tex-mex tortilla bake - dump dinner

 

Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: 9x13 baking pan, jumbo bowl, strainer 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I bring you another easy meatless, vegetarian and vegan dump dinner to prepare (about 5 minutes prep time). This is a Tex-Mex variation that includes corn, tortillas, beans and tomatoes. The flavors are helped out by my Easy Savory Broth Mix, but Better Than Bouillon or your favorite broth mix will do. 

This dish has black and pinto beans and diced tomatoes. If you can find the tomatoes with added chilies, so much the better. If not, don't stress; it'll still taste great.

I added about 1 1/2 cups nondairy cheese, but using the nondairy milk adds some creaminess on its own, so you can use as much or as little as you like.

I started mixing this in a medium/large bowl, but had to transfer it to a jumbo bowl, so keep that in mind. I tend to underestimate the size of bowls I need to mix in, thinking I will cut down on the dishes. Instead, I wind up having to wash two bowls, instead of one - or wind  up making a huge mess. Don't be me.

This was very fast to prepare and got some great reviews at home. I added vegan sour cream, jalapenos and cilantro for garnish, but, as always, customize to your taste.

NEW TO PLANT-BASED EATING? Get my free zines and check out the wrap-up of Fall 2020 recipes HERE. Great way to set yourself up for success!

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Preheat the oven.
• Use a jumbo sized bowl to mix ingredients.

 

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Tex-Mex Tortilla Bake

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Preheat oven to 425-F

1. Bake: Combine the tomato, beans, corn, milk, tortillas, cheese, chili powder, broth mix and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and add to a 9x13 baking dish (or equivalent). Cover and bake for 20 minutes. 

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (with chilis, if available)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup nondairy milk

12 corn tortillas, chopped

3/4 cups shredded yellow or orange nondairy cheese**

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons Easy Savory Broth Mix or Better than Bouillon

Salt to taste

2. Finish: Uncover, add the rest of the nondairy cheese and bake until cheese melts, about 5 to 10 minutes.  

1/2-1 cup shredded yellow or orange nondairy cheese**

3. Serve: Garnish the dish with nondairy sour cream, onion and cilantro, if using. 

1/2 cup vegan sour cream (optional)

1/4 cup diced red onion (optional)

1/4 cup minced cilantro (optional)

** Need a total of 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 cups shredded yellow or orange nondairy cheese

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Pint It!

stroganoff burrito

  

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large skillet, baking sheet, oven

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

As easy and fast as it is to make meatless, vegetarian and vegan Stroganoff (an excellent recipe is in Everyday Vegan Eats), I was ready to see if there was an even faster and easier way to make it. Instead of preparing pasta, I decided to roll it in a burrito.

Firstly, the Stroganoff is great - well-seasoned and flavorful. It is not as saucy as if making it for pasta, but, instead, it is perfect for filling a burrito. After rolling the filling in a warm tortilla (warmed so it does not break), I broiled it until the tortilla was crisp. 

The sauce is seasoned easily with my Easy Savory Broth Mix and a bit of Dijon mustard. The all-important vegan sour cream is added at the end, with the heat off. About 10 ingredients and lunch was ready in less than 30 minutes. 

The burrito was an excellent way to prepare this. I sautéed some Brussels sprouts on the side (another recipe in EVE) and served it with sliced apples. 

It was fast, filling and delicious. Note that this serves only 2 or 3 in large fajita-sized burritos. That is the way with mushrooms - it looks like a ton going into the pan and then you wonder where it all went when it comes time to fill a tortilla. Worth it, though. Very tasty. 

NEW TO PLANT-BASED EATING? Get my free zines and check out the wrap-up of Fall 2020 recipes HERE. Great way to set yourself up for success!

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather ingredients.
• Heat the pan and add the mushrooms as they are sliced.
• Chop the onion, pepper and garlic and add as they are ready.
• Cook on high and only stir when needed to allow the mushrooms to release their liquid and brown instead of steam.
• Be sure to turn the heat off before adding sour cream.
• Preheat broiler before adding the sour cream. 

