Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Picked up this recipe in Vegetarian Times at my chiropractor's office. Oh man, it's so good. You can see the recipe here, but I cheated and used canned enchilada sauce instead of the sauce made from scratch. So delicious, and it makes a ton. I had a dozen corn tortillas, and I filled those suckers. I probably could have made two dozen skinny enchiladas. I kept complimenting myself at dinner because they were so scrumptious. Enjoy!

Black and White Cupcakes

Cupcakes for everyone! EVERYONE!

AHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!

B&W Cupcakes in one of the classy boxes my SIL gave me for Christmas.

The sticker reads "2011 Baked GLUTEN FREE with love by Mairi"

Excuse me, but these cupcakes are so darn good, I just can't contain myself. And best of all, they are gluten free AND vegan. Yes, that's right. My sister-in-law (different SIL) is a celiac and recently decided to become a vegan as well. Conveniently before her birthday celebration. So I had to scramble to find a vegan, gluten free cake recipe to replace the one I was imagining. I found this recipe and used it as my jumping off point. I topped it off with a little vegan cream cheese frosting using this recipe, which really just tastes like a buttercream, but it's better than any other dairy-free frosting I've had. Oh, and you know how you really have to cover GF cake with frosting to make up for the fact that it's GF? Notice how little I used on the pictured cakes? These little darlins don't even need frosting. Enjoy!

Black Cake

Gluten Free, Vegan

ingredients:

1/2 cup sorghum

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 tsp guar gum

1 cup white sugar (certified vegan, if you prefer)

1/4 cup cocoa powder (high quality. seriously. especially if you don't use coffee.)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 cup coffee (you can use water, but coffee makes it the bomb)

2 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate (dairy free)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tin.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Beat together until smooth. Add the melted chocolate. Beat again, scraping regularly until smooth. Batter should thicken slightly and be sticky, not soupy.

Pour into prepared tin and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12 muffins or 1 8 inch cake round

Summer Squash Polenta Bake

I've been making this for a couple of years, now. I originally got the recipe from my old boss, Maria. People who don't like vegetables tend to like this dish, though some would argue that it isn't a main course. I respectfully disagree. You can find the full recipe here. Below is how I usually make it.

Ingredients

3 carrots, sliced

1 large zucchini, sliced

1 large yellow squash, sliced

1 cup spaghetti sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pinch garlic salt

ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded Trader Joe's Three Cheese Blend

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (18 ounce) package prepared polenta

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Saute carrots, zucchini and squash in a large saucepan with a small amount of olive oil. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for approximately 5 minutes and pour in spaghetti sauce. Stir, cover and simmer until vegetables are slightly tender.

Slice polenta into 1/2 inch circles and season with garlic salt and pepper. Heat enough oil in a medium skillet so as to completely cover the entire bottom of the pan. Pan fry seasoned polenta in hot oil, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and layer the slices in a large casserole dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta and then sprinkle with shredded cheese and Parmesan.

Bake casserole for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Coconut Curry

This has quickly become a family favorite. I serve it with tofu since Cliff is a baconpescatarian, but I'm sure it would be great with chicken for those of you avoiding soy, or who just hate tofu. My boys love the stuff. Lovely over long grain brown rice, or your favorite grain and I recently tried it with gluten-free naan which was awesome. Adapted from this recipe at allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1 bunch green onions

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1/4 cup tamari soy sauce, divided

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons chile paste

1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 cups chopped bok choy

salt to taste

Directions

1. On medium high heat, lightly stir-fry tofu in about 2 tbl of olive oil until very lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

2. Remove and finely chop white parts of green onions.

3. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, mix coconut milk, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger, and chile paste. Bring to a boil.

4. Stir tofu, tomatoes, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and finely chopped green onions into the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in basil and bok choy. Season with salt and remaining soy sauce. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but crisp.