Can vegan enchiladas be delicious? Damn straight they can! Tonight’s were stuffed with black beans, onions, carrots, and ground “beef.” Covered with sauce and vegan cheese. I made a double batch so there’s plenty of leftovers.

As much as I’d like to say everything I eat at home is from scratch, it’s just not true. I try not to eat too much pre-made food, but sometimes it just makes sense. Last night was a good example. It was very hot; too hot to do much real cooking, and a perfect time to cut a few corners.

I ended up with rice pilaf from a box, falafel from a box, and store-bought stuffed grape leaves, supplemented with homemade hummus and diced tomato.

Tex Mex madness continues with some spinach and black bean soft tacos. The spinach is sauteed with mushrooms and onions, and served with seasoned tofu, rice, tomatoes and fresh cilantro.

I usually make Frito pie with leftover chili, but I was in the mood for it, so I made a small pot just for the occasion. I’m including my very basic quick chili recipe.

Super Quick Chili

Serves 2-4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15oz can diced tomatos
1 15oz can black beans
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup TVP
2 tablespoons mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne
pepper to taste

For frito pie:
Bag of Fritos
1/2 onion, chopped finely
cheddar “cheese” (optional) (I use FYH cheddar)

In a medium saucepan, lightly saute onions over medium-low heat. Add tomatoes and black beans, with liquid, and tomato paste. Add TVP and spices. Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, about 45-60 minutes. This is a mild chili, so feel free to add more heat in the form of jalapenos, more chili powder, and/or tabasco.

To make Frito pie, serve chili in a bowl over handful of Fritos, topped with vegan cheese and onion.

Last night’s dinner was pizza topped with the Vegan with a Vengeance pizza sauce, fresh and sweet tomatoes, basil, and roasted garlic. The crust came out super thin, and the result was amazingly good.

Also on the weekend menu were vegan chocolate mousse cupcakes, with vanilla buttercream frosting, topped with sliced strawberry. These things were ridiculously rich.

I’m presently agonizing over dinner, as I have nothing planned. Eating so well most of the time has entirely spoiled me for the nights I don’t.

Last night’s dinner was tofu soft tacos, a bit of a standard around here. I cook mostly by feel when it comes to tex-mex, but I’m including my recipes for the toppings. I’m still testing my tofu recipe, so that’ll be coming along eventually. My feeling with this food is that the better and fresher your ingredients, the less stuff you have to add. Resist the temptation to over season!

Pico de Gallo
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of half a lemon

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir. Tends to be better if you cover it and chill it in the fridge for a while before serving.

Guacamole
1-2 ripe avocados
2-4 tablespoons pico de gallo (see above)
juice of half a lemon
salt to taste

Skin avocados and remove pits; everything is going to be mashed in a second so don’t feel the need to be beautiful about it. Toss the avocados into a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Fold in the pico de gallo and the lemon juice. Add salt to taste. Eat this right away; it doesn’t keep!

I’m home after a holiday in the Catskills; I had a good experience.  All things considered the food was very good, but after that many days away, it’s good to be back in the kitchen.  I’m enjoying having a reliable soymilk supply and not having to guess (and then ask) whether any particular dish is vegan. I almost hugged my pantry when I got into the house.

I guessed wrong at one point. The margarine I was eating at the Zen Monastery where I spent part of my trip was Smart Balance, which I thought was vegan (Earth Balance is!), but finally it was revealed to me that it’s full of whey; not just trace elements, but lots. That was the end of buttery spread for me, and fortunately there was a lot of other food to eat.