Refried Bean Dip with Corn Crisps

Brace yourself --> I bring you fabulous news!!!
It is possible to make delicious Corn Chips that haven't been deep fried!

Here's how:

Layer half a can of creamed corn onto a lined dehydrator tray.
(You can use as many cans and trays as you like.)
Dehydrate for 8-10 hours, time will vary depending on your dehydrator. You can tell when it is done as the colour will have changed completely and the corn will be crisp.
Note: You can stir into the corn some paprika or taco flavoured spices if you desire.

 Gently pull the lining away from the corn crisps, being careful not to split them.

Using a large knife, slice into pieces (or you can do it with your hands if you'd rather!).

Serve! 

Yes, it's really that simple!  
The hardest part is waiting for the dehydrator whilst a delicious aroma fills your home!

Now for a perfectly paired dip.


Mix a can of re-fried beans with 1/4 cup diced tomatoes (either canned or freshly chopped). Stir until the re-fried beans are now more spreadable.
Pour bean mix into a serving container.
Chop 1/2 red capsicum into little pieces, sprinkle over the top of the dip along with 1/2 can drained corn kernels and 1 chopped spring onion. You can put a dollop of salsa in the middle if you like for presentation purposes.

 

Would you like an invite to our home for pre-dinner snacks???

Kids Lunchbox Club - Quick Mexican Quinoa Salad

My daughter has decided that she quite loves quinoa! This is thanks to her testing out a Dreena Burton recipe. So this means now she requests it for her lunchbox salad. We don't often eat quinoa, but I had a batch made up this week and with a few leftover bits and pieces from a Mexican-inspired meal we had prepared earlier in the week this delicious salad was created.
Nevermind the kids! I reckon this lunchbox meal would please any adult too!

QUICK MEXICAN QUINOA SALAD

To serve one you'll need:
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 Tablespoons of salsa
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup corn kernels
1/4 small capsicum - chopped
1/2 small avocado - diced

Stir a tablespoon of salsa into the quinoa and mix well. 
Add the other ingredients and stir through. Top with the remaining tablespoon of salsa.


 

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays
You can add your recipe on these blogs:
Vegan Dollhouse 
Rock My Vegan Socks

Bit-like Coconut Curry

I was going to call this "Corn & Kale Curry" but I decided "Bit-like Coconut Curry" sounded far more appealing - especially to those who are not kale lovers in our home! It has all the flavour of a curry made with rich coconut milk, yet substantially less fat.
Thankfully it went down a real treat - even none kale-loving members went back for seconds!!! I hope you enjoy it just as much as they did.

BIT-LIKE COCONUT CURRY

(Serves 4)
You'll need:
400g corn cobs (about 3 cobs) - kernels removed
1 bunch kale - finely chopped
500g pumpkin - about 1/4 medium sized one
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups soymilk
1 1/2 teaspoon coconut essense
1 Tablespoon curry powder of choice
1 teaspoon dessicated coconut (optional)

Chop all the veggies.
Saute the onion & garlic with a bit of water until lightly browned.
Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes until pumpkin is soft.
Using the back of a spoon gently press the pumpkin pieces so they begin to fall apart. Stir dish well so everything is well distributed.

Serve over rice or potatoes.

 

Slow-cooked Mexican Stew

Monday nights are slow-cooker night in our home.
I must admit that for the first few years of owning a slow cooker I used it for nothing other than soup.
I am discovering that there is so much more than just soup that can be done in the slow cooker. I regularly make dried beans and love that on the high function it takes only 2-3 hours to cook them from scratch, even without pre-soaking if I haven't had the chance to do that.

Here's a way I make a complete meal that isn't soup:

SLOW-COOKED MEXICAN STEW

You'll need:
1 cup brown rice
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 onion
1 green capsicum
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon taco spice mix of choice

Chop all the vegetables and drain the beans.
Add all ingredients to slow cooker. 
If you have the option, saute the onion & garlic first. If not, don't worry because it will still work out and be delicious.
Cook on slow for 6-8 hours.

Serve.

The rice will fluff up to be lovely & thick. It will absorb all the liquid so that this isn't the consistency of a soup.

Warm Bean Salad

Winter is well and truly upon us now, so warmer salads are appealing to me more than cold ones! To be honest I'm not one who enjoys plain boring salads, I like salads with lots of flavours and substance! 

The aroma while this is cooking is just divine...
And is there anything so beautiful as the colours of plant foods?

You'll need:
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can each red kidney beans, butter beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 green capsicum
1/2 small celery stalk
6 cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
small handful each fresh basil leaves, fresh parsley
fat free Italian dressing
salad leaves of choice

Chop the onion (I did half in slices and half in little pieces just to be a bit different for a salad!). In a large frying pan saute the onion with the crushed garlic in a little bit of veggie stock. When the onions start to brown add the drained legumes, the corn, the chopped capsicum & celery. 

