En-chee-lah-dahs!

There are only two foods I have songs for: enchiladas and momos. Enchiladas take the prize though because the song comes with a body wagging dance too. I was inspired by my farm box to make this really flavorful and lighter version of enchiladas. You might usually discard the stems of swiss chard, but because this dish involves so much cook time you should include them for some great texture and added nutrition.
. 

Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

1 large bunch swiss chard
1 1/2 c diced potatoes
1 zucchini
1 onion
1 bell pepper (I used orange)
1 can black beans
1 1/2 T cumin
1 T oregano
1/2 T chili powder (I used ancho)
1 pkg Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Havarti
1 T olive oil
1 pkg (~18) corn tortillas (taco size not burrito)

Sauce (can be made in advance)
1 lg can tomato sauce
1 1/2 T oregano
3 lg garlic cloves
1/2 onion
1 dried chile
1/2 T olive oil

Optional garnishes:
lettuce, vegan sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, limes, cilantro, onion, tomato, avocado

For the sauce, use a small pot with a lid. Add tomato sauce and dried chile and let simmer while you brown the diced onion in some oil in a pan. Add onion, minced garlic and oregano to the sauce and let simmer for 30 mins.

For the veggie filling,  get a large cast iron pan hot and add oil and diced onions to brown. Add in diced potatoes, diced stem bottoms of swiss chard and bell pepper. Add spices and let brown for 5 minutes while chopping swiss chard (don't remove the stems) and zucchini. Add in zucchini and swiss chard (your pan will be filled to the brim, but just fold the browned veggies over the swiss chard and it will quickly cook down to less than half its original size. Lastly, add your rinsed black beans and let simmer on the stove while you start to assemble the dish.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Using a 9x13 glass pan sprayed with cooking oil. Spoon a little sauce to just cover the bottom of the pan, layer 6 tortillas like lasagna noodles covering the bottom of the pan, sprinkle a very little amount of the havarti (to shred, you can freeze it in advance, I just sliced and broke it down with my hands) spoon in half the veggie mixture, add a little sauce (~1/4 c), layer the next 6 tortillas and repeat, add the last 6 tortillas and cover in remaining sauce. Cover pan with tinfoil and cook for 25 minutes. Remove tinfoil and add thinly sliced havarti wedges to cover the dish (it doesn't really spread when it melts in the oven when you cut it thin) and put back in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. You can dig in immediately!

Stuffed

I'm on vacation and the weather only started to cooperate with me around 8pm tonight. I spent most of the day running any errand I could imagine that had me in air conditioning. I've got my planters planted (Thank you "early morning before the heat wave" trip to the farmer's market and late afternoon heat-avoiding trip to Menard's.) I've also stocked my fridge because "boy do they keep those grocery stores cool." Now that the heat has let up slightly (it is still 82 degrees in my house), I wanted to make something that took more time and energy than I usually have at the end of a work day.

Inspired by Vegetarian Times' Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers, but wanting to go solidly Italian, I came up with this uber-delectable dish:

Italian Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4
Time: 2 hours

4 bell peppers (red or green, your choice)
1-2 T olive oil
1 onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil

28 oz diced fire-roasted tomatoes (drain the tomatoes and reserve the liquid)
1 lg zucchini (diced)
2 Tofurky Italian Sausages
3/4 c quinoa
2 c water (or veggie broth)
1 head curly kale (stems removed)
1/2 c nutritional yeast
1/2 c bread crumbs
black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat large skillet on high (with a cover) and add olive oil and diced onions and let brown. Cut the peppers either in half or the tops off. If you cut the tops off, dice and add them to the onions. Add the oregano, basil and minced garlic to the onions. Add zucchini and italian sausage and continue to brown. Add drained diced tomatoes and reduce heat to med-high. Add quinoa and water and 1/4 c nutritional yeast. Stir and let come to a boil before reducing to a simmer and covering to cook for 20 minutes. While mixture cooks, spray 8x8 glass pan with oil and add reserved tomato juice. Place peppers in the glass pan and fill with the mixture (pack it in!) Cover in tinfoil and cook for 1 hour in oven. Mix bread crumbs, black pepper, 1/4 c nutritional yeast. Remove tinfoil, kick up the oven to 450 degrees and top peppers with bread crumbs and put them back in the oven (immediately) for 20 minutes or until the crumb browns. Serve with a couple of spoonfuls of the tomato sauce from the cooking pan. Enjoy!

