WHITE BEAN AND AVOCADO BAKED BURRITOS

INGREDIENTS

Rice

• 1½ cups brown rice
• ½ tsp vegetable bouillon

Burrito Filling

• ½ cup vegetable broth for sauteing
• 5 cloves garlic, diced
• 1½ cups white onion, chopped (2 medium)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 7 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 green pepper
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers
• 1 sprig fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 heaping cups white beans
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast*
• Sea Salt and Pepper
• 1½ cups corn

Tomato Sauce

• 3 cups plain tomato sauce
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1½ tbsp cane sugar
• 2 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• ½ tsp cumin

For the Burritos

• Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 avocados, chopped
• 12 large tortilla wraps

Garnish

• Fresh Cilantro
• Green Onion
• Zesty Avocado Lime Dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat: Oven to 350F/180C. Lightly spray two casserole dishes (9x13 and 8x8 - or whatever large casserole dishes you have on hand) with a bit of oil (so the burritos don't stick to the pan when baking).
2. Rice: Prepare the rice while making the burrito filling. Boil and simmer the brown rice and vegetable bouillon in water 1¾ cup water (you might need to use a bit more or less water depending on the brown rice you use).
3. Burrito Filling: In a large pot, over medium-high heat, saute the garlic and onions with cumin in a couple splashes of vegetable broth for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and peppers (seeds in the jalapenos if you like it spicy!). Saute for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms and peppers are lightly cooked. Add splashes of vegetable broth when necessary so the vegetables don't stick to the pan.
5. Add the fresh cilantro and white beans. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and nutritional yeast. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
6. Turn off the heat and blend ⅓ of the mixture. Stir in the corn.
7. Tomato Sauce: Stir together tomato sauce, garlic powder, cane sugar, cumin and fresh cilantro.
8. Assemble the Burritos: Lay the tortilla wrap on a plate. Stuff with ½ cup of the Burrito Filling, ¼ heaping cup of brown rice, a small handful of chopped avocado and a few pieces of cilantro. Roll the tortillas and place them in the casserole dish seam down. Continue filling, rolling and placing the tortillas in the pan until all the tortilla wraps are used up. They can be tightly squeezed together in the pan (see photo). Use any additional rice and bean mixture for a salad the next day. Cover with the tomato sauce mixture.
9. Bake: Bake for 25 minutes uncovered. Garnish with Creamy Zesty Avocado Lime Dressing, fresh cilantro and green onion.

CREAMY ZESTY AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

• 2 avocados
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice*
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, lightly packed
• ¼ jalapeno pepper*
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ½ tbsp coconut sugar or cane sugar
• ⅓ - ½ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients into a blender (I used an immersion stick blender - a high powered blender will also work) and blend for a minute or so until creamy smooth. Note: Start with ⅓ cup of water and add more water by the tbsp until desired consistency is reached. I use ⅓ cup of water if using this recipe as a thick dressing (see photo in bowl) or ½ cup of water if using this dressing as a sauce (see burrito photo).
2. Smother onto burritos, tacos, enjoy as a salad dressing or a dip for quesadillas!

Rips big bowl (breakfast)

This one was surprisingly yummy. The fruit in my bowl was mangoes, blueberries, and raisins. Brandin tried grapefruit and said he will never do that again. Lol. This packs a protein punch and actually made us feel full, which hasn't been the case with other meals.

Couscous

https://www.google.com/amp/s/allrecipes.com/recipe/232210/couscous-with-olives-and-sun-dried-tomato/amp/

Brandin and I made our first vegan meal, and it was yummy! We substituted almonds for pine nuts because they are cheaper. Let me know what you think!

Banana Breakfast Wrap

• Whole Wheat Tortilla
• Sliced Banana
• Peanut Butter
• Cinnamon
• Rolled Oats
• Honey

How to Roast Vegetables Like a Champ

1. Place foil on a rimmed cookie sheet. You want a rim because you don’t want the veggies’ juices running over the edge of the pan, and you want foil because it makes for easier cleanup. 

2. Roast like vegetables together and keep them the same size. Vegetables cook at different speeds. By roasting like vegetables together — roots with roots, etc. — you’ll be able to ensure that they all cook evenly. And cut them in similar sizes, for the same reason we just said.

3. Oil your veggies. Don’t drown them in oil, but make sure each piece is very lightly coated — you’ll know if that’s what you’re doing if there are pools of oil in the pan. One to two tablespoons of oil (like olive, coconut or canola) per sheet pan of vegetables will usually do the trick. Keep in mind that some vegetables may require more oil, such as porous ones like eggplant or mushrooms. And add some salt, too.

4. Give them space. Never crowd the pan. Roasted vegetables are so good, we understand that you might want to fit as many of them as you possibly can into the oven. Resist the urge. Giving them space means making them tastier because they’ll be able to roast instead of steam. (It’s quality over quantity, friends.)

5. Don’t take them out too early. Roasting vegetables takes times, sometimes upwards of 45 minutes. Don’t rush them. They might be soft enough to eat, but you want to get a golden-brown, caramelized color for the best flavor.

6. Turn up the heat. We’re talking 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s how you get those perfectly cooked veggies that are soft on the inside and golden on the outside.

7. Add flavor. You really don’t need anything other than oil and salt for delicious roasted veggies, but throwing a few sprigs of fresh herbs or cloves of garlic to the pan as they roast only boosts flavor.

Buffalo Fried Cauliflower

INGREDIENTS

• 2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
• 1/3 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup picked celery leaves (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. 1.
   Preheat oil to 350°F in a large wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer.
2. 2.
   Combine cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk until homogenous. Add water and vodka and whisk until a smooth batter is formed, adding up to 2 tablespoons additional water if batter is too thick. It should have the consistency of thin paint and fall off of the whisk in thin ribbons that instantly disappear as they hit the surface of the batter in the bowl.
3. 3.
   Add cauliflower to batter. Working one at a time, lift one piece and allow excess batter to drip off. Carefully lower into hot oil. Repeat with remaining cauliflower until wok or fryer is full. Do not crowd pan. (You'll be able to fit about half of the cauliflower in each batch). Fry, using a metal spider or slotted spatula to rotate and agitate pieces as they cook until evenly golden brown and crisp all over, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt. Keep warm while you fry the remaining cauliflower.
4. 4.
   Combine hot sauce, garlic, and 1 tablespoon oil from fryer in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Toss fried cauliflower with sauce and serve immediately, sprinkled with celery leaves (if using).