Fry for approx 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until the veggies are lightly cooked. Quarter the tomatoes and add them to the fry pan. Sprinkle over the chopped fresh herbs and drizzle the Italian dressing over. Continue to cook for as long til the veggies are as soft as you desire. 
Serve over salad leaves. I used a combination of cos, iceberg & a bag of mixed leaves.

Question of the day:
Do you eat salad in winter, or only in the warmer months?

4th July Celebrations and Basic Vanilla Cake

For this month's In My Kitchen I decided to share with you our 4th of July celebrations.
We aren't American but my husband is a *tad* obsessed with all things American so I thought I'm make it a special night for him!

Here's how it turned out:

I had debating making veggie burgers but my husband isn't usually a fan, so I decided we would try carrot dogs instead! For those who haven't heard of this idea, it's where you use a carrot in place of a meat hot dog. I boiled the carrots first and then marinated them for a few hours before dry-frying them! They were quite tasty :-) 

The addition of liquid smoke meant that they definitely didn't taste like plain boiled carrots! I topped them with water sauteed onion and capsicum, along with sauerkraut and sauce. Served with corn cobs and baked home fries.
I was SO SO excited with the fries because I had purchased a new kitchen gadget to make crinkle cut chips! I was so pleased that it worked out so well for just a few dollars :-) 

All celebrations need a cake!!!
I made a basic vanilla cake (recipe to follow) and spread with jam and decorated with fruit to 'mimic' the US flag (yes I do realise there is not enough stripes or stars!).

 Now for the cake recipe!

BASIC VANILLA CAKE 

1 1/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or other unrefined sweetner)

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup motherless milk (I used soymilk)

1 Tablespoon vanilla essense

1/2 cup applesauce

Whisk the apple cider vinegar into the milk and set aside to thicken.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre and stir in the vanilla, applesauce & milk mixture. 

Stir until just combined.

Pour into a lined 18cm square baking dish and tap to even the surface.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

 

 So moist and delicious!

Definitely worth celebrating - but then again, 

I don't need a special day to make cake ;-)

Question of the day:
Do you celebrate the 4th of July even if you aren't in America?

Baked Quinoa Pizza Pie

This is neither a pizza nor a pie really..... but rather inspired by both pizza and pie!
Either way - it's totally delicious :-)

BAKED QUINOA PIZZA PIE

Pie:
3 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 green capsicum
1/4 cup corn kernels (or other pizza veggies of choice like mushrooms)
1 spring onion
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup tomato paste 1 teaspoon garlic flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili

Chop the veggies and basil leaves.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
Press into a lightly sprayed casserole dish. Press down well.

Next make the topping.

Cheese sauce:
2 generous Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon cornflour
1 cup plant milk of choice

Whisk together all the ingredients in a microwave safe jug.
Microwave for 1 minute or until thicken.
Spread over quinoa mixture.

Bake 30 minutes in a preheated 180C oven.

Slice and serve.
This will slice better if it has had time to cool first. 

 Submitted for Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Add your healthy vegan recipe on these blogs:

Herbivore Triathlete 
Hello Veggy 
Rock My Vegan Socks



Question of the day:
What dishes have inspired you to be creative with their flavours but in an alternate way?

Quick Savoury Corn Muffins

I really enjoy savoury muffins. My husband is not really a fan.
I think they make a great accompaniment for tomato based meals like chili's and stews.
But, I also quite enjoy eating them just plain.
I think these would also work really well in a lunchbox instead of traditional sweet muffins.

QUICK SAVOURY CORN MUFFINS

You'll need:
2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 Tablespoons boiling water
1 cup soy milk (or other plant milk of choice)
1 cup creamed corn

Sesame seeds 

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Do not over mix.
Scoop into a lined muffin tin. Sprinkle tops of muffins with sesame seeds.
Bake at 180C for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Makes 10 muffins

Veggie & Rice Bake with Cauli-Sauce Topping

This bake has a lot of layers & takes a bit of time, but its not at all hard.
In fact once the layers are put together it simply bakes in the oven.
We have had this many times and its always a winner. I love how big the meal is so that makes plenty of leftovers!
Its incredibly tasty & although it's just 'one' dish, it really is a complete meal by itself.
I especially love the cauli-sauce topping because I can't get my husband to eat cauliflower unless its hidden like this!!!! ;-)

VEGGIE & RICE BAKE WITH CAULI-SAUCE TOPPING

Makes one large baking tray - Serves 6-8
You'll need:
Bottom layer: 
2-3 cups cooked brown rice
1 can lentils, salt free
1 onion
1 cup mushrooms
1 can tomatoes

1/2 green capsicum
1 can corn
1 carrot

Cauli sauce:
1/2 head of cauliflower
2 Tablespoons tahini
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoons minced garlic

Black pepper

Spread the pre-cooked brown rice into the bottom of a large baking dish.
Drain the lentils and spread the evenly over the rice, followed by the chopped onion & the chopped mushrooms. (Mushrooms shown only on one side of the bake here to keep hubby happy!)
Pour the canned tomatoes over the onions and mushrooms. Spread so evenly distributed.
 

