Poblano, Corn & Soy Crumble Enchiladas with Homemade Sauce

Adam and I are a team, and we do a lot of team-stuff. We brainstorm, tag-team-cook, and sometimes we break glasses. We own coordinated backpacking gear, and race beach cruisers to our favorite taqueria. We've been known to have the occasional saucy sparring match after a couple too many beers. Most importantly, we have a lot of fun. We share three cats, two bank accounts, a food blog, and a passion for living well. You know what teams do when they succeed?

They high-five. 

There's been a lot of high-fiving happening at The BMK lately.

Some people erroneously assume we're snooty about food because we have this website, but cooking is all about play. Food should be fun, light-hearted, and lift the spirit. In our house, high-fives are one sign of a well-crafted meal. I knew Adam liked this the moment he swallowed his first bite and raised his high-fivin' hand in honor.

Meal. Well. Made.

This homemade enchilada sauce could be drenching tortillas wrapped around just about anything and make it delicious. You can make one big batch, freeze half and make a ton of meals out of it. You can give it a name, if you want. Then it can be on your team, too.

High-five, amazing enchilada sauce. High-five.






INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package organic, non-gmo soy crumbles (if unavailable, you can use crumbled extra firm tofu!)
• 2 poblano chilies, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 ear corn, kernels removed (or a large handful frozen corn)
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup + 1 cup, divided, light shredded Mexican cheese
• dozen corn tortillas
• Enchilada Sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make enchilada sauce (note: takes 1 hour). We made a batch for this recipe and froze half!
2. Preheat oven to 375'.
3. In large pan, saute onions, garlic and poblanos in olive oil over medium-high heat.
4. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and corn. Saute 1-2 minutes.
5. Add soy crumbles and heat through, about 2 minutes.
6. Spread thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 glass pan.
7. If using super-fresh corn tortillas, you do not need to warm them. If using regular store-bought tortillas, gently warm in microwave or pan.
8. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling in each tortilla and roll, placing seam side down in pan. Repeat until the pan is full, use an extra glass pan if needed.
9. Generously pour enchilada sauce over all enchiladas. Cover dish with foil.
10. Bake 20 minutes, rotating half way through.
11. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes.
12. Serve!

Lobster Stuffed with Artichoke Hearts & Portobellos

Like life, food blogging requires balance. Trying to chronicle every meal that crosses our table can be taxing, and there are times when we crave cooking's simple creativity without the responsibility of recording a recipe. Here's a dish from our repertoire with only a photograph as evidence. It's sumptuous and inventive, and will likely appear in the future!

Awhile back, Adam found frozen lobster tails on sale for a ridiculous price. (Thanks, Matt!) We almost always buy our seafood fresh, but these tails were just a few dollars apiece. When the time came for our lobster extravaganza, we wanted something different than the routine butter and lemon. We consulted our favorite cookbook, The Flavor Bible, for ideas. If you have basic cooking skills and you only buy one cookbook, make this the one.

Who knew that lobster paired with mushrooms and artichoke hearts? The Flavor Bible does. Creamy, tender hearts and sautéed portobellos compliment buttery lobster beautifully. A mushroom reduction yielded an intensely flavored gravy that begged to be slathered over garlic mashed potatoes.  A slight dusting of panko and Parmesan, steamed beet greens for color (and vitamins), and a sprinkling of parsley finished the plate!

Blackened Tofu Mushroom Burger with Wheat Tortilla Chips

Adam and I grew up at opposite ends of coastal Orange County. He spent his younger years riding the sidewalks and waves of San Clemente, while my toes spent most of their time planted in the sands of Newport Beach. Reluctantly famous, Laguna Beach is precisely between the two. If you don't know it personally, please take 10 seconds to forget the Laguna you know from The Real OC and let me introduce you properly.

Things you would find in the REAL Real Laguna Beach of the '90's: Artists, festivals, Birkenstock-shod hippies, bead stores, homeless guys staring at each other intensely over chessboards, Hare Krishnas, secret coves, rickety staircases to the sand, and local businesses like Hemp in the Hollow, Fahrenheit 451, Tippecanoe, and Taco Loco. Taco Loco serves up all kinds of delicious food from lobster tacos to blackened tofu mushroom burgers. Baskets of thick tortilla chips make you ever thirstier for another ice-cold Mexican beer. Adam and I share independent memories of sitting outside on rickety plastic chairs drinking beer and watching the summer crowds amble past. That, and epic blackened tofu mushroom burgers.

We sought to satisfy our mutual craving without braving insane summer beach traffic. We played with the flavors a little, but we think you'll enjoy it! Finding some extra-firm organic tofu at Mother's Market, we went to town on these burgers! High-quality tofu is essential for this sandwich. If at all possible, check out a vegetarian or ethnic market and buy extra-firm organic tofu.  Enjoy!

