Vegan Black Bean Tacos

Matt has had several vegetarian dinners lately and has not complained once... I'm not sure what is going on, but I'm here to ride that train!  I made vegan black bean tacos tonight and they were great! They were even better when topped with my super easy salsa verde!

Vegan Black Bean Tacos

Vegan Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cups black beans (1 can is good too, rinsed and drained)
1 small zucchini, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 corn (GF) or flour tortillas
Optional for Serving: diced tomatoes, cilantro, salsa verde

Preparation:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Add black beans and onion.
Cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add zucchini, bell pepper, garlic.
Saute until zucchini is soft, but not mushy.
Meanwhile, heat tortillas in microwave under a damp paper towel for 30 seconds.
Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer a scoop of bean mixture into a warmed tortilla.
Top with desired toppings.
Enjoy!

Salsa Verde

Here in New Mexico, there is an abundance of fresh veggies that I would normally not have an abundance of in Philly... not that they're not there, but they're hella expensive.  (I'm not sure if I've ever said "hella" before, but it's happening now I guess!)  Tomatillos are super cheap. Cilantro is super cheap. Okay, that's it because everything else in this salsa is about the same cost wise, but the tomatillos were like $2.00/lb. cheaper!

This salsa was great on my vegan tacos, but was also great with tortilla chips!

Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husks removed
1 poblano pepper, stem cut off
1/2 small white onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cilantro
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Salt, to taste

Preparation:
Heat oil over high heat in a large skillet.  Add tomatillos, poblano, and onion.
Saute on high, flipping after about 2 minutes.  (They should be nice and charred).
Transfer to a blender or food processor.  Add garlic, cilantro, and lime juice.  Blend until combined. (You may have to transfer tomatillos in batches, I did!)
Salt to taste.
Chill in refrigerator.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Chef Savvy

Garlic Sweet Potato Mash

Sweet potatoes are the best.  Growing up, we basically only had them doused with butter and brown sugar and marshmallows (Thanks, Dad!), but now I cook them in all sorts of forms.  In curry? Check. As fries? Check. The filling for tacos? Check. And now since I found this lovely recipe, as mashed potatoes? Check.  These potatoes are less sweet than normal because of the garlic, but equally delicious!  Serve with pork schnitzel for a complete meal!

Sweet Potato Mash

After looking again at this recipe, I halved it, but realized upon re-typing it that I did not half the milk or Greek yogurt.  Mystery solved as to why they were a little extra liquid-y.  I have made these before and they came out perfect, here I was blaming my ineptitude on the altitude!  Whoops!

Garlic Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients:
1 lb. (2 medium) sweet potatoes, cubed
1/2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
salt and fresh cracked ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pot boil sweet potatoes in salted water until tender, (easily pierced with a fork).
Drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, melt butter and sauté garlic until lightly golden. Return potatoes to the pan, add milk and sour cream. Mash until smooth. (I have used both a potato masher and some forks in this recipe, both work well, it's up to you!)
Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Gina at Skinny Taste

Pork Schnitzel

If you're like me and did not grow up in a German household, your only interaction with "schnitzel" probably came from The Sound of Music, "... doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles..."  However, I came across this recipe recently and thought I should try it; good thing because it's delicious!  I served mine with garlic sweet potato mash and a caprese salad.  Yum!

Pork Schnitzel

Pork Schnitzel

Ingredients:
5 boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs, I used Panko
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:
Preheat oven to lowest setting.
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  (I used about 1/4 cup in total).
Place the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip the chops in the flour, the egg, and then bread crumbs, coating both sides and shaking off excess at each step.
Make sure the cooking oil is hot enough at this point.
Fry the schnitzels for about 3-5 minutes on both sides until a deep golden brown. Transfer briefly to an oven safe plate.  I had to do mine in batches, so I kept the extra in the oven.
Repeat until all the pork is done.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Jo Cooks

Avocado Quesadilla

Are you ready for the easiest lunch of all time?  Perfect.  It's an avocado quesadilla.  Not interested?  Good, more for me.  This is a little surprising because it is a VEGAN lunch.  No, not vegetarian, VEGAN.  If you've ever read my blog, you're probably in shock, what!? No chese!?  That's correct!  The creamy avocado means you don't even need cheese, so get ready for a healthy quick lunch!

Avocado Quesadilla 

Do my plates look different?  That's because this is my first post from Santa Fe!  Matthew has a job here for 6 weeks, so here we are for the summer!

Avocado Quesadilla

Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 avocado
1 small roma tomato, diced
1 scallion, sliced
2 fajita size tortillas (corn or flour, use corn to make GF)

Preparation:
Place frying pan over medium heat.

Add vegetable oil. 

Meanwhile, spread avocado on one tortilla. 

Once vegetable oil is hot, place tortilla with avocado on heat.  Add diced tomato and scallion.

Place second tortilla on top of tomatoes and scallions.  

Once bottom tortilla is golden brown, flip quesadilla over.  

Cook until second tortilla is golden brown. 

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Garden Grazer