Chow Vegan

Green Chile Potato Enchiladas

April 21, 2008 By chow 5 Comments

I rarely go out for Mexican food. Not because I don’t like Mexican food, but because there’s usually nothing for me to eat there besides chips and salsa or rice and beans something or other. So whenever I get a hankering for Mexican, I gotta go with making it myself.

Potatoes are my favorite filling for enchiladas – I only like beans occasionally and I already eat plenty of tofu. It’s a nice change of pace. The potatoes are lightly mashed so it has a similar texture to beans but lighter. I also add soy crumbles for additional flavor, texture and protein.

The only thing I can’t quite figure out is getting the vegan cheese to really melt when I first make the enchiladas. I’ve found it melts really well when they’re reheated in the microwave. Which is fine, because the flavors develop more overnight and only gets better and better.

Green Chile Potato Enchiladas
Makes 8 enchiladas

3 large red potatoes
8 six inch corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups green chile enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella soy cheese
1 small can of sliced olives
6 ounces taco soy crumbles or tempeh
Salt and pepper
1 green onion, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut into small pieces; place in pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently boil until tender about 10 – 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes. When cooled enough to handle, lightly mash the potatoes with a fork and mix in half the olives, soy crumbles and about half of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make two piles of 4 tortillas, wrap in foil and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes to make them easier to roll. Spread a thin layer of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 13″ x 10″ baking dish. To assemble, spread the enchilada sauce over the front and back of a tortilla. Place the filling at one end of the tortilla and roll up. Place in the baking dish with the seam side down. Continue with the remaining tortillas and filling, packing the enchiladas tightly next to each other.

Spoon any remaining sauce over the enchiladas, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and then olives. Bake for 15 minutes or until the enchiladas are heated through. Garnish with the green onions. Serve with sour cream or salsa if desired.

A Taste Of Yellow – Yellow Tomato Bruschetta

April 18, 2008 By chow 8 Comments

A Taste of Yellow is a blogging event in support of LiveSTRONG Day on May 13th. Hosted by Barbara of Winos and Foodies, she invites food and wine bloggers to make yellow food to show their support.

LiveSTRONG Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s one-day grassroots initiative to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. A worthy cause indeed.

My contribution to the event is the Yellow Tomato Brushchetta. It’s got beautiful colors, tasty flavors, simple and fresh ingredients. It’s a quick and easy recipe for sharing with a group of friends or family. Food has always brought people together to celebrate, mourn or support life’s events, great and small. A Taste of Yellow is a great one.

Yellow Tomato Bruschetta
Makes 16 pieces

4 ripe medium sized yellow tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 French bread baguette

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste, set aside.

Slice the bread into 16 pieces about a 1/4 inch thick and place on a baking sheet. Toast the bread in the oven for about 2 minutes on each side. Top with the tomato mixture. Or serve family style with the tomatoes in one bowl and the bread in another and everyone can just help themselves.

King Oyster Mushroom Salad

April 13, 2008 By chow 9 Comments

I first tried oyster mushrooms at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco. They were amazing and a real eye-opener. Up to that point, I’ve just been cooking with the usual portobellos, shiitakes and white button mushrooms.

Years later, I spot a package of king oyster mushrooms at the grocery store. They look sorta like oyster mushrooms only super sized and figured they must kinda taste like oyster mushrooms too. I’ve been hooked ever since. And no, they’re not “magic mushrooms”, they just taste great.

King oyster mushrooms, Pleurotus eryngii also know as king trumpet mushrooms have a firm, meaty texture and a nutty flavor. Unlike so many other mushrooms, the stem is cooked and has the same flavor and texture as the cap. Wonderful when sliced and sautéed until the edges are golden and browned – my favorite way to prepare the mushrooms. Its texture becomes smooth, slightly chewy with a little crunch at the end.

King Oyster Mushroom Salad
Serves 2 as a first course

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
6 ounces slender green beans
2 small Belgian endive heads
4 ounces king oyster mushrooms such as Trumpet Royale™
Salt

Wash and dry the endive then thinly slice on the diagonal. Combine the vinegar, olive oil and shallots in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the dressing and the endive and toss, let stand for 15 minutes. Wash and trim the green beans and cook until tender crisp. Set aside to cool.

Wash the mushrooms and slice into 1/8″ rounds on the diagonal, for the smaller mushrooms, slice the whole mushroom vertically. In a wok or pan, heat until hot and add just enough olive oil to coat. Add the mushrooms and salt to taste, sauté until soft, slightly wilted and golden around the edges.

To plate, pile the endive mixture in the middle of each plate. Add the green beans next and drizzle a little of the dressing over the green beans, top with the mushrooms. Serve immediately.

No Croutons Required is a monthly food blogging event hosted by Lisa’s Kitchen and Tinned Tomatoes. Each month bloggers are invited to submit a vegetarian soup or salad recipe; this month’s theme is mushroom soup or salad. I’m submitting the King Oyster Mushroom Salad. Its got a fancy and elegant look about it but it’s actually easy to make and impressive looking to serve.