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz pkg super firm tofu (or extra firm) - ideally squarish (sliced = burger)
• about 20 cremini mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 slices of swiss cheese
• 2 Tbsp spicy BBQ sauce
• 1 onion, halved crosswise and sliced into 1/2" thick slices
• 1 avocado
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 Tbsp cilantro, minced
• salt
• sandwich thins (or buns)
• blackening seasoning
• cooking spray
• iceberg lettuce
• whole wheat tortillas (about 2 per person)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Begin by removing all water from the tofu. Remove tofu from packaging and wrap in a few paper towels. Place on counter and gently place a heavy object (pan, cutting board, etc...) on top to apply pressure to the tofu. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Remove paper towels and slice into 4 thin slices or 3 thick slices. 
3. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions and saute until softened and brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in BBQ sauce and keep on warm.
4. In bowl, combine diced avocado, diced tomato, lime juice, cilantro and a pinch of salt. Stir and set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350'. Spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray. Stack tortillas on top of each other and cut into 6ths. Forming 6 stacks of chips. Arrange on baking sheets and sprinkle with a touch of blackening seasoning and salt. 
6. Bake 10-15 minutes until crispy, turning over chips and rotating trays half way through. Remove from oven.
7. Heat large non-stick pan or cast-iron grill pan. Coat with cooking spray. Spray tofu slices with cooking spray and sprinkle liberally with blackening seasoning. Flip over and coat other side.
8. Put tofu slices on grill and grill on each side until crisp and blackened, about 5 min per side.
9. Melt swiss atop tofu, if desired and lightly grill sandwich thins or buns.
10. To assemble, put tofu slices atop the buns and garnish with lettuce, mushroom/onion mixture and extra BBQ sauce. Top with the avocado/tomato salsa or serve alongside with the chips.
11. Enjoy!

Mushroom Egg Foo Young - The Healthy Way!

The first time I had Egg Foo Young, it was part of a post-drinking Chinese food binge. Adam un-boxed a deep-fried monstrosity that supposedly contained eggs and bean sprouts, smothered in an unidentifiable brown gravy. I was overwhelmed and, honestly, a little grossed-out.

While brainstorming for Vegetarian Week, Adam insisted we make Egg Foo Young the healthy way. I couldn't see how such a thing could possibly exist, and I admit to trying to knock it off the menu with a dozen other ideas. Part of teamwork is compromise, and his persistence kept it on the menu.

Once Adam detailed his recipe, I was immediately on-board. Despite the atrocity I had witnessed (from the only local Chinese food place that offers delivery), Egg Foo Young is really just an omelet with a savory sauce. Our sauce uses three different mushrooms for extra flavor, and our egg foo young is packed with crunchy bean sprouts and green onions. It's light, healthy, and satisfying, without the guilt and abhorrent calorie count of the deep-fryer! This dish is very low-calorie, but you could reduce the fat by using a few more egg whites and less yolks in your egg mixture. For those not worried about the extra calories, serve over rice!


Per Serving: Cal: 300, Fat: 20g, Protein:14.5g

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large green onions, sliced (whites separated from greens)
• 4 large shitake mushrooms, diced
• 2 handfuls oyster mushrooms, chopped
• 2 portabello mushrooms, gills scraped out and stemmed, diced into 1" cubes 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp peanut oil
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 16 oz chicken-less broth
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 9 eggs
• 4 cups bean sprouts, rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 250'
2. Heat peanut oil and sesame oil in wok over medium high heat. Add garlic, white part of green onions and mushrooms.Saute until softened and golden, 5-8 minutes.
3. Add mirin and soy sauce and simmer on medium-high 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer.
4. In large bowl combine 9 eggs, 2/3 of green parts of green onions and 4 cups bean sprouts. Toss with hands! Do not beat!
5. Bring sauce back to a boil. Mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup water, stir with fork until milky. Slowly drizzle the mixture into the mushroom sauce, stirring to blend. Simmer on low.
6. Heat grill pan or skillet with cooking spray or oil.
7. Drop ladle-ful of egg/sprout mixture into skillet and cook until bubbling and golden on the bottom. Gently flip and cook on the other side.
8. Remove from pan and place on baking sheet in oven to keep warm while you do the rest.
9. To serve, arrange egg on plate, top with mushroom gravy and green onion slices.

Summer Corn Soup with Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadilla

Day 2 of Vegetarian Week brings another delicious meat-free (and easily vegan-ized) recipe! Nothing says summer  like the sunny taste of sweet corn right off the cob! Pureed then strained, this soup is a clean corn extract that explodes with flavor. Incidentally, corn isn't just a summer treat, it's exceptionally high in fiber, contains protein (who knew?! over 5g in 1/2 cup!), and is a significant source of vitamins and minerals (especially B6, thiamin and magnesium). It is very high in carbohydrates (as a percentage of total calories), but the serving size of this soup is a small cup, so don't sweat it!

Quesadilla with no queso? Yup, I said it! What's wrong with us? We worship dairy cows here at the BMK, and despite cheese not returning that affection, we love the stuff passionately. This queso-less-dilla satisfies that gooey-stuff-between-two-tortillas-sensation that we're pretty sure everyone enjoys. Sweet potato, roasted then mashed, fills in for melted cheese while a spicy black bean salsa adds texture, protein, and dietary fiber. Quickly crisped in a pan, then sliced and served alongside the soup, this dish is a dipper's delight!

