Enchiladas Verde w/ Cashew Crema

I love enchiladas...not the kind with tons of processed cheese, be it vegan or otherwise, but the kind just like this one...fresh veggies and fresh sauce. It may not look like much but these were super! This is straight up casual dining at its best. Unfortunately it doesn't plate as well as I was hoping so make sure to keep this amongst your closest friends and family who don't mind a messy yet delicious meal. The verde sauce was amazing. I made it the day before so it could really set and combine flavors. It would make for a great salsa or even a taco salad dressing. And this version of the cashew crema is nice with the smoked paprika flavor, giving it just a touch of the smoky paprika flavor (add more if you like). Another cashew cream that would work fantastic here is this 'Cilantro Lime Cashew 'Sour Cream'.  

I didn't go to far from the original recipe as I loved everything about it and it was fantastic. I added some black beans for protein and carrots for more color. Also, if you don't want to make the verde sauce, feel free to use a good brand pre-made verde sauce instead. But I highly recommend making your own as it is delicious!

Enchiladas Verde w/ Cashew Crema

Cashew Crema

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2+ hours

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)

2 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

salt, to taste

1/2 - 3/4 cup water

Verde Sauce 

2 lb fresh tomatillos, husked and quartered

1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped

himalayan salt & cracked pepper

Enchiladas

1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1/2″ pieces

2 ears of corn, shucked with the corn cut off the cob

3/4 cup or 1/2 pint cherry/grape tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and diced (optional)

olive oil

1/2 -1 teaspoon cumin

himalayan salt & cracked pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

9 - 12 corn tortillas

Start with your paprika cashew crema, this can be made in advance, a day or two and kept in the fridge, or you can assemble it while the enchiladas are cooking as long as you soak your cashews first. Soak cashews in two cups water for 2+ hours, drain and rinse well. Place cashews, lemon/lime juice, paprika, onion powder, salt and 1/2 cup water into food processor/blender and blend until smooth, about 4 minutes or so. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency. Taste for flavor. Add more paprika to your liking, but keep in mind the color will change.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the zucchini, corn and tomatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with 1-2 tsp olive oil. Add cumin and a pinch of salt & pepper, toss to coat with the olive oil. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on a roasting pan lined with parchment paper, silpat or lightly greased with oil and roast for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

While the veggies are cooking, start your sauce, this can also be made a day or two in advance. Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and vegetable broth in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor/blender, add the parsley or cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth. Set aside. You may need to process your verde sauce in two batches. It makes quite a bit. 

Once everything is ready, start putting the enchilada's together. Wrap your corn tortillas in a dampened paper towel and microwave 45 seconds. This steams the tortillas and makes them pliable. Pour 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 c of the vegetable mixture, a spoon full the black beans, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Once filled, pour the remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees F, until heated through. You may also like to leave the foil off for the last 10 minutes to let the exposed tortillas get a bit crispy.

Serve with the cashew crema. A side of sliced avocado would be great too.

If you only use half of the recipe like I did, the left overs make great taco fillings.

Enjoy!

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Tomato Salad

Simple, everyday food that is healthy and delicious! Sweet roasted corn, juicy tomatoes bursting with flavor and black beans all together making this a great summery salad. I also added some avocado as an after thought, so be sure to add some of that if you like...it was so good. This would also be great topped with a cashew cream like this one, Cilantro Cashew Cream or this Sriracha Cashew Cream. Enjoy this often and be well!

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Tomato Salad

Ingredients (serves two)

• 2 heads romaine lettuce
• 1 can (14 oz) organic black beans
• 1 corn on the cob
• 1 dry pint grape or cherry tomatoes (or about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 jalapeno, diced and seeds removed
• 1 small shallot, diced or 1/4 cup onion of choice
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
• cilantro, as much as you like
• lime wedges, to serve
• avocado, diced (optional)
• Cashew Sour Cream or Lime-Cilantro Cashew Cream, optional
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roast your corn either by wrapping in tin foil or if using corn in the husk, soak for 5 min and cook in the husk. Add tomatoes and corn on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 25 min. 

In the meantime, heat black beans on low together with the jalapenos, shallot, garlic and optional cumin. Clean your romaine lettuce and chop.

When corn is done, cut off the cob, add corn to the black bean mixture. Serve bean mixture on top of your chopped romaine adding some of the juice for extra moisture and flavor if you like. Top with tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper and a big squeeze of lime. Would be fantastic with a dollop of the cashew sour cream or lime-cilantro cashew cream!

