Stacked Enchilada Bake with Simple Cheese Sauce

12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces*
4 cups seasoned black beans or chili ( I used half black beans and half Bush's chili beans)
14-ounce can Mexican style tomatoes (blend briefly or mash)
1 1/2 cups Simple Cheese Sauce (p.26)
3 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1 cup sliced black olives

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Grease 2-quart casserole

2. Place half the tortilla pieces in casserole and top with half the beans. Repeat layers. Pour 1 cup of the Cheese Sauce over the beans and tortilla pieces and then the canned tomatoes. Dot the top with the remaining Cheese Sauce and sprinkle with chopped onions and sliced olives.

3. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbly around edge.

*Variation: May use baked corn chips instead of corn tortillas

Serves 6-8

Simple Cheese Sauce

1 cup raw cashew nuts
2 cups water
1/2 large or 1 small red bell pepper( or 1/4 cup canned pimentos or red peppers)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 TBS yeast flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Blend smooth (about 2 minutes) and then bring to boil, stirring until thick. Use for pizza, lasagna, burritos, etc.

*This cheese sauce was delicious. I'm going to try it in macaroni!

Sweet Roll Recipe

1. Make One Loaf Bread Dough and roll out into a long rectangle. Apply a thin layer of Date Spread over the surface leaving 1/4 inch along one long edge free of spread.

2. sprinkle entire surface liberally with raisins. (Dried cranberries and other diced dried fruits make it extra-special!). Roll up the long way like a jelly roll and pinch seam closed.

3. cut 1-inch rolls by cutting all the way through with a sharp knife or scissors. Place rolls with cut side up on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, shaping into a circle and flattening slightly with hands. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled.

4. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Lightly brush tops with pure maple syrup while hot (optional). cool on a wire rack then place in an airtight container until ready to eat.

Makes 20 rolls.

Vegan Cornbread

For the past couple of years I have been moving towards veganism (no animal products). Some days it's easy and some days it's not. One of the hardest things to give up has been eggs. Not scrambled or deviled, but recipes that use eggs such as cornbread. Certainly no one in their right mind would expect me to give up cornbread! :-)

At any rate, I found a recipe that I tried today and to my surpise it is delicious! And just to shed a little light on my skepticism, I've had this recipe for more than 5 years. I have been missing out!

Don't let the ingredients scare you. It really is good.

Vegan Cornbread:
1 3/4 cornmeal
1 cup oats
1 cup ground cashews (raw, unsalted cashews)
1 TBSP sea salt
2 cups soy milk ( I used enough milk to make it moist. Probably closer to 3 cups)
1/3 cup maple syryp
dash of coriander

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix all ingredients together and stir. Pour batter into an oiled shallow baking dish and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. ( I used my cast iron skillet).

Servings:12
Calories:133
Fat: 2.7 grams
Sodium: 141 milligrams

Voila, good ole southern style cornbread. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday (Breakfast)

This week I decided to post my breakfast menu. Breakfast is normally our largest meal of the day. We have dinner for lunch and then at dinner time we have something light such as a sandwich, fruit, popcorn or some combination of the like.

Sunday-Breakfast Burritos (Scrambled Tofu, Potato, and Boca Sausage Links wrapped in a tortilla)

Monday-Pancakes and fruit

Tuesday-Leftovers

Wednesday-Waffles and fruit

Thursday-Leftovers

Friday-Vegan French Toast and Fruit

Saturday-Leftovers

Menu Plan Monday (Vegetarian)

Sunday-Haystacks (Chili, served over cornchips and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, salsa, etc.)

Monday- Basil Pasta, Salad, Garlic Bread

Tuesday-Tacos

Wednesday-Pigs in a Blanket (Hot dogs cut into quarters and wrapped in a cresent roll), Mixed Vegetables, Salad

Thursday-Spaghetti, Mixed Vegetables and Salad

Friday-Hot Dogs

Saturday-Black Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Salad

Our family is vegetarian, mostly vegan. My son is allergic to milk, and the more I learn about my body, it seems that I have some type of allergy as well. When I have food with milk in it, I can't breathe at night (asthma), so I'm working to eliminate it completely from our diet.

For more menu idea, visit the Organizing Junkie.

WFMW-Easy Salad Dressing

I like to make my own salad dressing to avoid all the preservatives in the store bought ones.

Olive oil
Lemon Juice
Fresh garlic
Salt

I don't really know how much to tell you to use for each ingredient. I make directly into the salad by drizzling the olive oil first, squeezing some lemon juice next and then I press a clove of garlic. I add a little salt to taste. I use Kosher salt. It actually taste better than when I use old-fashioned table salt.

A fresh salad dressing that works for me!

Note: When you go out to eat, most of these ingredients are readily available so it's easy for dining out too. :-)

For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, visit Rocks in My Dryer

WFMW-Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Here is an easy recipe for delicious garlic mashed potatoes:

5 or 6 large potatoes
1 bulb of garlic
Salt
Butter ( I use Smart Balance)
Olive oil

Roast the garlic in the oven on 425 by peeling, placing in foil and drizzling with olive oil. Roast for about 20 minutes or until th garlic is a caramel color

Boil potatoes until tender (do not over boil). Drain potatoes and place in mixing bowl. Add butter and salt. Mix using electric mixer. Press garlic into potatoes and mix in. Add salt to taste.

Voila! An easy potato dish that works for me!

Visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer for more Works For Me Wednesday tips.

WFMW-Basil Pasta Dish

Here is an easy, healthy pasta dish

1 pkg pasta cooked and drained
1/2-1 bulb garlic, pressed
2 cups cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
1 can green olives
olive oil
handful fresh basil
salt to taste

In a skillet, saute the garlic, add the tomatoes, add olives, and then toss in pasta. Add basil and stir.

An easy skillet pasta that works for me!

For more healthy recipes, visit rocks in my dryer.