Roasted Veggie Chimichangas

Chimichangas!!! Mmmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about these. I had the idea last night as I was roasting some fajita style veggies and wondering what I wanted to do with them (besides the obvious fajita use). I don't usually fry things, mainly because I don't want the added fat, but these chimichangas just sounded sooooo yummy. Plus I had all the stuff to make them, which is a rare feat! I decided to go for it, but I used whole wheat tortillas to make them healthy...oh who am I kidding? Let's just call it a cheat day :)

I ended up combining my favorite roasted veggies, vegetarian refried beans, lime juice, cilantro, and ooey-gooey cheddar cheese; stuffing them inside whole wheat tortillas; and then pan frying them to golden brown perfection. I finished them off with another squeeze of lime, and a healthy dollop of sour cream flavored with garlic and chives. It. Was. So. Good. I already can't wait to make these again, and, as an added bonus, I had lots of roasted veggies left over to use for other things. The wheels are already turning.

Red Pepper Quinoa and Chipotle "Sausage" Stuffed Yams

Nothing says fall like the vibrant orange and earthy goodness of my favorite root vegetable. Yams, with their rough and tumble outside and surprisingly sweet inside, are the one thing I always have to have after the long summer months are over. Even though they’re available all year round, they just don’t taste the same to me unless the air is a little cooler, the breeze a little stronger, and the leaves a little yellower.

I like to use yams in many different ways; they really are a versatile vegetable, pairing well with both sweet and savory dishes. I like to bake them, roast them, add them to stews and casseroles; sometimes I’ll even throw leftover yams into a nice autumn salad. This time I decided to bake them and stuff them with roasted red pepper quinoa and Mexican chipotle veggie sausages. I let flavored ingredients do most of the work for me, so this one is super easy!

Magically Disappearing Guacamole

If there’s one thing I love about get-togethers, it’s all the yummy appetizers I don’t normally take the time to make at home. One of my favorites is guacamole.

Now let me make this clear, I’m referring to the real stuff here, not the pre-packaged, store bought “guacamole,” which I regrettably bought several months ago. I put it in quotes because, unbeknownst to me, it wasn’t actually guacamole. In fact, I don’t think it even contained avocados in any form. 

After pulling back the lid and seeing the weird, goo-like consistency glaring back at me (it was almost frightening…almost), I realized the container actually read “guacamole flavored dip,” which could mean any number of things in the tricky marketing world. Even worse than the consistency were the ingredients listed on the back, half of which I could not pronounce, and all of which were not very tasty.

So long story short, I decided to find a recipe and make my own, and I’ve never looked back…I’m afraid to; that goo was the stuff of food-lovers’ nightmares!

Grilled Eggplant Fajitas

I’ve been spending some time revisiting a few of the classics lately, and finding ways to make them fit into my vegetarian lifestyle, whether they want to or not! ;) This week’s lucky dish was fajitas, and with the help of one of my favorite nightshades, I can now add this usually meat stuffed delight back into my rotation - yay!

I’ve actually had this idea since I made the Vegetarian Gyros a couple of weeks ago, and finally decided to give it a go. I used eggplant in place of meat, which gave it a great texture and soaked up all the flavors of the fajita mix really well. I almost used mushrooms (as I’m prone to do), but was glad I chose the eggplant in the end. It was very yummy, and healthy to boot!

5 Pepper Vegetarian Chili with Roasted Veggies

If you love chili, and especially spicy chili, then you are going to LOVE this recipe! I’ve been stewing on this one for quite some time (get it?), and finally decided to give it a try. I felt so happy about the end result that I almost cried (if only this were an exaggeration): it was thick; it was just the right color; it lit our mouths on fire; and it was perfect. I, of course, called my mother immediately to brag…er…I mean express my joy (it’s quite possible she thinks I’m having a life crisis; that’s how good it was), then we enjoyed it with freshly baked cheddar corn bread, and a dollop of sour cream. The only thing missing, as my dad pointed out the next day during taste tests, was the fire extinguisher ;)

How-To: Roasted Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

There is something wonderful about making things from scratch, especially sauces. The idea alone evokes a grand vision, one that will have your guests picturing you standing over your boiling creation, spoon in hand, steam curling your hair, and sauce splashed over your apron - working diligently just for them! Although not quite so dramatic in the real world (unless you're a scattered cook like me), making things from scratch makes people feel special; and what could be better than that?

Although there are many fantastic canned enchilada sauces out there, making your own is not as difficult as you might think. Doing so allows you to not only control the ingredients you put in, but also enables you to add your own personal and creative flair, which is really what cooking is all about in my opinion.