Swiss Army Knife

Sometimes greens overwhelm me. They're so big and bushy. So many different varieties, but what to do with them beyond cooking them down in a pan with some garlic and olive oil (maybe add some toasted almonds for texture)? It seems like a lot of work too (even though it's mostly just cutting out the stem) because you've got this huge pile and they cook down to a single serving. This is what often stands between me and a really delicious and nutritious side o' greens. So, I'm laying it down here...demystifying the greens... starting with: swiss chard.

Swiss chard from our Featherstone Farm CSA (green with the magenta stems)

It's the pretty green with the lovely multi-color stems (yellow, white, magenta). The flavor is pretty mellow, maybe a little sour/bitter and salty, but the overwhelming mouthfeel I get from swiss chard is luscious. After trying Vegetarian Times' Wilted Swiss Chard with Fresh Basil, I couldn't stop thinking about how I found a solution to my occasional craving for perfectly done scrambled eggs with that lusciously melt on your tongue creaminess. What a magical green! Especially magical when you consider all the health benefits that makes it second only to spinach in nutrient-richness. It's especially good for blood sugar, anti-inflammation and bone health.

Other ideas for swiss chard:

Vegetarian Times' Sicilian Swiss Chard over Quinoa
Featherstone Farm chard recipes
Giada de Laurentis's goat cheese, lentil and brown rice rolls (vegan version sans parmesan from the inventive vegetarian)
Vegetarian Times' Raw Swiss Chard Veggie Wrap with Creamy Pecan Spread

Perspire or Inspire?

It is fair to say I am struggling to embrace summer this year. I feel cheated out of the pleasant Minnesota spring and concerned about the extreme weather we've been experiencing (muggy heat, severe thunderstorms, flash floods...not your typical idyllic Minnesota summer weather.) Even with the start of our community supported agriculture (CSA) box from Featherstone Farm, I've been caught off balance. What usually starts small and delicate with the first vegetables of the season seemed to come at us full force. It's mid-June and this week's box contained broccoli, a crop we usually don't see until later in the season. So, I don't know what it is, maybe summer is coming on too strong like that person who tries too hard to be your friend and repels you instead? I just have been uninspired.

Well, I'm trying to get the inspiration back. Maybe it's been this glorious later half of the week when the storms cleared out the heat and humidity and the sun shone with bluest skies and birds celebrated with song, but I feel like I can salvage summer. After all, Wednesday was the first day .... there are many more to follow...maybe even enough for my sleepy raised bed garden to bear some vegetables. With this new found hope, I took another look at the haul of vegetables from the CSA this week and found a great breakfast.

Farm Box Hash
serves 2

1-2 c yukon gold potatoes (diced)
2-3 garlic scapes (minced)
1/2 c spring onions
1 c swiss chard (remove stalks and cut into thick ribbons)
1 Tofurky italian sausage link (sliced into 1/4 in rounds)
1/4 c pesto (I used trader joe's)
to taste: salt, pepper, olive oil

Heat up a pan (add olive oil if you want) and add onions and minced scapes and start to brown. Add in potatoes and cook for 5 minutes (you may need to reduce heat.) Add in tofurky italian sausage and brown for 2 minutes. Add in swiss chard and let it reduce down. Turn off heat and stir in the pesto and season to taste.

Now, I wouldn't be a Minnesotan if I didn't serve it with a side of ketchup, but really the dish didn't need it. Very tasty and hopefully the start to some great new dishes inspired by my weekly farm box.

