I have been craving Mexican food lately, but since we choose not to order from food establishments, that means I have to make my own Mexican recipes. No problem, I using simple ingredients most of us have in the kitchen, it’s easy to put something healthy and tasty together in under 30 minutes. To make it easier, omit the meat for Meatless Monday and give these guys a break…..for at least one day.
Being Monday where no one is happy about the end of the weekend and beginning of a work week, it’s good to keep meal prep nice and simple. Simple is not the same as a convenient drive-thru window at a nearby fast food chain, a little prep in your own kitchen is needed. But, this can be fun and done in less than 30 minutes.
Here’s what you’ll need: – 1 can of fat-free refried pinto or black beans – Reduced fat (part-skim) mozzarella cheese or cheese sticks – Dried cilantro – 16oz Jar of your favorite salsa – 6 inch Corn tortillas; I prefer the Food For Life sprouted whole grain tortillas; or use butter or romaine lettuce for a grain-free option – Garlic, Cumin, and Onion Powder – Cayenne pepper * Optional toppings: Shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, chopped raw onion (green, red, or yellow), and sour cream (plain yogurt is a great substitute too)
With these ingredients you can make many vegetarian Mexican-style snacks/meals. Here’s how I make easy tostadas, chips and dip, and bean burritos.
Mix the can of refried beans with your jar of salsa, cilantro, garlic, cumin, onion, and cayenne powder. Cut or shred the cheese to your liking. Spread the bean mixture on top of a corn tortilla and sprinkle about 1/2 or 1 ounce of cheese on top; toast in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 375 degrees until the edges start to turn brown and crispy. Remove from oven, let cool, add shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, and a dollop of plain yogurt if desired, and eat!
Mix the beans and other ingredients like you did for tostadas, then mix in 6 ounces shredded cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave 30 more seconds, stir; continue until the cheese is melted and well incorporated in the mix.
Cut the corn tortillas into 6 or 8 wedges, sprinkle with a little salt, and bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven until lightly browned (about 5 – 8 minutes).
Now you have homemade chips and dip. If you don’t want to make your own, Beanitos are a favorite chip in our home.
Mix the plain yogurt in the dip if you would like, it adds a cool and tangy taste that’s pleasing to the palate. For an even healthier option, I choose crudites like raw baby carrots, broccoli, or celery as the perfect dipping devices.
With the same bean mixture as the other two quick-fix recipes, fill the middle of a corn tortilla (flour tortillas usually contain hydrogenated oils and I do not recommend them) or use a hardy lettuce like butter lettuce or romaine for a grain-free option with about 2 heaping spoonfuls and a half ounce of cheese.
Wrap in paper towel and microwave for 30 – 40 seconds; enjoy! Since these are smaller, you will probably want more than one. They are more like flautas, only not fried and much better in my opinion.
For reference, an ounce of cheese is similar to four dice; if shredded, about a 1/4 cup.
The combination of beans and a whole grain like corn provides all essential amino acids to make a complete protein, so you will not miss the meat today. Treat your friends, family, and self to one or all of these easy Meatless Mexican meals this Monday or any day and relax.
Do you find yourself stuck in a rut of eating the same thing day in and day out for weeks? If you answered “Yes”, you’re not alone. But I make it a point to change things up when I can. As long as it’s tasty, healthy, and relatively quick to make, it’s fair game! Or should I say fair fish? See what I did there?
Enter these delicious salmon cakes that are both healthy and easy to make. Using canned salmon (tuna or crab would work too) makes these a convenient weeknight main course and are perfect to make extra for the next day.
Serve on a bed of steamed squash and green beans.
So, make a double batch of these to have dinner with the family and to take to work (or just have the next day if you stay at home like me) for a healthy and delicious lunch.
1/2 cup Coconut Flour (If you don’t have this, rolled oats also work well)
1 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 T Dijon mustard
2 eggs or 3 egg whites or 3 flax/chia eggs
4 T Of your favorite salsa
1 T each dried basil and dill
Pepper to taste
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to incorporate. You can also mix everything in a food processor if desired. If mixture seems too runny, add oats or coconut flour 1 tablespoon at a time until thick enough to hold together.
Scoop the mix into a lightly oiled 12 cup muffin pan (I filled 9 of the 12 cups) and bake in pre-heated oven for 25 -30 minutes, depending how toasted you want the top. It should have a crispy golden crust on top.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes.
Top each cake with your favorite mustard, salsa, or even a yogurt sauce like Tzatziki; I like them plain too. Serve with steamed veggies and maybe a tasty side of quinoa curry salad.
Not pretty, but very tasty!
If you love crab cakes, this is an easy and more affordable alternative to make at home. Unless you use imitation crab, but let’s not go down that road, I’ll save it for another post. 🙂
These spicy black bean burgers were created by accident. I intended to make them more of a cake (think crab cakes without the crab), but ended up with more of a flat, burger-like patty.
Do you ever do that; set out to make one thing, and wind up with something else? I guess that’s how a lot of great things have come into existence…..the slinky, microwave, Post-it notes, and even chocolate chip cookies, to name a few.
I mixed everything together, thought it was too runny, so I added more dry ingredients. Then a little more dry ingredients. You know, just to be safe.
Apparently, the addition of dry ingredients was just a little too much. Instead of a moist and tender bean cake, I wound up with a slightly crispy and tasty black bean burger.
Meh, I’m still eating them like a cake and leaving out the bun! These would’ve great formed into rectangles for a fun kid-friendly finger food you could use with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or just mustard as delicious dips.
Remember when I mentioned these on my last Meatless Monday post? Well, here’s the recipe as promised. This recipe is one delectable mistake that I’ll be making again; on purpose this time. Try it for yourself and let me know how you like it or what you did different.
Spicy Black Bean Burgers
Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Shittake Mushrooms take the…errr…um…cake?
by RC Liley
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 50 min
6022801
Ingredients (Serves 4 – 6)
1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight or 2 (15oz) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
6oz of your favorite salsa; the amount varies, just eyeball it and add more towards the end if needed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (any color); chopped
4 cloves garlic; crushed and minced
4 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 whole eggs or 3 egg whites; you can use 1/4 cup ground flaxseed or chia seeds to make this vegan
Ground black pepper to taste; no need for salt as there should be enough in the salsa and mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons dried cilantro
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat, sweat onion, bell peppers, and garlic; add beans, cilantro, and spices and cover to let simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.
Remove beans from heat and transfer to large bowl to let cool; you don’t want to cook the eggs!
Using a large fork or potato masher, mash most of the beans leaving a few ones intact for texture.
Add remaining wet ingredients to bowl and mix well. Sift dry ingredients in small bowl and slowly mix into wet.
With a large spoon, scoop the mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet, form into patties or whatever shape you want, and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, and then flip over and cook another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven (should have a crispy brown crust) and let cool on pan for 5 to 10 minutes.
Top each cake with salsa, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or mustard and any of your favorite toppings. Serve with a big side of steamed veggies.
