend on how spicy you like you food and how spicy your chili powder is. For this recipe we used the this Chili Powder recipe.
Toss to evenly coat the cauliflower in the spices


Step 2: Roasting the Cauliflower

• 1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro 
 
To roast the cauliflower, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Lay any flat pieces of cauliflower cut-side down, so they caramelize nicely. Place the reserved lime onto the tray and place the tray into the oven.
Roast the cauliflower for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are cooked to your liking. Note that you may need to toss the vegetables and/or turn the tray during cooking.
To finish, re-squeeze the roasted limes over the cauliflower — being careful, as the limes will be hot. Lastly, season to taste and garnish the cauliflower with the fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.
 
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Hearty Tomato Lentil Soup


Step 1: Preparing Your Mise & Starting the Soup

• 2 onions, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, émincé
• 1 sm can tomato paste (156 ml/5.5 oz)
• 1 lrg can diced tomatoes (796 ml/26 oz)
• 3 cups brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• pinch of cinnamon, or to taste
• sea salt, to taste 
 
To start, first dice the onions, carrots and celery. The dice can really be as big as you like, but a medium to medium-small dice is nice for this soup.
Next, heat a large pot over medium-low heat and dry-sweat the onions, carrots, celery. Add a good pinch of salt and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften and become somewhat translucent.
Meanwhile, go ahead and prepare and gather the remaining ingredients.
 

Step 2: Finishing the Soup

• 8 to 10 cups stock*
• 1 tbsp horseradish, optional
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• fresh lemon slices, optional
• chile flakes, optional
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional  
 
Once the mirepoix has started to soften and become translucent, add the garlic and let sweat for another minute or so. Then add the tomato paste and let cook for another minute or two.
Next, add the cumin and paprika and mix to combine.
Next, add the lentils, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, fresh thyme and a pinch of cinnamon (if using).
Lastly, add the stock. *Note: The amount of stock will depend on how thick you want the final soup to be. If you are looking for a thicker, more stew-like consistency, then only use about 8 or 9 cups. As long as the ingredients are fully covered during cooking, you can always add more stock later, if needed. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and partially cover the pot with a lid.
Let cook for approximately 1 hour, or until the lentils and vegetables are fully cooked through. This may take longer, depending on the type of lentils used and how old they were.
To finish the soup, add the horseradish and taste for seasoning.
Lastly, ladle the soup into warm bowls and garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges and chile flakes (if using).

Tom Yum Hed | Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup

Step 1: Preparing Your Mise en Place

• 1/3 cup Thai chile paste
• 5 stalks lemongrass
• 10 fresh kaffir lime leaves
• 6 to 8 pieces galangal (approx. 1/3" thick slices)
• 2 to 3 shallots, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 4" piece seaweed (such as kombu or wakame)
• 6 to 8 cups mixed mushrooms*

For the lemongrass, cut off and discard the (upper) darker green part and then slice the lemongrass in half. Using something heavy, like a pestle, bruise the lemongrass to release flavor.
For the kaffir lime leaves, fold in half and tear each leaf into 2 or 3 pieces (do not tear all the way through). This, too, is to release flavor.
For the galangal, note that the amount needed will depend on the age of the galangal and your personal preference. The fresher the galangal, the stronger the flavor. If substituting ginger, adjust according to your preference — although, finding galangal really is recommended.
For the mushrooms, it is best to use mild mushrooms, such as enoki, eryngii (king oyster), maitake (hen-of-the-woods), shimeji, and/or oyster mushrooms. Using a variety of these mushrooms adds layers of flavor to the soup and adds nice texture, as well as overall appearance to the final dish.
To prepare the mushrooms, clean and slice lengthwise into 1/4" thick pieces. For enoki mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms, simply cut off the bottom of the mushrooms and break up into smaller pieces.

