Cook Book Challenge Week #9

Vegan on the Cheap

Last Night's Menu:  Smoky Red Bean Chili with Chipotle-Cornbread Dumplings and Chocolate Chip-Walnut Rice Pudding
Tonight's Menu:  Mexican Rice and Bean Bake with Cheezee Sauce

We had an early dinner again last night, partly because it was raining after school so we couldn't run and partly because it was an easy slow cooker meal.  I threw everything in the slow cooker before leaving in the morning, which was as easy as opening a few cans and chopping a few vegetables.  Then, per the recipe, about 45 minutes before we were ready to eat, I mixed up the dumplings and plopped them atop the chili.  By the time they finished, the entire top of the slow cooker was filled with fluffy dumplings!  We love cornbread with chili, so this recipe saved time and effort.  The dumplings were really good, but not as spicy as I expected.  The chili was smoky (no surprise) and spicy (again, no surprise), but next time I might add some extra vegetables such as corn or broccoli and maybe an extra chipotle pepper.  There was enough for a filling dinner and leftovers for lunch.

We ate the rice pudding for dessert later in the evening.  It was the first time I made rice pudding, which is really no more difficult than making plain rice.  Since I hadn't made this before, I followed the recipe pretty closely.  I used almond milk, but cut the sugar in half.  Also, I served it with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  It is for sure something I will keep in mind for a sweet, but not too unhealthy treat!

Tonight was another quick dinner, Mexican Bean and Rice Bake.  It was really quick to prep and fairly quick, ready in just under an hour.  I also made the Cheezee Sauce, which was an excellent choice.  I melted in to the bake and brought everything together.  I didn't take a picture of this meal, because, well... it was beans and rice.  Let me give you a visual-- imagine pinto beans and rice on a place with some runny sauce.  I'm not saying it was bad, it was really good, just pretty simple and not the most photo-worthy meal that I've made.  We served it with a big salad and tortillas on the side.  As my dad would say, "It hit the spot."  In fact, if I don't leave the kitchen soon, I might eat the whole pan...

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
Tonight's Menu: Bean and Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado

I don't have a whole lot to say about the lasagna, because it was pretty straight forward.  I followed the recipe nearly word-for-word.  The only thing I changed was baking it in a round CorningWare dish.  The tortillas that I used fit perfectly, so I decided to use it instead of piecing them together in a rectangular pan.  Since it was smaller, I layered everything twice.  There wasn't much to chop or prep, so it was pretty quick to toss it together.  The lasagna was nice and spicy and I was surprised that I could really taste the lime juice in between the layers.  Chad really liked it and had only good things to say.  If I make this again, I would probably add either chopped tomatoes, green chilies or chopped green peppers to the sauce layer.  It was good as is, but it was just missing the "wow" factor.  On the other hand, it was really quick to prepare.. so I guess that's a trade off.

Like I said, not much to say... I'll add a picture soon!

Cook Book Challenge Week #1

Appetite for Reduction
Today's Menu: Tortilla Soup

Yum, Yum, Yum!  I didn't get home until late tonight, so Chad was in charge of dinner.  He said the soup was really simple (bonus!).  He did make a few intentional changes-- black beans instead of pinto, chipotle peppers in adobo instead of jalapenos, and one UNintentional change-- a CAN of peppers, instead of the two the recipe called for!  We adjusted the spice by adding extra broth and a can of tomato paste.  This is definitely something we'll make again soon!

Now, off to bed to dream about a snow day tomorrow :)