Fire Roasted Green Chili Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Recipe and picture from: www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Ok, I have a couple of sweet potato/black bean enchilada recipes on this blog. All of them have different flavor profiles and when you're trying to cook vegan/vegetarian your options are limited. Well, this is my favorite enchilada recipe I have tried so far. I really loved it! Maybe it was because I was fasting all day, but I will definitely make it again soon!

For the Sauce
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 generous cup chopped fire roasted green chiles
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder (I used chili powder)
*Bring to a boil and let thicken. Set aside

For the Filling
1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
1 really big sweet potato, peeled and cubed into the size of dice
1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or curry (I used curry and LOVED it)
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
*Preheat oven to 400. Toss cubed sweet potatoes with 1-2 tablespoons coconut, or olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put on a cookie sheet and cook for 20-25 min. until potatoes are soft.

*When potatoes are down, turn oven to 350

Using a bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices and mix well.

To Assemble
Spread some of your chili sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Use 6-7 whole wheat tortillas. Spread a spoonful of sweet potato mixture down the center of tortilla. Spoon black bean mixture on top. You can then top it with some grated cheese, or leave plain to make it vegan. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in your baking dish. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. Top with remaining chili sauce and more cheese if desired. Bake for 25 min.

Avacado Pita Pizza

Jared brought home a big bag of avacados from Costco this week and we were trying to find different ways to use them. I found this pizza recipe and it was easy and yummy :)

Avacado Pita Pizza
Recipe from: www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

2 large avacados, sliced
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 jalapino seeded and diced
1 clove garlic
2 green onions, sliced
Juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper
4 whole wheat pitas
Shredded Mozarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a processor combine: cilantro, jalapino, garlic, green onions, lime juice olive oil, and salt and pepper. Process until it forms a sauce and spread on top of your pitas. Sprinkle with mozarella cheese. Put on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. When pitas are done, top with sliced avacados.

Butternut Squash Pasta

I love Pinterest because it is a great way for me to find new recipes. Now with Jared being a vegan, he has made cooking for our family even harder. This recipe only had a little parmesan cheese, and butter that can easily be subsituted for olive oil. My kids were nervous to try it but really liked the sweet flavor.

Butternut Squash Pasta
Recipe and picture from: www.skinnytaste.com

13 oz. whole wheat pasta. I used spaghetti
1 medium size butternut squash
1 leek
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
vegetable or chicken broth, optional

Set your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the stem, and end off of your butternut squash. Slice in half length wise and scoop out all the seeds and strings. Spray, or brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkly lightly with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and cook 40-50 minutes until squash come away easily from skin. Scoop out the flesh and put in a processor and blend until smooth. If you don't want to cook it this way, you can peel and cube your squash and boil it until tender. I just don't like doing more cutting than necessary. After you puree your squash, set it aside. And set a large pot of water to boil for your pasta.

Slice the leek, using the white part only. Saute it in butter until the leeks have become soft and translucent. Add your garlic, stir for a minute, and add the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper. It will be thick. Thin out the sauce by using some reserved pasta water, or vegetable/chicken broth. Once you have the consistency you want, add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine, serve immediately with more parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Recipe and Picture from: www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

I made this dish last night, and everyone loved it. My 2 year old practically inhaled it. This was a relief because I have only made spaghetti squash one other time, and I was not a fan and neither was the kids. I think the key is brushing the sides with olive oil, and seasoning before cooking.

To cook the spaghetti squash, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squashes stem off, then cut in half lengthwise. Brush both sides with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes and then get a fork and scrape the sides, getting all the stringy strands and transfer to another dish.

You can make the sauce while the squash is roasting. For the sauce you will need:
2 red bell peppers
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
fresh basil (Ijust used dry)
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
Roast red peppers over gas flame, under the broiler, or on the grill, turning to get all sides until peppers are completely black. Place peppers in a paper or plastic bag to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers and remove the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.
 In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on stove for 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Purée the sauce in the pan, using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor. Put on top of spaghetti squash and enjoy.

After making this, I may alter the recipe to include more roasted pepper, and less tomato as I enjoy the roasted pepper taste more.

Cilantro Peanut Pesto

I love it when I find new pasta dishes that work out! Pasta is kind of a staple in our house and I am always looking for a good new pasta dish. This Cilantro Peanut Pesto from Our Best Bites was so yummy and light. It was also much cheaper to make than my regular pesto sauce since I had most of the ingredients on hand.

Cilantro Peanut Pesto
Recipe and picture from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
zest and juice from one lime (about 2 tsp zest and 2 Tbs juice)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (plus more for serving, if desired)
2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3/4 pound (12 oz) linguine or spaghetti, cooked according to box instructions
Instructions
In a food processor, combine cilantro (save a bit of cilantro for garnish), garlic, ginger, vegetable and sesame oils, red pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, and peanuts (basically everything except soy sauce).  Pulse until a coarse paste forms.  Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine.  In a large bowl, toss pesto with hot pasta.  Roughly chop additional peanuts and sprinkle over pasta along with extra cilantro leaves and lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately.

Avacado Enchiladas

I saw this recipe a while back and thought for awhile that that I should try it out. The thing that made me nervous was that I recently tried an avocado pasta recipe and DID NOT like it. I wondered if it was just the fact of eating the avocados warm that was the problem. Well, the avocados are definitely warm in the recipe and they are yummy! I would compare this to honey lime chicken enchiladas and honestly think they are just as good!

Avocado Enchiladas
Recipe source: http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/

3 Large Ripe, but firm Avocados, sliced into cubes (I would double this if you want a large pan of enchiladas)
1 Scant Tablespoon Cumin
2 Large Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Heaping Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped
1 Cup Green Enchilada Sauce
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Tillamook Pepperjack Cheese, grated. (I had shredded colby and monterey jack so I used that)
Tortillas

 Pre-heat your oven to 350. In a bowl, whisk together the cilantro, garlic, cumin, honey, and lime juice. Add the avocado and toss gently. In a separate bowl whisk the enchilada sauce and heavy cream together. Pour a little of your enchilada sauce mixture into the bottom of your pan and spread to coat.  Spoon your avocado mixture down the center of a tortilla, top with a little shredded cheese then roll, placing seam side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with more of your enchilada sauce and more shredded cheese. Bake for 25 min.

Pesto Veggie Pizza

This recipe comes from http://www.tasteofhome.com/ and it is a perfect summer pizza. It's a perfect any time of year pizza :) I love pesto and the broccoli and green pepper were perfect!

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 to 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 to 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup prepared pesto

1-3/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli

3/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 green onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the Parmesan cheese, oil, sugar, basil, salt, all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll dough into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; build up edges slightly. Prick dough with a fork. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add spinach; cover and boil for 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Drain and place in a food processor. Add pesto; cover and process until blended.

Spread over pizza crust. Top with broccoli, green pepper, green onions, garlic and mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese