Meatless Monday - Zesty Tempeh Tortilla Casserole

You will need:

19 oz can Enchilada sauce - you will only use 12 oz
1/2 cup water
Packet of Taco mix 
Flour tortillas
2 oz of mild chopped green chiles
1 cup sour cream
Bag of shredded cheese
1 cup chopped green/red/yellow peppers (set aside 2 Tablespoons)
8 oz organic Tempeh
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup corn - frozen or canned

Takes 1 hour from start to finish. About 6 servings.

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Heat oil in a skillet on low heat (I used Coconut - Canola works too)
Gently saute the green/red/yellow pepper mix - about 3 minutes until softened

Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to liquefy - about 8 minutes -

While mushrooms cook, grate the tempeh or use a food processor






Tip: Keep tempeh in fridge well chilled until ready to use, it's easier to grate when it's COLD!
While grating the exposed top half of tempeh, I kept the bag on the lower half - otherwise your hands will get icky quick. Had to chop the bottom 1" of tempeh when I removed bag fully.

Grated tempeh

Tempeh included and simmering on low heat

To mushroom/pepper mix add the green chiles, taco mix, 1/2 cup water, the corn and 12 oz of enchilada sauce. Stir well and add the tempeh, allow to simmer 5 minutes.

In an un-greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish, spread one cup of hot tempeh mix on the bottom. 

Cut tortillas in half and layer on top (see left photo).

Spread thin layer of sour cream on top of tortilla halves and then sprinkle with cheese and add another cup of tempeh mix on top of cheese layer.

Repeat layer. Tortillas, sour cream, tempeh and cheese.

Grate black pepper on top if you like, and/or some red pepper flakes if you like additional heat.



Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in top of oven. 

The finished dish.





Serve with a little sour cream and the remaining, fresh chopped pepper mix.

Enjoy!

And....while you're eating so healthy maybe have a juiced drink to go with it?

Just Another Manic Monday - - Mango Smoothie

Meatless Monday - Spicy Sweet Cod with Cabbage

This is the easiest recipe I have cooked so far. It will feed two people (as long as they're not teenage boys) with a generous salad or a bowl of soup.

You will need:
1/2 lb Fresh Cod Fillet (not frozen, it will go to mush)
8oz can of Pineapple Tidbits or Crushed Pineapple in its own juice (you will only use 4oz)
1/2 head white Cabbage (I used fresh from the garden)
Freshly chopped tomato
Cajun Seasoning
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Heat oven to 425 deg F.
Spray a glass baking dish with Canola Oil

Place Cod in dish, cover with 1/2 the 8oz can Pineapple Tidbits and juice - no other juice/water is required. This dish makes it's own sauce.

Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, cover tightly with foil and put dish on bottom rack of oven for 35 mins.

Quickly steam the cabbage in a little water, but don't let it go soft. Remove from heat when 'al dente.'

Drain cabbage juice and save for a soup base. Leftover cabbage can also be set aside for addition to a healthy soup. You could probably also use Iceberg Lettuce in place of Cabbage.

Put cabbage on plate, add Cod / Pineapple topping, add the chopped tomato and finish off with ground black pepper and a few dashes of either lime or lemon juice.

The mixture of textures along with the spicy sweet flavors is very light and enjoyable.

It's amazing. Hope you enjoy it too!

Meatless Monday - Mushroom, Spinach & Apple Lasagna

Complex and robust flavor. The apple layer adds an "oooh yum what's that?"
This healthy dish is wonderful for a light but filling dinner serving, a lunch dish or pot luck.

You will need:
10-12 No Boil lasagna noodles
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup dry Parmesan/Romano cheese
Cooking oil spray
2 peppers - I used one sweet and one hot banana pepper, slice and dice
8oz mushrooms, slice thinly
1 or 2 squash, slice and dice
1 cup onion, slice and dice
1 apple
2 cups of spinach leaves
salt and pepper (optional hot pepper flakes, if you like some heat)
snipped basil leaves
24 oz Jar spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 450F and spray a glass pan with cooking oil. Add the sliced/diced squash, onion, mushrooms and spray with oil and roast in the oven for 30 mins, then flip veg over and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and lower oven to 400F.

The roasted vegetables will look like this. Slice your apple thinly and remove core/seeds.

Take a 13x9x2" pan and spray with oil. Put a 1/2 cup pasta sauce on bottom and add 3 noodles. Add 1/4 cup pasta, cup of spinach leaves, all the sliced apples, 1 cup of the roasted veg mix and enough mozzarella cheese to cover. Repeat layers with a final noodle "crust" topped with a little sauce, sprinkled with snipped basil leaves, the remaining mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the parmesan/romano mix (and if you wish some red pepper flakes for a little "kick."). I top my dish off with some fresh tomatoes from the garden.

Before Baking

Bake for 35-45 minutes uncovered on middle shelf. Let stand 10-15 minutes and serve.

Makes 4 generous servings. Approximate cost $14. Total time from start to finish 1hr 40minutes. You might not go back to eating regular lasagna with meat after trying this!