Vegan Mexican Casserole

Ok, so I did manage to try out a new recipe last night... and since the family is sleeping in this morning, I thought I'd do a quick post.


This vegan Mexican Casserole came in at about 30 minutes - I decided to cheat and use canned vegetables (mostly), so if you're using fresh chopped tomatoes and such, it would probably take considerably longer. Either way, it's well worth the time.



Vegan Mexican Casserole


6 corn tortillas, cut into 1 inch strips
1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
1 small can black olives, sliced
White vinegar
1 tsbp extra virgin olive oil
1 package taco seasoning
1 can golden corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers (not drained)
1 package Soyrizo
1 small can diced green chiles
1 package Veggie Shreds Cheddar and Pepperjack "Cheese"




Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In separate bowls, add enough vinegar to cover the onions and olives. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to marinate.

In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, black beans, and taco seasoning. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add olive oil to a medium skillet and brown Soyrizo according to package directions.




Drain olives and onions.



Layer corn tortilla strips, soyrizo, corn, chiles, onions, olives, tomato/black bean mixture, and "cheese" in a casserole dish.

Cover casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.



As you can see from the picture, my baking-dish-to-plate execution left a bit to be desired. I was envisioning a neat sort of lasagna-like stack, but it all fell apart as soon as it hit the plate. Maybe it was repulsed by the tacky gingham-and-sunflower pattern, which was, I believe, the result of a wedding gift gone awry.



I wish I could say that the green blob appearing here is my made-from scratch guacamole, but the truth is, the avocados at the store were in a pretty sorry state. A few were still green and hard as a brick; the rest were pitifully over-ripe. So I ended up buying the guacamole from the deli. Not bad, I guess. Just not good either.

Okay, time to venture out for some last minute holiday purchases. We had freezing rain last night (I nearly killed myself on the driveway), but strangely, it's back up to about 50 degrees today.

I leave you with a pic of my smug daughter, who had just conned us out of and early gift - Spongebob pajamas. Is it any wonder the kid is spoiled?

Vegan Huevos Rancheros (and a brief poll)

There's a brief poll at the end of this post. If you would be kind enough to give your opinion in comment form, it would be much appreciated (even if I don't like what you have to say...)


Ok, so no video today... My old Dell laptop (yes, it was old at the ripe age of 3) crapped out its hard drive, so I've been furiously trying to save files and import them to its replacement (an ACER Extensa 4420... at just over $400, this thing was a steal)...

But I digress.

Today's recipe is all about comfort food... you know, those meals that make things better, no how crappy your day has been. We've all got 'em... and since I'm still working through the batch of chili I made a while back, it was time to veganize one of my other favorite comfort foods...

Huevos rancheros.

I wasn't sure how to tackle this one, but it turned out to be fairly easy. About the worst thing I can say is that it takes several skillets, which is usually a no-no in my world. But hey, sometimes a bit of comfort food is worth it. So here we go...

Vegan Huevos Rancheros

2 corn tortillas
Olive oil
1/2 package Morningstar Farms Soyrizo
1/2 package firm tofu, drained, pressed, and crumbled
1/3 medium red onion, finely diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/3 tbsp cayenne pepper, ground
Fresh guacamole

Place tofu in a medium skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Heat for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.

In a separate skillet, brown the Soyrizo in 1 tbsp olive oil.

Place 2 tbsp olive oil in yet another skillet, heat. Fry corn tortillas for about 1 minute on each side, transfer to serving plates.

Place a layer of Soyrizo crumbles on each tortilla, then top with tofu mixture.

Layer on onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, and cilantro. Top with guacamole.


Good for your body? Probably not (although much beter than the omni version).

Good for your soul? Boy howdy!


Speaking of "good for the soul", VeggieGirl did a post on yeast-free sweetbreads. Ah, the siren call of carbs run amok...


Ok, so here's the poll.

The Veggie Guy is kicking around the idea of adding a cookbook to his list of endeavors. Obviously, this would be a collection of vegan recipes, but I want to focus on meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. If I published such a book, would you most likely:

A) Buy it
B) Borrow it
C) Steal it
D) Recommend it to a friend
E) Roll your eyes and chuckle
F) Say, "Please, I have enough cookbooks already. I need room for groceries, hombre!"
G) Flat out advise me against such a hoopleheaded endeavor?

So let's hear it! If none of the above apply, make something up, or just say, "Meat."