Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles

I've made chilaquiles before, but the last time was with crushed tortilla chips. While I did really like that black bean chilaquile, I think I prefer this one which uses corn tortillas. Oh corn tortillas, how I love you. This is basically a Mexican casserole. Black beans, zucchini, chilies, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, cheese. Mmm. I'll be making it again for sure. It's really hard to find good and relatively healthy vegetarian casseroles, as I've lamented before.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Frijoles, Etc. Casserole
Summer Strata with Spinach, Basil & Roasted Garlic Custard
Southwest Brunch Bake
Butternut Squash Casserole

Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles
Adapted from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook (found on Epicurious)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, diced
One 28-ounce can crushed or puréed tomatoes
1 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
One 16- to 20-ounce can black beans or 2 1/2 cups cooked black beans (from about 1 cup dried)
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 small fresh hot chile pepper, seeded and minced
12 6-inch corn tortillas, torn or cut into several pieces
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
Green onions, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking pan or 2-quart round casserole (optional).

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the bell pepper and continue to sauté until it has softened and the onions are golden. Stir in the tomatoes, seasonings, beans, zucchini, and chile pepper. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently for 5 minutes.

3. Layer as follows in the prepared pan. Half the tortillas, half the tomato black bean mixture, and half the cheese. Repeat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

Frijoles, Etc. Casserole

I finished my last final on Tuesday!! I'm so happy! Thanks everyone for all the good luck messages. =) I hope all the other students' exams went well. Now to find time to catch up on my blog reading. I'd love a whole day to just sit and read everything, but I also need to start planning my Christmas cookie baking and get baking! My blog reader goes all the way back to November, yikes.

This is another delicious recipe from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest! The preamble describes it as a "savoury cobbler", which I love the sound of. I'd love to hear about any other yummy savoury cobblers you guys have made. I'm really happy to have found this one because it's super delicious, satisfying, has lots of vegetables and beans, is healthy, and is easy to make! Those are all of the things I like most of my meals to be. Well they don't have to have beans but I love when I find a recipe with beans that's tasty like this one! You could omit the corn bread topping and just eat the bean/vegetable mixture over rice. I think I'll try that next time. This is a recipe that I need to put in my regular rotation.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Black Bean Chilaquile
Chayote and Corn Enchiladas
Walnut and Mushroom Nut Roast
Refried Beans

Frijoles, Etc. Casserole
Adapted from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest

1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups minced onion
1 tsp salt
10 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chile powder
4 medium (7-inch) zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 medium bell peppers or mild chiles, cut into small strips
6 cups cooked beans (3 15 oz cans) (Ashley note: I used adzuki beans. The recipe suggests pinto beans.)
freshly ground black pepper
cayenne to taste
1 packed cup grated Cheddar cheese (Ashley note: This is optional. I can't remember now if I added it - probably.)
1 batch Corn Bread Batter (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Get out a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the onion and half the salt, and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat - until the onion begins to soften.

3. Add half the garlic plus the cumin, basil, oregano, chile powder, zucchini, bell peppers/chiles, and remaining salt. Stir, cover, and cook voer medium heat for 5 minutes longer.

4. Remove from heat; stir in the remaining garlic and the beans. Season to taste with black pepper and cayenne, and stir in the cheese, if desired. Transfer to the prepared pan, and spread it out. Add the corn bread batter, distributing it as evenly as possible over the top.

5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is very firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted all the way through the corn bread topping comes out clean. Serve hot, with salsa or plain.

Corn Bread Batter
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup yogurt
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powde,r and baking soda into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in the cornmeal, and make a well in the center.

2. In a separate container, beat together the yogurt, egg, and oil. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir just enough to thoroughly blend.

Chayote and Corn Enchiladas

Can you tell that this is a picture of cold enchiladas? I tried taking a picture the night I made it but the colours were all weird so just took some photos the next day. I looove enchiladas but have never attempted making them at home. Not only did I make enchiladas, but I made the corn tortillas! I was very proud of myself. Mind you I didn't have a tortilla press and pushing down on them with a frying pan to flatten them out didn't seem to get them thin enough. Plus I opted not to fry them first which is supposed to make them softer. So rather than rolling the filling in the tortillas I just layered some tortillas on the top and bottom, sandwiching the filling. It worked!