Vegan? Omit the crumbles of goat cheese!

Recipe from The Chubby Vegetarian Serves 4


INGREDIENTS:

Corn Soup

• 8 ears of corn (broken in half)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 chipotle pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• chili salt (equal parts chili powder and cracked salt)
• cilantro leaves, diced
• 4 Tbsp Goat Cheese, crumbled
• 1, lime in 4 wedges

Black Bean Sweet Potatoe Quesadillas

• 4 large or 8 small whole wheat tortillas
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 large handful black beans (soaked overnight and cooked till tender) or 1 can low salt black beans
• 1 handful cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 3Tbsp of jarred or fresh jalapenos, diced
• spray olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice sweet potato into 1.5" thick rounds. Spray with cooking spray. Place on baking sheet and bake in oven at 375' until fork tender (about 45 minutes). Remove flesh and mash. Set aside.
2. Combine quesadilla ingredients from black beans through jalapenos. Toss gently and set aside.
3. Begin soup by bringing a large pot of water to boil.
4. Add corn ears and boil until tender 5 minutes. Remove from boiling water and run under cold water.
5. Slice kernels off cob by holding cob vertically and slicing downwards.
6. In pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until golden about 6-8 minutes.
7. Add all but 1/4 of the corn, chipotle pepper, and broth. Bring to a simmer.
8. Puree in blender or with immersion blender until as smooth as possible - 5-7 minutes.
9. Strain soup through sieve. Discard solids.
10. Add soup back to pot and add remaining corn.
11. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with chili salt, cilantro leaves, a squeeze of lime and some goat cheese.

Poblano Tamales with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Welcome to Vegetarian Week!

All this week on the BMK you will see delicious and inventive vegetarian recipes from vegetarian food blogs and our own test kitchen! I know what you're thinking, but I swear vegetarian food doesn't have to be boring! Mapping out our menu required extra thought to conjure something exciting and new, and it all had to support our rigorous exercise regimens. We both train hard all week, and I'm training for a triathlon! Off we went, pedaling our beach-cruisers to the new Mother's Market to load up on various grains, legumes, organic produce, and seasonings.

Vegetarianism requires exploration into foods uncommon in the American diet: kale, sea vegetables, quinoa, wheatberries, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and seitan make excellent substitutions for the protein you lose when going vegetarian. It's more than just avoiding meat and eating iceberg lettuce salads! You can get all the vitamins, minerals, and protein your body needs from plant-based sources, but it takes education. As a nation, Americans have become lazy about our diets. We want convenience, little or no preparation, long shelf-life, and low cost. Any diet worth eating takes imagination, creativity, preparation, and forethought. This week is about super-clean, real, unprocessed, unpackaged, wholesome, nutritious food that happens to be meat-free.

This dish is incredible. You must make the homemade enchilada sauce. It's worth the little work that it takes and makes enough for a second meal (freeze for later)!

* This meal can be vegan if you omit the sour cream garnish!*

Recipe from The Chubby Vegetarian    Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
Enchilada Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 dried anaheim peppers (we used guajillo) stemmed & seeded
• 4 chipotle peppers (2-3 if you're sensitive to heat)
• 1-28oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp agave syrup

Poblano Tamales

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 not-beef bouillon cube
• 1 cup masa harina (masa flour)
• 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 ear corn, kernels removed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 large poblano peppers (also called pasilla)
• sour cream and cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Begin with the enchilada sauce. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add dried chilies and toast in oil until translucent and fragrant. 
2. Add onion and cook 1-2 minutes.
3. Add chipotle peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and bell pepper.
4. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Stir.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes.
6. Use an immersion blender to blend sauce until smooth. 
7. Add agave syrup, stir to mix.
8. Keep on low heat (freeze extra!)
9. In small bowl, dissolve bouillon cube in hot water. 
10. In another bowl, whisk shortening until it's fluffy.
11. In larger bowl, mix masa and baking powder. Add shortening and cut in with spatula or fork. Add broth. 
12. Mix gently, do not overwork!
13. Add corn, beans, onion, green pepper and garlic to masa and mix in.
14. Cut off the top of each poblano pepper and set aside, remove seeds and tap out any extra with your hand. 
15. Fill each pepper with masa-veggie mix. Pack it in as tight as possible, you want no air bubbles!
16. Pack filling into any holes in pepper tops. Place tops back on peppers and wrap tightly in foil.
17. Place a metal colander in a large soup pot with enough water (do not let water get into colander)!
18. Place foil wrapped poblanos in steamer. Steam for 1 hour.
19. Remove from pot. Preheat oven to 400'.
20. Unwrap peppers (just open the packets up) and place on baking sheet. Brush with a touch of olive oil. 
21. Bake for 10-15 minutes until peppers are slightly colored and wrinkled.
22. Serve with sauce, sour cream, and cilantro!

* Note: If you have more filling than peppers, you can pack a round ball onto a square of parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper over to form a "tube". Then twist the ends to make a pinched log. Twisting the ends compacts the tamale into a firm cylinder. Wrap in foil and steam/bake the same way!