A tale of two veggies....

Okay, so more than two veggies but it sounded too good to let it slip by unused. J  Anyway, we’re trying something new (wait, when DON’T we try something new?) and it’s veggie week in our house.  Our dinners are going to be only vegetarian – no meat – for the next 5 evenings.  Why, you ask?  Why not, I respond?  Veggies are good and tasty and good for you.  And besides, protein and other nutrients can be found in so many more sources than beef, poultry or fish.  Why not give it a shot?  Actually, it was pretty funny when this was first discussed – Thing 2 had quite the negative reaction to the possibility of no meat for a week!  Why is that funny?  Well, a couple of years ago, Thing 2 wanted desperately to be a vegetarian.  I mean, she was DESPERATE – she refused to eat any of the meat I cooked and seriously only ate the vegetables and the bread.  I had to come up with good ways for her to get protein besides her glass of milk!  She was a tough nut to feed, too!  And now, she wants to throw a fit because I’m doing what she once wanted?  Sheesh!  Teenagers!  

I do happen to own a couple of vegetarian cookbooks and I’ve been scouring them the past couple of days.  I think I’ve found some good recipes – some that are quick and easy and use what I already have in my pantry and some that do take some time to cook but still are really only using what I already have.  The bonus about veggie week?  I’ll be blogging about each recipe!  For a week!  Five dinners.  Oh my, I’m starting to get nervous.  That’s so much to live up to.  I’m not sure I can do it.  But, you know what?  I’ll do it no matter how hard it is – for you.  I’m a giver like that.

For tonight’s dinner, I just had to go and buy some canned chopped green chilies (obviously, this is for a “quick” dinner because in reality, jalapenos don’t really take that much time to chop) and a can of dark red kidney beans.  Hm…are those ingredients hint enough for you to determine the flavor of our meal?  Well, if you guessed Mexican – ding, ding, we have a winner!

Chilaquiles, pronounced chee-lah-KEE-lehs (how fun is THAT to say?!) – are a traditional Mexican dish.  The version I’m making, found in New Vegetarian Cuisine by Linda Rosensweig, refers to chilaquiles as sort of a Mexican lasagna with the tortillas acting as the “noodles”.  Well, we love lasagna and it sounded really easy to make – bonus!  (Oh, by the way, what did you think about that comment in the link about chilaquiles being good hangover remedies? Hm. Whodathunkit? Wonder if it works?  If it does, let me know – I’m not going to make myself the guinea pig to find out.) ;D

The chilaquiles (okay, I’m having WAY too much fun saying this word!) did end up being VERY easy to make and came together very quickly – a perfect weeknight meal!  And, it was actually delicious!  Everyone liked it even though Thing 2 referred to it as looking disgusting.  Don’t mind her opinion – sometimes she’s a little kooky – she’s a teenager, remember?  Very little chopping and canned ingredients make preparation simple and it will be even more simple if you buy pre-shredded carrots!  Oh, and if you’ve never noticed, your grocery store likely carries containers of pre-chopped onions which would make pulling this together a complete breeze! And then, you don’t have to cry either!  THAT’S worth celebrating, in my opinion.  Make this – it’s awesome.  And, if you are a fan of guacamole and salsa, either or both would be absolutely fabulous with the chilaquiles.  I’m definitely having guacamole with mine the next time I make it.  Here’s the recipe and don’t forget to stay tuned to see what ends up on our dinner plates tomorrow!

Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

Chilaquiles

Serves 4

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded carrots

1 can (16 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 large tomato, chopped

½ cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chopped canned green chili peppers

½ teaspoon chili powder

3 large flour tortillas (I selected carb-balance)

1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons minced scallions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat an 8” soufflé dish or a 2-quart casserole with no-stick spray; set aside.

2.  In a large no-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, warn the oil.  Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender.  Add the carrots; cook for 2 minutes.

3.  Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers and chili powder; bring to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until slightly thick.  Scoop out ¼ cup and set aside.

4.  Place 1 tortilla in the bottom of the prepared dish.  Top with half of the vegetable mixture and 1/3 cup of the cheddar.

5.  Add another tortilla, the remaining vegetables and 1/3 cup cheddar.  Top with the final tortilla and the reserved vegetables.  Sprinkle with the scallions and the remaining 1/3 cup cheddar.

6.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Per serving:  322 calories, 10.4g fat (28% of calories), 8.1g dietary fiber, 14mg cholesterol, 443mg sodium