This is one of my favourite Abby pictures! Look at her little tummy! This was when she was younger (and smaller). The white fluffy stuff on the bottom is my mom's dog's head.

The filling was yummy with chayotes, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, corn, jalapeno, cilantro, and cheese. And it was topped with an oven roasted tomato sauce, which on its own I thought was okay but with the enchiladas was perfect. I tried to keep it healthier by not adding much cheese but enchiladas are definitely more delicious when there's lots of nice melty cheese! If you just add the recommended 1/2 cup you may not even notice it there. And this is easily made vegan by omitting the cheese altogether.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Refried Beans (which I ate with the enchiladas!)
Roasted Taco Chickpeas
Black Bean Chilaquile
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Chayote and Corn Enchiladas
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

I don't think I added the cilantro when I made it. The recipe calls for Monterey Jack cheese but I just used cheddar. And it recommends 1/2 cup of cheese - but I say either omit the cheese (and make it vegan!) or add way more than that because I couldn't taste it. Remember to start on the sauce before the enchiladas!

2 small chayote
2 zucchini
1 large red or orange bell pepper
1 white onion
1 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, from 2 ears if fresh
Salt
1 or 2 jalapeno chiles to taste, seeded and diced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
2 cups Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce (Recipe Follows)

Dice all the vegetables about 1/4 inch across. Keep them separate. Heat the oil in a wide skillet, add the onion and chayote, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned in places, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, corn, and zucchini, cook for 2 minutes more, then remove from the heat and season with salt. Let cool a little, then add the chiles, cilantro and cheese.

Lay half of the corn tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, to cover the bottom. Put all the filling on top. Layer the rest of the tortillas on top. Spoon the sauce over the enchiladas. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

2 1/2 pounds Roma Tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F. Put the tomatoes in a single layer in a baking pan with the onion and thyme, drizzle the oil over all, and season with salt and pepper. bake unitl they're soft, shriveled, and falling apart, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Puree in a food processor. Taste for salt and season with pepper.

Garden Harvest Cake

I saw this cake on Cookie Madness a while ago and knew I had to make it. It's full of lots of yummy things like apple, carrot, zucchini, cinnamon and walnuts! And it's pretty healthy too. I was definitely not disappointed with the results. The cake was so tasty and moist, and reminded me of carrot cake mmmm. Next time I'd like to try reducing the sugar even more (the original recipe calls for 3/4 cup and I cut it back to 1/2 cup) and try using maple syrup or another natural sweetener instead. Maybe cut back the oil a bit too?

Yaey for Friday and the weekend being here! Hope you all have a good weekend. I'm loving watching the leaves change colour.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Chocolate Strawberry Loaf

Garden Harvest Cake
Adapted from Cooking Light, April 2009

1 cup whole wheat flour (130 g)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy milk + 3/4 tsp vinegar (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk)
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add grated apple, grated carrot, shredded zucchini, and walnuts to flour mixture; toss well. Combine soy milk and vinegar together. Add in canola oil and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

3. Spoon batter into an 8 x 4–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove cake from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Spaghetti with Spinach Cream Sauce

This is another successful recipe I've made from New Vegetarian Cuisine. Admittedly the recipe calls for low fat or reduced fat ricotta cheese but I really can't stand low fat cheese. The taste is so muted and bland and I always end up adding more so I may as well just eat the real thing and enjoy it! I modified this recipe to add in extra vegetables (zucchini and asparagus) and less pasta. Which reminds me that I should go buy some more asparagus while it's around - and corn! Mmmm. Oh and I should mention that this is not your typical heavy cream sauce - it's a lighter version made with skim milk and ricotta cheese.

When I saw Abby like this it took a second to realize where her head was.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Spinach Artichoke Heart Dip
Black Bean Chilaquile
Spinach Balls

Spaghetti with Spinach Cream Sauce
Adapted from New Vegetarian Cuisine

Serves 3-4.

