Taquito Time!

I really wanted to make a chorizo/papa frittata but is too hot to use the oven. I know it's November, but this is California so we don't know what that means. Good thing it isn't too hot to stand at the stove and fry up some greasy goodness. I messed up and put too much oil so these are greasier than they should be. If you are careful, yours will come out super tasty and you'll feel less guilty about eating them. I drained them the best I could. This was the first batch on their first pile of napkins. I put down fresh ones and let them drain some more.

I used the chorizo I made from Vegan Brunch to make "Taquitos with Chorizo and Potatoes" from Viva Vegan. There is a chorizo recipe in Terry's book too, but I used Isa's because I already had all the ingredients. I did my chopping/juicing/measuring while the potatoes cooked so I was ready to mix up the filling as soon as they were done. I warmed all my torts and kept them covered in a towel so they would stay soft. I added the filling, some FYH Monterey Jack and did my best to roll them well before dropping them into the pan of (too much) oil. I've never made taquitos before but my family always uses toothpicks to keep them closed. Terry doesn't do that and cooks the seam side first to seal it shut. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it, but I had to give it a try. It worked! Only one taquito came undone. Next time I will just gently roll them over instead of trying to pick them up by one end with the tongs and flip them. I'm not the best fryer/flipper of things so it takes me way longer than other people. With time I'll get better and quicker, yay!

These came out great. I had only put about one and a half sausages because I was afraid it would be too much but next time I will add two. I also want to have beans, rice and guacamole to go with it- and I can since I know how to make all my own now after mofo. I had cooked beans on Monday but I didn't have time to do the rice or go to the store to get stuff for guac. I could do it now but there wouldn't be enough taquitos to justify it. Next time I'll do the beans, rice and chorizo ahead and just make the taquitos and guac the day I'm ready to eat it all. It's just too many dishes for one day, both the cooking and washing. It's worth the trouble though. I love home cooked food!

Vegan Mofo VI-Day 29: Guac On The Wild Side

I can eat guacamole by the bowl, but today is the first time I made my own. My co-worker's cousin has an avocado farm and she gave me a few last week. I planned on making guac then, but it got lost in the shuffle and my fruits got a little riper than I would like. Today I bought two new ones, plus the rest of the ingredients for "The Only Guacamole Recipe I Ever Make" from Viva Vegan and I got to work.

I chopped up my onion, cilantro, chile and garlic first. Garlic was not on the list but I added it anyway, shhhhh.  Next I juiced my lime and I had exactly 2 T. Yay! I put the first four ingredients in the bowl and started smashing them up. It was so fun to finally use the mortar and pestle I bought a few months ago. After that I added in the lime juice and avocado.

It was getting late and I was taking forever so my mom suggested I only make half the recipe, great idea. I had only put in half the onion and chile, but I put in all the garlic and cilantro and most of the lime juice. I forgot about halving didn't I? I ended up using my two baby avocados from my friend to try and balance things out. By the time I was done I couldn't wait to scoop this up and eat it so I didn't do the best job on presentation. Making guac is so much fun. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow since I have enough for another round. I can't wait to try salsa.

Vegan Mofo VI-Day 19: Arroz By Any Other Name...

I can't believe this is the first time I've cooked all week. The previous two weeks I was cooking at least once a day, sometimes twice. I am working on my comeback so I can finish on a strong note, but I am glad I haven't missed a day yet.

I had to change my cooking plans for this week due to weather (too hot to use the oven!), but one thing I could still make was the "Cilantro-Lime Rice" from Viva Vegan, yay! There were good prices on cilantro, green onions and limes at the market so that made me even happier that I chose this dish for this week.

I've never had cilantro-lime rice before. They offer it at Chipotle, but I have this issue that whenever I order anything which has beans and rice, I always get way more rice than beans and I feel cheated. So I usually pass on the rice and just ask for a ton of beans instead. Now that I have my own huge pot of beans and my own lil' pot of rice, I can balance it out and enjoy two great things together without wishing I had one more scoop of beans. Also, it's probably much cheaper this way. Now I just have to make my own guac, salsa and grill some veggies for my cheap-otle experience to be complete. I'm actually planning to do this exact thing if I can get my sister's boyfriend to hook up the guac and salsa. Burrito party!

This recipe was really quick and it's quite delicious. I debated doubling it so that I would have almost as much rice as I have beans (cooked another pot today!), but since it's so fast I know I could just make more in a few days when I run out. I only used two of the eight limes I bought so I definitely have enough for next time. I'm going to see how many I need to make the "Coconut Lime Cupcakes" from VCTOTW. It's supposed to cool down significantly next week and might even rain so that's perfect baking weather.

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 11- I'm On A Roll!

Yesterday I was so excited about how rad my beans turned out that I decided to keep on going with another recipe from Viva Vegan. I made the "Whole Wheat FlourTortillas with Chia" and they are so delicious. If can eat wheat, I highly suggest you get down and make these.

They turned out so much better than the torts I made last week. I love how simple the recipe is and also that you do not have to wait very long for the dough to rest before you can move on with the process. I'm not a very patient person, so the less "inactive" time a recipe has, the better. Luckily, I had some dishes to keep me busy while I waited.

I usually shy away from buying wheat torts at the market because they are either too thin or too stiff, but these were not like that at all. They are super soft and have a lot of elasticity to them, so don't be afraid to give them a try. I love the addition of the chia seeds as well. I will definitely make these again and possibly double the recipe next time since 8 is never enough, especially when we're talking tortillas.

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 10: They're Basically The Bomb!

I love beans and I could eat them every day. Now that I have found a way to make them without forking them up, there is a darn good chance that is what is going to happen. The beans I cooked last week turned out okay, but the ones I cooked today were bomb!

I followed Terry Hope Romero's instructions for "Basic Beans From Scratch" from Viva Vegan. I was nervous about adding salt at the beginning of the cooking process, but apparently that is a myth. I trust anything Isa and Terry tell me to do in the kitchen. They've been my best teachers so far.

I soaked my beans overnight. After I walked the dog, I came home and got started. I rinsed the beans, and threw them back into the pot with fresh water, kombu, bay leaves and salt. After they got to a boil I lowered the flame and set the timer for two hours. I did my "Just Dance" workout, some dishes, flipped through cookbooks and watched La Bamba on cable while I waited. When the timer went off, my beans were done. I couldn't believe it!

In the past when I have checked my beans at the 2 hour mark, they were not done. Sometimes I would have to cook them for an additional hour and they still didn't turn out all that great. I always knew that cooking beans should be easy but I never got it right until today. You have no idea how happy I am.

After the beans were cooked I followed more of Terry's suggestions and made Onion-Flavored beans. I put a bit too much liquid so I just simmered them a bit longer. So good! I am going to have to make these again really soon. I might cook a pot of pintos for my niece tomorrow because she wasn't feelin' the bay leaves in the black beans. Anyhow, my shortening should be at room temp now so I can start another of Terry's recipes, "Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas With Chia." ¡Hasta Mañana!