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Stroganoff Burrito

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 2 to 3 servings 

easy

1. Mushroom: Add the oil to a large skillet, over high heat. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until the mushrooms are golden and the pan is almost dry, about 10-15 minutes. Stir only as needed. 

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (button, crimini, portobello, oyster), sliced

1 small pepper, diced

1/2 small onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2. Seasoning: Add the broth mix, mustard, and tomato paste to the Mushrooms. Mix well. Cook for 1 minute. 

1 tablespoons Easy Savory Broth mix

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons tomato paste 

3. Sour Cream: Turn off the heat. Preheat the broiler. Add the sour cream to the Mushrooms. Mix well. Season with salt and black pepper.

1/2 cup vegan sour cream

4. Broil: Warm the tortillas over the stove burner or microwave for 10 seconds. Fill the tortillas with the Mushrooms. Roll and place on a baking sheet. Spray with oil and broil until golden, about 3 minutes. Serve. 

2 or 3 large burrito-size tortillas 

Oil spray

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Pint It!

southwest vegetable soup

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large pot 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

This meatless, vegetarian and vegan soup is so delicious and it is so easy to make! It's a take on Chili's restaurant's version and I can see why it is popular. It is full of vegetables and it has just the right amount of thickness. The soup is thickened with corn tortillas so it is super easy. 

A few tips: 

• Since the recipe uses 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, freeze the rest for later use, if you have any leftover. 
• Chop the tortillas small because they have to dissolve to thicken the soup. 
• Use zucchini or green beans here; makes no difference. 
• You can use water and Better Than Boullion - 8 cups water plus 2 tablespoons boullion. 
• Don't drain the beans; the kidney bean aquafaba is perfect here.

Add plenty of vegan cheese or diced avocado and broken tortilla chips - here's where to use up the bottom of that chip bag we always seeem to be left with.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Start the broth, diced tomato and tortillas first. Heat over high heat to get them boiling fast. Use a lid.
• Add the rest of the ingredients as you have them ready. Don't drain the beans.
• Cook the soup over medium heat so that it is simmering at a good pace throughout - none of that lightly simmering stuff; you need the tortillas to disintegrate. No lid here.

 

Southwest Vegetable Soup

Makes 4 servings 

easy

1. Base: Add the broth, tomatoes and tortillas to a large pot. Bring to boil over high heat with a lid. Reduce to a low boil/strong simmer. The tortillas need to dissolve to thicken the soup.

8 cups vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

6 minced corn tortillas

2. Soup: Add the rest of the ingredients to the Base as they are ready:

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans (do not drain)

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 (4-ounce) can diced chiles

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

3. Cook the Soup at a strong simmer until the tortillas disintegrate, about medium heat, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

4. Serve: Ladle into bowls and top as desired:

Shredded vegan yellow cheese

Diced avocados

Broken tortilla chips

Minced cilantro 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

chilaquiles

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: air-fryer or oven, blender, large skillet, medium skillet

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Consider this vegan, vegetarian and meatless recipe more of a template than an absolute recipe (whatever that means, at dinner time!)  It is a traditional dish in the sense that you adjust it to whatever you have handy and go with the flow.

The sauce is a standard recipe you should use, but it is simply broth, tomato, onion, garlic and bell pepper. I used Anaheim pepper, but use whatever pleases you.  Once the sauce is reduced a bit, you add old tortillas (typically fried in oil - but here, air-fried - oven works, too). I've even seen tortilla chips used, but haven't tried that, yet. The sauce is thickened a bit more with the added tortillas, though not much. It's more of a vehicle for the filling.

For the filling this time, I have beans, zucchini and spinach, but, here again, add what you have available. If that is a link of leftover vegan sausage or ready to turn vegan tofu eggs, add them. If you have a cup of pinto beans, add that. Seriously, whatever is handy, needs to go or is leftover. 

This meal is also pretty fast, so it is perfect for weeknights! If you have an avocado, fresh cilantro or vegan cheese, it's a great way to finish the dish.

Enjoy!

On A Separate Note:

I have compiled the past 16 recipes into a booklet, Zsu's Summer 2020 Vegan Recipes . To print, download it and choose print. Choose Booklet and (if an option) check Front Only. Print and flip the pages. Check Back Only and Print again. Email me if you have any issues.  