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup skim milk, divided
2 tsp oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 zucchini, sliced into half moons
15 asparagus spears, cut into 1-2" pieces
1 1/2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
7 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
Salt to taste

1. In a food processor, blend the ricotta, lemon peel, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of the milk.

2. In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the oil. Stir in the onions; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the ricotta mixture, spinach, zucchini, asparagus, Parmesan and the remaining milk. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the spaghetti for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, Place in a serving bowl. Add the spinach sauce; toss to mix.

Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons

I extremely love edamame. There was a time where I viewed them cautiously in all you can eat Japanese restaurants, but now I can sit and easily eat a bowl full, popping the beans out of their pods. And I love buying frozen shelled edamame to add to anything, including edamame hummus (which I've yet to make).

I love how this dish looks - the dark soba noodles contrasting with the green zucchini, edamame and green onion. (Soba noodles are usually made of buckwheat and can be found in Asian grocery stores.) As for the taste, it's something a bit different (in a good way) but the flavour could be punched up a bit. Make sure you have everything prepared before you start!

I'm sending this to Gay for Presto Pasta Nights.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Portabello Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto, Roasted Peppers & Romano Cheese
Balkan Roasted Vegetable Salad
Santa Fe Pasta Salad

Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons
Modified from Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook

Makes 2 relatively small servings.

4 oz soba noodles
1 large zucchini
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, or to taste
3 tbsp mirin, or to taste
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup shelled edamame
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 green onion stalks, thinly sliced for garnish

Heat a pot of water over medium heat and when it is boiling, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.*

Use a vegetable peeler, and carefully slice the zucchini into long, thin strips. Set aside. Combine the soy sauce, mirin and cornstarch in a bowl, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic for 30 seconds, and add the edamame, mushrooms, zucchini and soy mixture, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds more, or until the vegetables are heated through**. Remove from the heat.

To serve, put equal portions of the noodles in individual bowls or on plates, and spoon the vegetables and sauce over top. Garnish with scallions and serve.

*My package of soba noodles says to cook it for 6 minutes, but they're completely cooked after about 2.
**I used frozen edamame so I stir-fried for a few minutes until the edamame were hot.

Sweet Potato Badi

I really like this meal because it's tasty and I feel like it's good for me (hopefully I'm not deluded in thinking that). It has red lentils, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, sweet potato, and yogurt to make it creamy. (And being a coconut fiend, I love that this main course incorporates dried shredded unsweetened coconut.) The sweet potato badi is filling and easy to make, so as you can see this dish is a keeper. This is actually only my second time making it, only because I like trying out new recipes. I can see it being a dish I fall back on when I don't want to think about my meals for the week.

The first time I made the recipe I thought it was really weird that I had mixed up this bowl of coconut, plain yogurt, minced chile peppers, and salt. Definitely not a combination I had encountered before. All the ingredients come together really well though, and it's good reheated too.

Sweet Potato Badi
(Adapted from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet by Didi Emmons)

Serves 4
Takes about 40 minutes to make.

1/2 cup dried, unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup raw red lentils
8 curry leaves or 1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium yellow, white or new potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes*
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
1/2 cup (175g) plain yogurt
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp salt

Brown rice

1. In a small, dry skillet, toast the coconut over medium heat, shaking the skillet often, until the coconut is uniformly light brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the coconut to a small bowl and set aside.

2. In the same skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the lentils and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring, until they begin to brown. Stir in the curry leaves or cumin. Add the potato, sweet potato, and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and peas, and cook until the vegetables are fork-tender and the liquid is almost gone, about 10 minutes more. If the liquid evaporates too quickly, add a little more water. Remove from the heat.

3. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the toasted coconut and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the remaining coconut, yogurt, chiles, and salt, and whisk until smooth. Fold the yogurt mixture gently into the vegetables. Cover the skillet and let stand for a few minutes until warmed through. Transfer the badi to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut on top. Serve immediately with rice.

*I halved the recipe this time and just used the 1 sweet potato.
General note: If you're eating this with brown rice, start cooking the rice before you even start doing anything.