Creamy Corn & Chorizo Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

2 vegan sausages (Field Roast Chorizo is great here!)

1 ear of corn

1 lime

14.5 oz. diced tomatoes

1 dried ancho chile

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chipotle morita powder

¼ c. vegan sour cream

4 corn tortillas

¼ oz. fresh cilantro

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and slice the garlic. Remove sausages from packaging and slice into bite-size pieces. Cut corn kernels off the cob. Halve and juice the lime.

Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add just half the diced onion, just half the sliced garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add just 1 cup tomatoes, dried ancho chile, cumin, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ cup water. Bring smoky ancho sauce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned and crispy in places, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining diced onion and remaining sliced garlic and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add corn kernels, chipotle morita powder, and sour cream, and stir well to combine.

Transfer the smoky ancho sauce to a blender. Add lime juice and blend on low until smooth. Taste, and add salt as necessary. Add ¼ cup smoky ancho sauce to an 8 x 8 baking dish.

Top each of the corn tortillas with creamy corn and chorizo filling. Roll each tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. Top enchiladas with remaining smoky ancho sauce and cover baking dish with foil. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and stems. Divide the creamy corn and chorizo enchiladas between plates. Top with chopped cilantro.

Serves 2.

Kimchi Quesadillas with Togarashi Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
1 sweet potato
1 tsp. togarashi (or other spice)
1 can black beans
1 tsp. chili powder
1 lemon
¼ cup vegan mayo
1 jalapeño
5.5 oz. vegan cabbage kimchi
2 whole wheat tortillas
vegetable oil
Salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the sweet potato into wedges and place on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, togarashi, and a pinch of salt. Roast until the sweet potatoes are crisp in places and slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain and rinse the black beans. Heat 1 tsp (2 tsp) olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the black beans, chili powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Mash the beans with the back of a fork, stir well, and cook until hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste, and add salt as necessary. Cover and set aside.

Halve the lemon, juice one half, and divide the other half into wedges. Add the lemon juice, vegan mayo, and a pinch of salt to a small bowl. Mix the lemon aioli.

Thinly slice the jalapeño. Roughly chop the kimchi. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface and add the mashed black beans to one side of each tortilla. Top the beans with the chopped kimchi and sliced jalapeño, fold the tortillas in half, and press to seal.

Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the first kimchi quesadilla and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining quesadilla(s).

Cut each quesadilla into thirds and divide between plates. Top the kimchi quesadillas with any remaining sliced jalapeño and serve with togarashi sweet potato fries, lemon wedges, and lemon aioli for dipping.

Refried Butternut Tacos

Ingredients
1 can cannellini beans
2 c. cubed butternut squash
1 c. red grapes, halved or quartered
1 jalapeno, deseeded & minced
1 scallion
1/2 oz. cilantro
1 lime
1 tbsp. vegan butter
2 tsp. agave
2 oz. shredded green cabbage
6 tortillas
2 tsp. hot sauce
3 tbsp. pumpkin seeds

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse the beans. Add beans and squash to a large nonstick skillet and cover with an inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil until squash is fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the squash, return to skillet and mash with a fork. Transfer the mashed squash and beans to a bowl and wipe the skillet clean.

Halve or quarter the grapes. Toss with 1 tsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast until grapes are soft, fragrant, and slightly wrinkled, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Mince the jalapeno and thinly slice the scallion. Finely chop the cilantro leaves. Combine the jalapeno with half the cilantro in a bowl with juice from half of the lime. After grapes have cooled, add them to the bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add the mashed squash and beans and smooth into an even layer in the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook undisturbed until bottom is well browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the butter and agave and stir to combine. Season with a pinch of salt.

Add the remaining chopped cilantro, remaining lime juice, shredded cabbage, and a pinch of salt to a medium bowl. Toss the slaw to combine. Wrap the tortillas in a dish towel or foil and pop in the oven to warm.

Lay the warm tortillas on a clean work surface and divide the refried butternut between them. Toss with salsa, slaw, and pepitas. Drizzle with hot sauce.

Serves 2.

Hearty Green Quesadillas

Ingredients
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 green bell pepper, diced
6 oz. broccolini, trimmed & chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
2 tortillas
2 oz. vegan mozzarella
1/4 c. vegan ranch dressing

Directions
Add sliced onion, vinegar, sugar, water and 1/4 tsp. salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook until onions are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp. oil. Once hot, add pepper, broccolini. Cook until bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black beans, chili powder, cumin, remaining salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until hot, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Lay the tortillas flat on a work surface. Spread half the cheese over the bottom half of each tortilla. Top with filling and remaining cheese and fold tortillas, pressing down to seal.

Wipe the large skillet clean and return to medium heat with 1 tsp. oil. Once the oil is hot, add the first quesadilla. Cook until the bottom is browned, 2 to 3 minutes and carefully flip to brown the other side. Remove from skillet and repeat with second quesadilla.

Cut each quesadilla into 4 pieces and divide between plates. Drizzle with ranch and serve with pickled red onion.

Serves 2.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 to 2 jalapenos, diced
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 tsp. each ground cumin, dried oregano, and chili powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1-14.5 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/4 c. tomato paste
5 c. vegetable broth
1 tbsp. lime juice
6 to 8 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
1 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas (or 1 can)
chopped cilantro, minced jalapenos & avocado for garnish

Directions
Saute onion in the oil until translucent. Add carrot and bell pepper and cook until golden, another 3 minutes. Add jalapenos, garlic, spices, and salt and cook for another 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and paste. Stir thoroughly. Add broth and bring to a simmer.

Add the lime juice and tortilla squares. Stir and let simmer until tortillas get nice and soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and pulverize with your immersion blender until smooth.

Serve with chickpeas piled in the center of each bowl, with chunks of avocado, minced jalapenos, and some cilantro. Vegan sour cream is a nice add here, as well.

Serves 4 to 6.

Tortilla Pinwheels

Easy, but impressive appetizers, Tortilla Pinwheels are one of my favorite contributions to a party. Feel free to change up the ingredients per your preferences... and remove ham for a nice vegetarian snack!

Ingredients
1 lb. cream cheese, softened
1 lb. ham (2-1/4" thick deli slices), diced
1-8 oz. can chopped green chiles
1-8 oz. can chopped black olives
1-8 oz. jar diced pimentoes
12 medium to large flour tortillas
1 jar Nance's Honey Mustard

Directions
Blend cream cheese, ham, chiles, olives & pimentoes. Spread a thin layer of the mixture evenly on the tortillas. Roll the tortillas snuggly and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap and a damp cloth for four hours. Cut into 1/2 inch slices, arrange on a platter and serve with honey mustard!