At the very bottom (below the Pinterest image) is the image link or here is the PDF link.

~ Zsu

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Prepare the tortillas first.
• Prepare the sauce next.
• Prepare and cook the vegetables.
• Few minutes before tortillas are ready, heat the sauce; this is about the time the beans and spinach are added to the vegetables.

 

Chilaquiles

Makes 4 servings 

easy 

1. Tortillas: Slice the tortillas into strips. Spray with oil and air-fry until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

12 corn tortillas

oil spray

2. Sauce: Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add to a large skillet and set aside.

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, lightly drained

1/2 small onion, quartered

1/2 Anaheim pepper (the other half in the Beans)

2 garlic cloves

3. Vegetables: Add to a medium skillet over medium heat and cook until golden, about 8 minutes, using a lid. Season with salt:

spray of oil

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1/2 Anaheim pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4. When the zucchini is golden, heat the Sauce over high heat until boiling. Reduce to simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the Tortilla strips a few minutes before serving and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the strips are softened. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the beans and spinach to the Vegetables. Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted. 

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 to 5-ounce baby spinach (about 4 cups)

6. Serve: Add some Tortillas with the Sauce to a plate, top with the Vegetables and Beans and avocado or vegan cheese. Season with salt:

1 diced avocado or shredded vegan cheese (optional)

 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Pint it!

nacho burritos

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: rice cooker, medium pot, blender, measuring cup

Heads Up! canned tomatoes with chiles and jarred roasted red pepper

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Quite shockingly, this is a very easy meatless, vegetarian, and vegan meal to prepare, but that rice takes a long time to cook! You can even cook the rice the night before and heat in the microwave to make this meal take about 20 minutes to prepare the day of. 

This meal is like having a nacho tucked inside a burrito, to save yourself the mess and the time it takes to prepare nachos, which can take forever even though they are considered appertizer food. 

A note about the jarred roasted red pepper: they can mold fast and this recipe only uses a few tablespoons. I portion the remainder of the peppers, drained, into ice cube trays. About 2 or 3 tablespoons per slot. Freeze it and once frozen add the cubes to a container to stash in the freezer. To thaw, soak in a 1/2 cup of water for a few minutes. 

Long story short, these are delicious! The cheese sauce was the hardest part of this recipe to devise because I wanted to make it fast and easy to prepare, without a lot of added fat. I did add some vegan cheese to the sauce, but if you are a great fan of the flavor of nutritional yeast, you can get away with adding 1/2 teaspoon of mild vinegar in lieu of the vegan cheese. I liked it with the cheese, truth be told, so I do recommend it that way. It doesn't take a lot, but the flavor goes a long way.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• The rice will absolutely take the longest. Start there.
• Prepare the sauce in the blender and add to the pot. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, but wait to cook.
• Chop the toppings.
• Cook the sauce when the rice is done (to allow rice to steam) or (if you're in a hurry), cook the sauce when the rice is 5 minutes out from being ready.

 

Nacho Burritos

Makes 4 servings 

moderate 

1. Rice: Cook the rice in a rice cooker, or as desired, with the spices.

1 cup brown rice

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash or adobo, or etc.

1/2 teaspoon salt (if using salt-free seasoning)

2. Cheese Sauce: Combine the ingredients in a blender. Blend until very smooth.

1 cup mashed tofu, regular or silken

3/4 cups unsweetened dairy-free milk

2 tablespoons jarred roasted red pepper

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

3. Add the Cheese Sauce to a medium pot. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the cheese melts and sauce thickens. Keep warm.

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes with chiles (like Rotel), drained

2 slices or 1/2 cup shredded yellow vegan cheese

4. Assemble: Warm a tortilla over a burner. Add Rice, top with layer of tortilla chips, add lots of Cheese Sauce, add toppings as desired and roll:

4 burrito-sized tortillas

tortilla chips

lettuce, shredded

green onions, minced

fresh or pickled jalapenos

tomatoes, diced

olives, sliced

avocado, chopped

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.