Step 2: Making the Broth

• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste*
• 12 cups water*
• 1 tsp palm or cane sugar, or to taste
• 1 fresh lime, cut in half  
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise 
 
*Note: Water is used here instead of stock, as the final broth should have a clean mushroom flavor to it, rather than a strong overall vegetable flavor.
To make the broth, add the lemongrass, kaffir leaves, galangal, shallots, peppercorns, seaweed, and water to a large pot and bring to a gentle boil.
Next, add the salt, palm sugar, and about half of the Thai chile paste. Reduce the heat to low and let the broth simmer for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, or until the liquid is flavorful and aromatic. As the broth cooks, taste it for seasoning and flavor — adding more salt and/or Thai chile paste as desired.
Once the broth is done, strain the liquid and discard the lemongrass, etc.
Next, pour the broth into a clean pot and bring to a gentle simmer. At this point, start adding the mushrooms — larger pieces first. Once all of the mushrooms have been added, turn off the heat. If the mushrooms are cooked too long, they can become chewy and shrink in size.
Lastly, add the fresh lime juice to taste. The amount depends on how sour you want the final soup to be. Keep in mind that guests can always add more during the meal, if desired.
Add the grape tomatoes just before service.
 


Step 3: Serving the Soup

• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 8 to 16 red Thai chiles*
• 1 to 2 limes, sliced into wedges (for garnish)

For the Thai chiles, red chiles are used instead of green for their ripe fruitiness and color contrast. The amount needed will depend on how spicy you like your soup. To release more heat, split the chiles lengthwise, but leave them whole. For even more spice, lightly crush the chilies using the back of a knife or pestle.
To serve the soup, it is easiest to use a slotted spoon and remove some of the mushrooms from the broth. Place the mushrooms into the bottom of a warmed bowl and then add 1 or 2 chilies. Garnish the mushrooms with fresh cilantro and then ladle the hot broth over top. Serve immediately with additional cilantro and lime wedges.


10 Minute Raw Tacos


Step 1: Preparing Raw Taco 'Meat'

• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/8 tsp Chili Powder, or to taste
• 1 tsp tamari 

To prepare the raw taco ‘meat’, simply toss all of the ingredients together. The mixture will be a bit salty, but since the rest of the dish is not, it balances out nicely.
Note: For this recipe we used this Chili Powder recipe, which has good flavor and is not too spicy. If another chili powder is used, the amount used may need to be adjusted.

Step 2: Preparing the Salsa

• 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced
• 2 cobs of corn, removed from the cob
• 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 fresh lime, juiced
 • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To prepare the salsa, add everything to a bowl and gently fold everything together.

Step 3: Serving the Tacos

 • 1 small savoy cabbage (can be substituted with head lettuce or collard leaves)

Note: The pictures for this recipe were taken with raw cauliflower leaves, which were delicious; however, since those are not the most common vegetable at the market, we have provided other alternatives. If however you have a garden and you are grow cauliflower, save the leaves and use them instead.
For the cabbage, simply tear the leaves into taco size pieces.
Lastly, fill the leaves with a few tablespoons of the taco ‘meat’ and a few tablespoons of the salsa and enjoy!

Chorizo Tempeh Hash


Step 1: Preparing the Tempeh

• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika*
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano (or regular)
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 lb tempeh, crumbled
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

To start, break the tempeh up into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
Next, mix the spices together. For this recipe, we used this Chili Powder recipe. *Note: The paprika used in this recipe was a mix of sweet and hot/spicy paprika. Feel free to experiment with the amounts of each, to see what works for you — just be sure to buy good paprika (pimentón from the de la Vera region — see note below).
Add the spice mix to the tempeh and toss to evenly coat the tempeh in the spices. Set aside for at least 15 to 30 minutes to allow the spice rub to soak into the tempeh.

Step 2: Cooking the Dish

• 1 lrg onion, diced
• 4 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• oil, as needed

To start, heat a large non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the tempeh. As the tempeh cooks, break up any bigger pieces. For the tempeh, you are just looking to crisp up the edges and heat it through — this should take approximately 5 minutes or so. Once the tempeh is ready, add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Then remove the tempeh from the pan and set aside while you fry the onions. At this point, you may need to whip the pan clean, just be careful as it will be hot. Alternatively, you can use another fry pan.
Next, add the onions, followed by a good pinch of salt. Sauté the onion over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden and translucent. Once done, remove the onions and set aside while you fry the potatoes.
To fry the potatoes, add a bit more oil to the pan and then add the potatoes. Cook the potatoes, over medium-high heat. Initially, do not toss the potatoes, or add any salt, as this helps to prevent the potatoes from sticking (see the lesson on Sautéing for more info on this). Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the potatoes from getting too dark and/or burning. When done the potatoes should be fully cooked through and golden brown on the outside.
At this point, turn the heat down to low and add the onions to the fry pan and toss to combine. Next, add the tempeh and stir to combine the ingredients.