I find the putting the tomato in the middle helps to keep the bake moist while its cooking instead of just on the top.







Chop the carrot & capsicum. Spread them over the tomatoes along with the drained corn.

To make the cauli-sauce:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth and thick.

 












Pour the sauce over the bake and spread til all the veggies are completely covered.

 Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for  45-60 minutes. The vegetables will be tender but not completely soft after 45 minutes, they will be soft by 60 minutes - so the choice is yours! Please note, these times are for my oven and ovens can vary! Baking for 60 minutes will definitely brown your cauli-sauce but not to the point of being burnt. If you are worried about the browning you can cover the dish with foil.

Shown here baked for 1 hour.

So I must admit that this is not the 'prettiest' food to photograph! The pictures don't do it justice of how yummy it is! 
Definitely a home-style meal & not for photographic purposes!!!!

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your recipe at these blogs:
carrie on vegan

veggie nook

greenthickies 

The Best Nacho's I've Ever Had

Now that's a bold statement.... But it really is true!

So I just HAD to share what I did to make them so tasty!

 
I cut a packet of wholemeal pocket pita breads into little pieces the size of corn chips and spread them out on a lined baking tray. Baked the pieces in a preheated 180C oven for 15 mins until golden brown and crunchy.

While the bread pieces were cooking I chopped an onion, a zucchini, a capsicum and a cup of button mushrooms. I then dry-fryed the veggies with a sprinkling of cumin, oregano and a teaspoon garlic, until the veggies were just softened.

Once the bread pieces were done I removed them from the oven & topped them with several dollops of tomato paste. I then added the cooked veggie mix, a can of corn kernels, a can of drained red kidney beans and popped the tray back into the oven for a further 10 minutes to warm the other ingredients. 

While that was cooking I made some cheesy sauce. 
This is how:
In a microwave proof glass measuring jug I combined-
1 teaspoon cornflour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Using a fork I slowly added 1/2 cup soymilk and stirred until all the ingredients were dissolved. I then microwaved the cheesy sauce for 1 1/2 minutes until thickened but not totally firm. 

I removed the nacho's from the oven and topped with a few dollops of salsa, splashes of cheesy sauce & some mashed avocado.

THE BEST NACHOS EVER!

There was something amazing about the mix of the salsa with the cheesy sauce. And I loved how the pita bread stayed crispy despite having LOADS of toppings.

Question of the day:
Is there a particular food that you cook at home that you enjoy more than when you eat it out at a restaurant? 

For me the answer to that question is usually - EVERYTHING! 
However these nacho's needed a special mention because I never have cheesy sauce on top at a restaurant!

Mexican Chickpea Filo Pie

All this talk of pie has made me cave in.....

Yep that's right, I'm finally making a recipe with pastry!

Well I did promise the occasional treat right?!?!? ;-)

Mexican Chickpea Filo Pie

You'll need:
1 can chickpeas
1 onion
1 capsicum
1 zucchini
1 cup corn (either fresh, frozen or canned)
1 tsp each paprika, cumin, oregano
1/2 cup salsa
4 sheets filo pastry

Chop the onion, capsicum and zucchini. Combine in a large frying pan with the drained chickpeas and herbs. Dry fry until veggies are mostly cooked through. Stir through the salsa.
Line a pie tin with the sheets of filo.

Pour the veggies mixture into the pastry and gently fold the pastry over the veggies. Brush the top of the pastry with plant-milk of choice. 

 

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.

Slice & serve :-)

Mexican Meets Italian

Another recipe that eventuated when my hubby felt like something different than me! 
He wanted pasta, I wanted Mexican.............. so we decided to merge them!

One word.....
       YUM

Oh, and another few words too.....
       TRY IT!

To serve 2 you'll need:
200g spaghetti
1 cup black beans
1 red capsicum, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup cashews
1 teaspoon chili
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 avocado, chopped into pieces

Cook spaghetti per packet directions.
In a large frying pan combine the black beans along with the chopped vegetables, corn kernels and cumin. Dry fry til veggies have softened, approx ten minutes.
While the spaghetti and bean mixture is cooking make the sauce.
In a blender combine the cashews, chili, garlic, lime juice, nutritional yeast, and water. Blend until smooth.
When the spaghetti is cooked, drain & return to the pot. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and stir until all the strands are lightly coated, warm over gentle heat just so the sauce is warmed through.
Serve the spaghetti in a bowl with the bean/veggie mix spooned over, a large spoonful of salsa and some chopped avocado pieces.

What do you think.....?
Can Mexican and Italian be mixed?!?!?!?!?

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday. You can add your recipe at these blogs: 

carrie on vegan                    veggie nook                    greenthickies