Enchilada pie and congratulations...

This post is for enchilada pie and a congratulations to my daughter! This recipe was originally a Veganomicon recipe. It was the potato and kale enchiladas. Dahlia didn't like the idea of potato and kale. I didn't like rolling enchiladas. So, they turned into black bean and corn enchilada pie. Dahlia is quite talented when it comes to food. I am hoping to get some of her bread recipes up here because, they are amazing! I made this enchilada pie the other day.
Dahlia is a really great cook. We have been cooking together since she was very young. She makes some really great and unusual breads. Like a brown sugar and beer bread, feather bread, I love it when Dahlia is around because, I get to eat all kinds of fresh bread!
Dahlia has really helped me out a lot when it comes to this blog and my shop on etsy because, she is really great at computers. She is very smart and creative, she also has a lot of common sense. She is great at 3 dimensional art from sculptures to building sets, knits, crochets, can make all kinds of things out of rope and string.I really feel like I lucked out in many ways. She can even use power tools and prevented me from cutting my own leg off with the hedge clippers. Dahlia did not skip school, she got pretty good grades. Didn't really get in too much trouble as far as I know. As you know if you have been reading this blog she is now in college hopefully having a great time. So, I just wanted to say to her. Congratulations and thank you! for all your help! Plus, share this recipe...

Sauce...
2 TBSP grape seed olive oil
1 onion, cut into small dice
3 large green chiles, chopped coarsely
2-3 tsp chile powder , preferably ancho
1 1/2 tsp chile powder, preferably ancho
1 tea spoon marjoram or Mexican oregano
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes with juice (roasted are preferred)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2-2 teaspoons salt

Filling...
1 lb black beans
1/2 pound sweet corn
3 TBSP grape seed or olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tea spoon ground cumin
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
3 TBSP lime juice
1 1/2 tea spoon salt or to taste
12-14 corn tortillas

More toppings you can use...
vegan motzorella
toffuti cream cheese
tofu crumbled
vegan sausage

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Get a shallow cassarole dish.
Enchilada sauce...
1. Saute onions in oil until softened. Add the rest  of the sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Allow to cool and adjust seasonings.
Filling... 
1. Saute garlic in oil.
2. Add beans and mash them a little.
3. Add lime juice and veggie broth.
4. Add corn and seasonings.

Assemble...

1. Layer a little sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 11 and a 1/2 inch pan.
2. Layer some tortillas.
3. Add some filling then tofu cheese or whatever...
4. Then add more sauce and tortillas. Keep repeating this...

* I try to make sure my top layer is tortillas sauce and then cheese or tofu if you use it.

Weird home fries...

This is my dinner from a few days ago...I didn't measure again but, they were really good so, I thought I would post it anyway. Here they are...weird home fries recipe is as follows...

2 russet potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
chili powder generous shaking
cinnamon a dash
cloves a pinch

These are a lot better with the sauce which is ketchup, BBQ sauce, and some tobasco.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and slice potatoes into fry size bites.
3. Coat with olive oil.
4. Add rest of ingredients and toss gently.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Brownie cake...

I don't know about you but, I have eaten some foods that I am a little embarrassed about. Some of these I ate before I was vegan and some after. You would be surprised by some of the things that are vegan. I try to be sort of healthier now in that I avoid preservatives and weird ingredients that I don't understand or don't sound like food. But, I will admit there are some things I miss.
One of the things I really miss from before I was vegan is the giant brownie, fudge and vanilla ice cream creation at Big Boy.
Well for any one else who might feel the same way I have really good news! Well, if you live in or near Royal Oak that is.
I went to eat at Inn Season the other might and they have a warm brownie and chocolate sauce creation of their own that can be ordered vegan or vegetarian and as far as I know contains no weird ingredients.Yay!
The opera cakes was great as well, unless you don't like a lot of frosting.

Vegan Megaroli, Over sized ravioli made from scratch...

 Vegan megarolis are over-sized raviolis we made from scratch filled with tofu ricotta cheese, toasted walnuts, and spinach topped with a cream sauce of almond milk, fresh tomatoes, and white wine.  We sprinkled them with parmesan and had asparagus sauteed in olive oil and orange juice on the side.  We made this a few days ago and I did not write it all down so these are kind of ball park figures. The ricotta recipe is based on the tofu ricotta recipe in the Veganomicon.  The recipe is as follows...

The Pasta

1 cup Semolina flour
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP olive oil
3/4 cup water

1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl, then empty on to clean surface and make a well.
2. Pour water and olive oil into well.
3. Combine and knead dry and wet ingredients until smooth and a little elastic.  You may have to add a little more flour or water so that it is not to dry or to wet.
4. Let rest beneath damp cloth for at least a 1/2 an hour.

The Filling

1 package of tofu
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP Basil
1-2 tsp sugar
2 TBSP brewers yeast
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch wilted spinach
1/4 cup toasted walnuts chopped

1. Toast walnuts, then pulse in food processor a few times.
2. Wilt spinach in hot water, cool and ring it out.

3. Drain tofu, then mash it in a bowl.
4. Combine tofu, oil, basil, sugar, yeast, and lemon well, but also still a little chunky.
5. Fold in walnuts and spinach gently.  Adjust seasonings add salt and pepper.

Making raviolis is easiest with a pasta maker but my daughter actually rolled these out by hand because we thought most people don't have a pasta maker and we wanted to see how they would come out.  Cut the dough into about 6 pieces and shape each piece into a rectangle.  Roll them out as thin as you can aiming for a little thinner then 1 16th of inch.  Place several  piles of filling on one 1/2 of the rectangle.  Make a slurry with flour and water and coat the area between fillings. Fold your rectangle over.  Press seams together.  Cut them with a knife or pizza cutter.


The Sauce

3 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP flour
1 cup of almond milk
2 fresh tomatoes diced
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

*  It is best to have all the ingredients ready for this so that you can throw them all in really fast.

1. Saute  mashed garlic in olive oil briefly
2. Add flour and stir until smooth.
3. Pour in almond milk while stirring constantly.
4. Add white wine and salt and pepper.
5. Add tomatoes and reduce briefly until thick enough to cling to pasta.

For Asparagus

1. Slice asparagus into 3 inch long pieces at an angle.
2. Get olive oil hot in pan.
3. Add asparagus salt and pepper.
4. Saute briefly until just getting bright green.
5. Splash with orange juice and saute until it is not juice but more a coating on  the asparagus.


For the parmesan I just pulsed some left over baguette with a handful of toasted walnuts and brewers yeast.

To assemble boil raviolis for 10 to 12 minutes, drain, cover with sauce and parmesan and serve with asparagus on the side.  You can freeze any left over ravioli and I had the sauce on bow ties the next day.