Good Eatin in the New Year

Hi all!  I am excited about this upcoming year and all that it has in store.  I am more than ready to say goodbye to 2012 and hello to new beginnings.  I am an avid researcher and this year I am going to share all I have learned along the way with you all and would love to hear what you are learning as well!  This post will be dedicated to recipes of some of the vegan food I have been cooking lately.  Let's start this new year off right.  I will be posting healthy recipes to help us reach that goal.  So come on this adventure to good health with me.  I hope to soon have meal plans and so forth up as well!  I will also be posting reviews on health products I have found to work and the others that aren't so hot, as well as DIY beauty products and information.  Stay tuned!

Sweet potato enchiladas (don't knock it before you try it, they are delicious) are the first and most delicious recipe I made this week.  It took a little extra time, but I made a large batch, enough for two meals for my family!  That is my first tip to eating healthy on a regular basis with a busy schedule:  always cook double and freeze some for later or have it two nights in a row.  Work smarter, not harder! It does not take much extra time to double a recipe for what you are already doing.  I get many of my recipes from the whole foods website, this is no exception.  If you have a smartphone, they also have this great app (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/apps) where you can put in all the ingredients you have and they will give you the recipes that include those ingredients.

I have copied the recipe below.  One thing I would like to mention here is about roasting your own green chilies.  Takes very little time, and it is so much healthier than the supermarket versions, which use preservatives linked to stomach ulcers and several other side effects, which can be found just by googling the ingredients on the back of the can.

Just rinse off the green chilies and then preheat your oven to 450.  Simply place on a baking sheet and roast until skins blister, about ten minutes.

Another tip I am going to add here that is a big factor in cooking healthy consistently is to PREpare.  Meaning, I think ahead of time about what I will make and the time I need.  When I have time earlier in the day I will do the prep work.  I put in the chili pepper and potatoes in the morning to roast while I am doing household chores so they will be ready to assemble later.  The actual time it takes for them to cook is not time away from me or you.  So do other stuff while they are cooking and plan ahead.  You will be amazed how much extra time you feel that you have!

If you are looking for some delicious black beans, the BEST ones I have found are Eden's, which have no added salt and are packaged in a BPA free container (a super plus).  They are also organic and include seaweed which imparts a slightly salty flavor, while also increasing the digestibility of the bean, fondly known as "the miracle fruit" ;-)...if you know what I mean!  We get ours off of Amazon.

I would like to make one more note specifically for this recipe, if you do not have arrowroot powder, you can also use cornstarch (make sure you get the non-GMO kind!)  Also, this recipe made 12 enchiladas for me.  Here are my pics:  the finished product of the roasted chilies, the quickie sauce as it thickens, the roasted sweet potatoes (was attempting to show you in the bad phone shot that when you roast them at 400 for about 1.5 hours the skins easily peel off on their own), rolling them in the dishes, and the finished product with Daiya shredded cheese.  These are gluten free and can be vegan if you omit or use vegan cheese.

• Quickie Green Chile Sauce
• 1 cup light gluten-free vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water
• 1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles, hot or mild
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste
• Enchilada Filling
• 1 (15 ounces) can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
• 2 heaping cups cooked diced sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted mild green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder mild or spicy
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Assembly
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
• 8 white or yellow corn tortillas
• 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Method: 

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Choose a baking dish that would hold 8 rolled enchiladas. Make your Quickie Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the Enchilada Filling, using a mixing 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 cooked sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

To assemble the enchiladas, grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one.

Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce. Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Top with 1/8 of the black beans. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Nutritional Info: 

PER SERVING:500 calories (190 from fat), 21g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 980mg sodium, 64g carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 11g sugar), 18g protein

Ok!  I am going to add one more delicious recipe for today....Macadamia Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

 2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup softened vegan butter or margarine (Earth Balance and Smart Balance Light are vegan)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs (vegan option: 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds soaked for 10 minutes in 6 tbsp of warm water)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup carob chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or another)
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil (this is optional and is for a more decadent, buttery tasting cookie with added nutrition but not necessary to the recipe)

In small bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  In large bowl combine butter, sugar, vanilla.  Beat until creamy.  Then add eggs to larger bowl. gradually add dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Stir in chips and then nuts.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-12 minutes.  ENJOY!!