Black Bean & Tofu Chipotle-Lime Fajitas with Herb-Infused Tortillas

Fajitas:

3 bell peppers (green, yellow, red, orange)
1 onion
1 tomato
1 lime
1 cup black beans
1 package of firm tofu
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup Chipotle Cholula
1/4 cup Louisianna Hot Sauce
Chile Powder to taste
Cayenne Powder to taste
Onion Powder to taste
Garlic Salt to taste
fresh cilantro

Herb-Infused Tortillas:

2 cups flour
4-5 tblsn vegetable shortening
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4-1 cup warm water
excess flour for rolling out tortillas

Cook Tortillas first so they can steam while you prepare the filling:

Chop fresh cilantro and dry on parchment paper in oven at 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until cilantro crumbles in fingers without turning black. Set aside. Mix dry ingredients, then add shortening. Cut shortening into dry ingredients (I use my hands) until mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal appearance. Add warm water a bit at a time and knead. When dough is no longer sticky, knead for 3 minutes, then set aside with a towel for 10 minutes. After, split dough ball into 12 smaller balls. Roll out tortillas on a floured surface, turning every few seconds to prevent sticking. When tortillas are rolled out, wet a paper towel and run over the surface of the tortilla. I like to use fresh dried cilantro and dried thyme. Sprinkle herbs of choice on sticky side, then dust with flour and roll with pin to seal. Cook on a med-high castilla for 5-10 seconds on each side. Wait until dough bubbles begin to turn a golden brown. Store in a towel so tortillas can steam.

Fajita Filling:

Mix cholula, Louisianna sauce, and seasonings. Cut up tofu and marinate for a few hours. Soak and cook the black beans. Cut onion in half - dice one half and cut 2nd half in large chunks. Dice tomato. Cut up fresh cilantro. Mix diced tomato, onion and citantro with cooled black beans. Set aside. Cut up bell peppers. Add vegetable oil to a frying pan, then add bell peppers, onion chunks, and marinated tofu. Season with sauces and seasonings to taste. Cook until onions are clear and bell peppers are cooked but not soggy.

Cut lime into slices. Take herb-infused tortilla and fill with bell pepper filling and black bean filling. Season with lime juice from slices to taste.

Chilaquiles, PDX Vegan Deeeeluxe Style

Chilaquiles are a recipe my abuelita taught me that basically involves frying up a bunch o' tortillas that need to be used up pronto, and whatever else you can toss in with 'em, plus some yummy sauce over everything.  They are amaaaazing hangover food (grams didn't teach me that.)

Basic recipe is as follows...

Ingredients

-Oil for frying

-Stack o tortillas, cut into strips of whatever shape & size you like (3-4ish tortillas per eater? I dunno, I usually eyeball it)

-Garlic chopped up

-Onions chopped up

-Some sort of sauce--I usually mix a can of El Pato sauce with some salsa or enchilada sauce.  Pretty much anything with a tomato/chiles base works.

-Salt

-Pepper

-Lime

-Cilantro

Optional:

-Cumin (adds some nice flavor)

-Fresh tomatoes

-Avocado

-Garlic Jalapeño "Sour Cream"

-Greens (chard, kale, etc.)

-Tempeh or veggie sausages

-Beans on the side ('specially if you have no other protein)

What'cha do with 'em

Fry the tortilla strips in oil til they get crispy.  Grandma always deep-fries, but I usually try to dry-fry with just a bit of oil.  Takes a while.  Practice yer Spanish in the kitchen with yer eagerly waiting friends while you wait.  When they're starting to get crispified (the tortillas, not the friends), make a hole in the center of the pan, drizzle a lil' more oil and add the onions and garlic to it.  These can be put in at any time, I just don't like 'em to get overcooked.  About minute later, add yer sauce.  Just mix it all up together until the sauce soaks in and it starts to get crispy again.  Add salt & pepper to taste and then squeeze some lime juice over the whole deal.  Garnish with cilantro, (avocado, etc.) and you will have something like the deeeeeeelicious looking picture that Kelsey took in my kitchen. =)

¡Buen provecho!

Garlic Jalapeño "Sour Cream"

This is an amazing recipe I stole from Becksters & she got it from the The Voluptuous Vegan:

-1/2 lb soft silken tofu
-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
-3 Tablespoons canola or veggie oil
-2 teaspoons rice vinegar
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 jalapeño, deseeded & destemmed (I like using a red jalapeño cuz it makes a pinkish tint)
-garlic cloves to desired garliciness (I used 3)

Throw everything in a blender or a food processor and swirl it up til it's nice 'n' creamy!   yyuuuuummmm...

Black Bean Pomegranate Nachos

Ingredients:

-can or two of black beans
-can of corn
-green onions
-1 bell pepper
-chips
-1 pomegranate
-whatever else you wanna toss in there

To Prepare:

1. Open & separate the pomegranate seeds from the pulp by breaking it all apart in a bowl of water.  The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl & the pith will float on the top where you can scoop it out.

2. Finely chop the green onions and the bell pepper.

3. Dump chips in a dish and top with beans, corn, onions, & pepper and put in the oven for 5-10 mins

4. Take out and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds

5. YUM!