Enjoy!

Blackened Roasted Cauliflower “Steaks”

There was a time when I actually didn't like cauliflower and was missing out on some of the best stuff on earth. It comes right next to my favorite dark chocolate bar dipped in raw almond butter. Yes, cauliflower, especially roasted cauliflower, is that good and these blackened steaks are proof!

The cauliflower is the center of attention here. Most of the flavor is in the blackened seasoning so I paired this with a simple, yet delightful, combination of roasted grape tomatoes and bell peppers along with some quinoa as my grain of choice. Quinoa with everything around here, I just love it! Now back to point.... The tomatoes and bell peppers have enough flavor on their own that I just simply added a smidge of himalayan salt and that was that. The entire dish came together very easy without anything complicated creating a simple and casual meal...my favorite kind. And don't forget your steak knife...it will come in handy for your cauliflower steaks!

I roasted my bell peppers in the broiler while the cauliflower and tomatoes were roasting. Be sure to check on them every ten minutes to turn. My disclaimer: I've never heard of anyone roasting in the broiler while cooking in the oven but it worked here saving a whole extra step. Have you ever done this? Depending on what stage you put your food in you may get slightly different results. The ones shown above were done after I put in the cauliflower so the flame was going on and off to keep the oven warm but they still charred and roasted nicely. This morning I tested another batch while the oven was heating and the result was much more evenly charred with the flame on full time heating up the oven. Both were cooked for the same amount of time, about 25 minutes. Either way you will have nicely roasted bell peppers. They were soft, flavorful and delicious! For timing purposes I have suggested starting to roast your bell peppers while the oven is heating in this recipe so they have time to cool and be prepared. 

As for the 'steak' seasoning, feel free to use an already prepared seasoning. There are many good ones in the spice isle these days all bottled up and ready to use. I would suggest looking for salt free ones if possible and adding your own salt to taste. Look for creole, cajun, blackening types of seasonings. It is also very easy to make your own so I have included a homemade version for those who prefer to prepare their own spice blends. Something for everyone, that's a win, win!

Blackened Roasted Cauliflower “Steaks”

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower 
• blackened, creole or cajun seasoning of choice (recipe for homemade below)
• couple tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 medium bell peppers
• couple tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• himalayan salt and cracked pepper, to taste
• grain of choice...quinoa, brown rice, farro, etc. 
• lemon wedges to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the bell peppers, start roasting them in the broiler while the oven is heating (as mentioned above). Place your bell peppers in the broiler and be sure to turn them every 10 minutes or so until charred and tender, about 25 minutes. Once done, let cool a few minutes, remove stem, cut in half, remove remaining seeds and gently peel and remove the charred skin. Julienne the bell peppers by slicing lengthwise and chop further for smaller pieces if you like. Keep warm by the oven until the cauliflower is ready. You may want to wrap them in foil to keep warm.

Next, start preparing the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower stem side down, and using a sharp knife cut into the top center slicing the cauliflower in half. You want to create as many cauliflower steaks as you can from the center cut out that will be at least 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. The remaining sides and pieces can be cut into florets and roasted alongside the steaks or on a separate baking sheet. I feel it's best to use two baking sheets to prepare this meal. Using two will give you plenty of room for the steak slices to be turned over without too much crowding. 

Grease your baking sheet/s and carefully place your cauliflower steaks along with the broken florets, or place the florets on a separate baking sheet. Using an oil brush, gently brush the steaks and florets with oil. Sprinkle as much seasoning as you wish to coat on steaks and florets (you may like a heavy coat or a light coat). Add your tomatoes to the baking sheet, you can coat these with oil too if you like and add a sprinkle of sea salt. 

Place your baking sheet into the oven, or if using two, place sheets on separate racks or side by side depending on the size. Bake for 15 minutes, flip steaks and stir florets, season again and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

Serve immediately with roasted tomatoes, bell peppers, grain of choice, sprinkle of chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

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 Making your own seasoning is so easy. If you have all the ingredients already hand, I especially recommend you make your own using an old spice jar or small container of choice.

Blackened Seasoning

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard

Place ingredients into small jar or container and blend well. Store leftovers in the pantry for later use. Makes just under 2/3 cups.

• • • • •

Enjoy this blackened cauliflower often!

Inspired by this recipe from Martha Stewart and this one from Food Doodles.