Pasilla Chile

This is a light quick meal that tastes wonderful and keeps you satisfied. You can change it up any way you want. Create your own favorite. For you non Vegan types top it with bacon.

Ingredients:

• 1 big pasilla Chile, seeded, capped, and rinsed in cold water or your favorite chili-sliced lengthwise
• Daiya cheese of choice (there are 3)
• cooked rice of choice (brown, white, wild, or quinoa) or 2 finely chopped mushrooms
• 1 beautiful ripe Hass avocado sliced lengthwise
• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half
• Sea Salt and pepper of choice to taste

Directions:

1. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil and put the Chile cut side down on the sheet.
2.  Heat an oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully as each oven is different and each Chile is also. (You can also do this in the broiler).
3.  Remove the Chile and spread out edges. Sprinkle in some Daiya cheese (or cheese of choice) then about a tablespoon or more of the cooked rice and top with more cheese. (You can also put left over carne asada and top it with rice and more cheese.
4.  Put it back in the oven until cheese is melted. Put both pieces on a plate and top chile with beautiful slices of avocado and cherry tomatoes. Serve with a big salad. This is a light but satisfying meal that stays with you.

* You can also use a dollop of sour cream  or creme cheese if you like. Best of all if your a college student you can make this in the toaster oven!

Source: Olinda Paul

Dairy Free Vegetable Quiche

I love this Quiche, it is so versatile. I have tossed out my other recipes which is basically the same recipe except for the use of mustard (which I now prefer) in this one! So I am keeping this one.

  For those of you who can tolerate corn, the Gluten Free Pantry has a mix called "Perfect Pie Crust Mix". It's very easy and tastes great.

 Make your favorite pie crust and slip it into a 9 inch glass pie plate. Follow directions but pre-bake shell just half way. Pull out of the oven and set aside.

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon of GF mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper of choice
• about 3 cups of veggies cut small and parboiled if needed. (mushroom broccoli, spinach etc.)
• 1 tablespoons of fresh chives or green onion
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon tarragon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make your favorite pie crust recipe and press into 9 inch glass pan. (Bake pie crust for 15 minutes take out of oven and prick bottom with fork) set aside.

2. Whisk together coconut milk, eggs and mustard powder. Set aside.

3. Add oil to a large skillet. Sauté vegetables over medium heat until just softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Put Sautéed vegetables into semi-baked pie crust. Add egg mixture and sprinkle with chives.

5. Bake quiche in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until done. A knife inserted in the center comes out clean or you have a golden brown crust. To prevent the crust from getting too dark put foil wrap around the crust area.

* parboiling can make the cooking more uniform for the denser veggies.

Dried Tomatoes

When plum and sweet cherry tomatoes are in season I dry them for the winter, put them in zip lock bags and freeze them or I use a seal a meal and freeze them. Either way, it's a great way to add zip to your food. I sometimes eat them right out of the bag. My grandmother used to dry all kinds of food during it's peak of freshness. Tomatoes, peaches, apricots, grapes, herbs, everything. So great to snack on!


Ingredients:

• 12 plum or cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of choice
• 1/4 teaspoon seal salt, or to taste
• Parchment paper (a must)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, or (try other spices like Italian etc.)

Directions:

1. Wash and pat tomatoes dry with paper towels. Remove stems and slice in half, lengthwise (from stem to bottom of tomato). Remove seeds if you like. I prefer them intact.
2. Toss with olive oil. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone liner. 
3. Sprinkle with sea salt and or spice of choice.
4. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 to 4 hours. Peel off paper and store in containers or bags. I prefer my seal a meal. (For longer storage I use my seal a meal and store it in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer.

NOTE: You can attempt to do this in the microwave but I find they keep their taste better this way.

Source: Carol Fenster, Special Diet Celebrations pg.214 , adapted by Olinda Paul