Aphorisms of a Dancing Girl!

Tacos De Alambre - Vegan Version - Healthy Mexican Tacos - GlutenFree

2/4/2017

Tacos De Alambre
Vegan Version

Ingredients:
1 can of Chickpeas
2 chopped Bell Peppers
2 cups of Mushrooms
1/2 chopped Onion
2 cloves of minced Garlic
2 tablespoons of Lime Juice
Salt to taste

Toppings:
Coconut Bacon
Vegan Cheese (optional)

Coconut Bacon Ingredients:
1 cup of Unsweetened Coconut Chips
1 tablespoon of Tamari
1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 tablespoon of Liquid Smoke (optional)

Optional Add-Ons:
Tortillas
Salsa
Crema
Lime Wedges
Cilantro
Avocado
Greens

Above is the Coconut Bacon.

Below is the Taco Filling.

DIRECTIONS

Take a bowl and put in the Coconut Chips, Tamari, Maple Syrup, Paprika & Liquid Smoke.
Mix well.

Take a frying pan and toast the coconut chips under low heat. Be careful not to burn them.

Set them aside. They'll dry and harden up quickly the more time you give them.
Try to do this step earlier in the day if you can.

Chop your vegetables.

Add 1/4 cup of water to your pan. Water Saute your vegetables.

Once they've softened, add your cooked chickpeas and warm them up.

Drain any excess water or use a slotted spoon when serving.

Serve on warm tortillas. Top with Coconut Bacon and Vegan Cheese. I used Pepperjack Shreds.

You can serve them with any of the add-on's like salsa, crema, cilantro, lime wedges,
avocado... etc

NOTE: You can use Coconut or Liquid Aminos if you don't have Tamari. I used chickpeas but any vegan protein will work. Also, I used Daiya Pepperjack shreds in this recipe.

Check out my video on how to make this dish here:
https://youtu.be/IKT8ZZnPL2Q

Rajas Con Crema - "Pepper Slices With Cream" - Vegan & Gluten-Free

9/13/2016

Rajas Mexicanas
Con Crema

Ingredients:
5 Anaheim chiles, charred, peeled and cut into strips
1 medium Onion
3 tablespoons of Hemp Seed Crema
Salt to taste

Cilantro Lime Hemp Seed Crema:
1/2 cup of Hemp Seeds
Juice of 1 Lime
1 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup of Water
a few sprigs of Cilantro
Salt to taste

Directions

Directions for Broiling your Anaheims:
Pre-heat your broiler. Set it to Hi (400-450 degrees). Place the chiles under the broiler and roast until the skin of the peppers char and blister but don't completely blacken them.
It takes about 5 min.

Pull out your peppers. Flip them and roast for another 5 min. Keep a close eye on them, you don't want them to completely blacken.

Put your roasted chiles into a plastic bag and let them sweat for 15 min.
Sweating your chiles will loosen the skin.

Peel your chiles. Cut the stem off the peppers and de-seed them.

Directions for the crema:
Make your crema by putting all the ingredients into a blender and pulse til creamy smooth.

Directions for the Rajas Con Crema:
Slice your onion.

Cut the peppers into strips.

Saute your onions til they soften up. You can use oil, water or broth to saute.

Add the peppers and mix them together.

Add the crema.
I used 3 tablespoons but you could add more or less depending on how creamy you like them.

Stir well. Salt to taste.

Mushroom Chicharrones (Vegan) - Simple & Easy Snack

8/31/2016

MUSHROOM CHICHARRONES

I used to love eating meaty Mexican style pork rinds that we call chicharrones but my body doesn't like the cholesterol. I was a heart attack waiting to happen. Today I make mushroom chicharrones and there's no fear of cholesterol or calorie issues. I use very little oil on these mushrooms, you don't need much. I suggest getting a spray bottle like Misto for your oil. So this little appetizer is both low in calories and low in fat. This recipe is similar to making a fakin bacon with mushrooms, however it's different because I cut it thickly to be more like a Mexican style pork rind which can be quite thick and meaty.

Ingredients:
6 or more Large Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clean and slice the mushrooms into thick chunky slices.

Toss the mushrooms with olive oil. Sprinkle salt all over the mushrooms. Put them on a well greased baking sheet.

Bake for 15 min, flip the mushrooms. Bake for another 15 min more. Keep a close eye on them. The mushrooms cooking time will vary. You will want to roast the mushrooms til they are almost crispy but still meaty.

You can eat these chicharrones alone, with a hot sauce in tacos or more.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Chipotle Tempeh Tacos (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

6/9/2016

Chipotle Tempeh Tacos

Ingredients:

4 oz of Tempeh
1/2 cup chopped Jicama or Potatoes
1 clove of Garlic
1/4 Onion
1 Tomato
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin
1/2 teaspoon of Mexican Oregano
1 Chipotle In Adobo (more if you like it spicy)
1/2 cup of Tomato sauce
a few sprigs of Cilantro
salt to taste

Serve On:
Tortillas, Rice, Quinoa or Salad

Accompany With:
avocado, salsa, cilantro, lime wedges, greens... etc

Directions:

Chop up your vegetables into bite sized pieces.