Take Me Out

I've been craving American Chinese food lately. You know, that super unhealthy deep-fried stuff in a cornstarch-thickened sweet and sour or sweet and spicy sauce. What's that about? I'm not even going to try to use the steamed broccoli that comes as a side as a saving grace. Sometimes, you just have a craving.

Thankfully, Bravo Cafe and Bakery in St. Paul has me covered.  They're an all vegetarian (vegan friendly) chinese restaurant and bake some seriously delicious looking cakes (and cream puffs.) Not to worry, if you're in Minneapolis without wheels or a day to make a transit excursion to your sister city, you can get similar eats at Evergreen on Nicollet.

Sesame "chik'n" at Bravo (they also offer brown rice)

Bravo's sesame "chik'n" has that crisp crunch on the outside that you want in a dish like this and the sauce is on par with the best I've had. I also like not having to worry about what part of the chicken is being used under all that sauce and batter. Before going veg, I was really creeped out by chicken nuggets and how they use cartillage and organs in them. When you get to this stage of fried goodness and sauce, the meat isn't really much of the dish, so why not save yourself some cholesterol and fat and let some chickens live to see another day and go veg? Don't worry, you'll still get plenty of quality protein :)

Maybe Tater?

I gave myself a challenge for the 3 day weekend: make a vegan "top the tater" substitute. It's a Minnesota picnic staple with the cool, refreshing sour cream/cream cheese and chives. What I made isn't up to par, but it was closer than I thought I'd get on my first try. I think I over onion/garlic'd the dip, so you may want to cut back and season to taste. Also, I refused to add sugar, but I think "top the tater" has some. I think using a vidalia onion might carry the sweet and mellow out the onion flavor too. Most everyone I've brainstormed with thinks I should use a vegan sour cream in the next batch, but top the tater just seems a little thicker than that to me. Maybe half and half? I'd love help troubleshooting how to make a dead ringer of one of my favorite dishes for summer in Minnesota.

Vegan "Top the Tater" (1st attempt)

1 tub of better than cream cheese (tofu cream cheese)
2 T vegan mayonnaise
1/2 white onion
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
3-4 T chives

Place the onion in a food processor and blend. Add cream cheese and mayo and blend until smooth. Add onion and garlic powder and blend. Pulse in chives. Refrigerate and serve with ripple potato chips (Old Dutch is the classic.)

NYC Eats

It's been awhile, but I'm back! For the last five days, I've been up and down a small section of the Eastern seaboard (NYC and Boston) catching up with good friends and soaking in city life. My friend moved to NYC in November and upon visiting him I noticed a couple changes in his mindset about food: 1) if the food isn't good, don't eat it because NYC is full of good eats; and 2) a willingness to go way outside his comfort zone (so much so, in fact, we learned 2 out of 3 vegan food experiences were "actually pretty good.")

Here's some of the top eats during my NYC visit:

Champ's Drunken Cowgirl
A fun kitch diner near my friend's apartment serving all vegan options. Is it just me or does the texas toast and daiya cheese make this dish cartoonish? It was ridiculously good regardless. Oh, and I guess I was only a few days late in a star sighting at Champ's. Anne Hathaway is a big fan.

Hangawi's Tofu Kimchi Hot Pot
Kimchi is so good - salty sour with a little kick of heat. Add it to a boiling hot bowl of flavorful broth, mushrooms, tofu and dumplings and call me happy. Ask me to take off my shoes at the door and relax in a quite serene space after a morning of walking around busy NYC and you're mine forever.

Red Bamboo's BBQ Buffalo "Chick'n" Wings
The only thing better than these delectable monster-size vegan chick'n wings was catching up with two college friends who now live in NYC. Friends and wings alike were sweet with a slight spicy edge to them. Must be what life in the big city does to you.

Dun-well Donuts' PB&J and German Chocolate donuts
OMG. Please franchise to University and Hamline in St. Paul. Actually, now that I think about what donuts this good that close to me would mean, stay in NYC. Delicious vegan donuts and superb coffee. Our local vegan donut cooperative should apprentice with the folks at Dunwell. So good.