Good Protein Sources

Faux Chicken Fajitas. So good. Also great with chipotle tabasco marinated tempeh.
 

Southwestern Tempeh Sandwiches
 

Winter Vegetable Quesadilla

  Have I mentioned my root vegetable pile? It's winter, I belong to a CSA, philosophically I want to eat locally, but boy do I have roots. I worry this blog isn't very original - also for anyone who is reading this blog, I promise that there will be interesting fresh from the garden spring posts when April rolls around. Until then, here's something I make with left over roasted root vegetables. I make this into a brunch when I invoke my theory that everything is better with an egg on top, but you could also top it with salsa and enjoy it for dinner.

Winter Vegetable Quesadilla
Serves 2

1 big wrap (I use La Tortilla Factory LowCarb wraps, they are low cal whole grain and high fiber)
2 oz cheese, this picture shows two slices of provolone, but cheddar or mozzarella would be fine
1 cup roasted root vegetables
1 egg (optional)
chipotle tabasco (yes i love this stuff, but it's optional)
salt and pepper

Since this is a way for me to use left overs I start by putting my root veggies in the pan to heat up. I use a lodge cast iron flat. Then I plop my wrap on a plate, put the cheese on it - make sure it's evenly distributed - and pop it into the microwave for 1 minute. When that dings, I take the plate out and pour the root veggies from the pan on to half of the wrap. Then put the full wrap back on the pan to crisp. See picture:

 

Once you are here, fry up the egg if you are using it. Keep your quesadilla in the pictured state for about a minute and then fold it up.
 
Then after less than a minute flip it to the other side. I like to press down on it a bit. Cut it in half and serve with your desired garnishes. Like egg and chipotle tabasco. Or try salsa, sour cream or avocado.


 

Bland Chili to Avoid

I just ate, or rather forced down, some Amy's Organic Chili, which not even salt could help. Unfortunately I bought a few cans of this, so maybe some spice mix or chipotle tabasco can help this out next time I need a quick lunch. Maybe. For now, I would recommend the Nally's Totally Vegetarian Chili over this one.

Eat this

Not that

Organic Eggs - A Suprising Difference

As part of my veggie effort, I made the switch to organic free roaming eggs. I honestly only expected this to make me feel like a better person; I had no idea there would be such a surprising difference between the two.

But there is.

The shells of the organic eggs are so strong I actually have to make a big effort to crack them open. They require a solid wrist flick and whack to make even the slightest crack. It reminds me of that scene in Sabrina, where Audrey Hepburn is getting lectured by the French Chef about how to properly crack an egg. The eggs I used to buy would crack open at a mere glance. Clearly, the organic eggs are coming from way healthier hens.



Here's how we ate them -


Baked Huevos Rancheros
Serves 2
1/2-3/4 Cup of black beans
1/4 Cup salsa
1/2-3/4 Cup Roasted Roots
2 eggs
dash of chipotle tabasco (optional)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Put black beans, roasted root vegetables, salsa, and chipotle tabasco in an oven safe casserole pan or ramekin (i used a small pyrex rectangle). Crack two eggs on top and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Add shredded cheddar to top, cook another 5 minutes, slice up some avocadofor garnish. Serve with bread or tortillas.

 

P.S. I keep a lot of already cooked stuff in the fridge to make life easier. I highly recommend cooking up a bag of beans in the slow cooker each week - it's way cheaper than buying canned and keeps the recycling bin emptier. I'll post instructions soon along with the roasted root vegetable recipe.