Take a large frying pan and saute the onions, garlic, jicama and dry spices together til the onions and jicama/potato soften up.

Crumple the tempeh into small bite-sized pieces. Add the tempeh, tomato sauce, tomatoes and chipotles. Exclude the cilantro.

Cook til the tempeh and veggies are done to your liking.

Top with cilantro. Serve warm.

You can use this tempeh mixture in tacos, burritos, sopes, tostadas, salads, gorditas... etc...

As pictured, I used it in tacos with spinach greens.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Healthy Nutty Mexican Picadillo (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

5/21/2016

Healthy Nutty Vegan Mexican Picadillo
(Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Great for TACOS & Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Jicama (or Potato or Sweet Potato)
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2 Onion
2 Portabella Mushrooms
1 Pasilla Pepper (or Bell Pepper)
2 tablespoons of Veggie Broth or Water
1 tablespoon of Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon of Mexican Oregano
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin
1/8 teaspoon of Paprika
a few sprigs of Cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional Add-Ins for flavor and nutrition:
1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne
1/8 teaspoon of Turmeric
1 teaspoon of Nutritional Yeast

Toppings:
Salsa
Avocado
Non-Dairy Crema
Cilantro

Directions:
Chop up your vegetables into bite sized pieces.

Take a large frying pan and add the oil. Saute the onions, garlic, peppers, jicama and dry spices together til the onions and jicama soften up.

Add the mushrooms, nuts, broth and lime juice. Exclude the cilantro.

Cook til the mushrooms and veggies are done to your liking.

Top with cilantro. Serve warm.

You can use this nutty mixture in tacos, burritos, sopes, tostadas, salads gorditas... etc...

As pictured, I used it in a taco salad. I topped it with salsa, avocado, vegan crema and cilantro.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Fresh Garbanzos a la Mexicana

3/25/2016

Fresh Garbanzos
A La Mexicana

Lots of people eat garbanzos but have you ever tried them fresh? They're Mexico's version of Edamame. They come in these green little pods. Just squeeze them out and they are ready to eat raw or cooked. I eat alot of dried and canned garbanzos that have a tan color but when they are in season, fresh green colored garbanzos are delicious. Your most likely to find fresh garbanzos in a latino or farmers market. Try them out sometime as a substitute to the dried or canned garbanzos you might usually have.

Ingredients:
1 cup Fresh Garbanzos
2 Roma Tomatoes
1/4 of an Onion
1 clove of Garlic
1 de-seeded Jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon of Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon of Mexican Oregano
A Few Sprigs Of Fresh Cilantro
1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil
Salt to taste.

Directions:
Add the oil to a frying pan. Saute the onion, garlic and jalapeno til they soften up. Add the garbanzos and spices. Saute for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes. Saute for a few min. Mix the cilantro at the very end. It'll wilt as you mix it in. Serve it on rice or tortillas.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: EAST MEETS WEST - MUSHROOM & CACTUS FAJITAS (FAJITAS DE CHAMPINON Y NOPAL)

2/23/2016

EAST MEETS WEST
MUSHROOM & CACTUS FAJITAS
FAJITAS DE CHAMPINON Y NOPAL

Fajita Marinade Ingredients:
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/4 cup Tamari OR Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil
2 tablespoons of Piloncillo (Substitute Jaggery, Muscovado or Brown Sugar)
1/2 teaspoon of Cumin
1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne
2 Cloves Of Minced Garlic

Vegetarian/Vegan Mushroom Fajitas:
6 Shitake Mushrooms
3 King Oyster Mushrooms
2 Cactus Paddles
1 Onion

DIRECTIONS:

Put all the ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Clean the mushrooms. Discard the shitake stem. Cut all the mushrooms and onions into chunky slices. Not too thick.

Pour the marinade over the mushrooms and let them marinade for 30-60 min.

Clean the cactus paddles of any thorns that might still be on. Be careful and use a knife to slice them away if you see any. I usually buy them cleaned but like to double check. Be careful, cactus thorns can really sting.

If your using a grill, then its best to grill the cactus paddles whole so you can flip them easily. If you plan to cook them on your stove top, then you'll want to cut the paddles into strips.

Put the cactus into a bowl and coat them with salt. Leave them in the salt mixture for a good 30 min or more. Cactus paddles tend to have a sticky snotty liquid that oozes out. Salting them pulls it all out. When your ready to cook them, rinse them out and you'll find that alot of that mucous liquid will be gone.

If cooking on a grill, make to sure to cook the mushrooms til they are a little charred on each side. I cooked this batch on my stove top today.

I like to cook the onions and nopales first til the onions soften up. Then I put them on a platter and cook the mushrooms til they are a little charred on both sides.

Serve with the usual fajita items which include tortillas, salsa, guacamole, crema and salad.