Vegan Iron Chef 2015

        

                  Last week, I participated in SF Vegan Iron Chef 2015 held in San Francisco by Karine Brighten events. The experience was amazing, and I learned a lot out of it. The theme this year was handheld foods and the competition was between home chefs and professional chefs. I reached the final round after winning the first round against pro Chef Maria. 

                In the first round, we were suppose to make Tacos. So, I decided to do my favorite, a fusion Taco. Both Indian and Mexican cuisines are so varied and rich in flavors. And the spices used in both cuisines are similar to each other. So I can say fusion of these cuisines is like a heaven for a spice enthusiast like myself. 

                 For the final round, we had 20 minutes to make the fresh raw spring rolls using Jicama, Hodo Soy Yuba noodles and Mango. That was a nerve wracking and stressful round, especially because I had never used many of the ingredients nor made raw spring rolls. Although, I must say it was a great experience and was happy I could come up with fresh and flavorful spring rolls.  The spring rolls made by my competitor, chef Kevin, were stunning. Unfortunately I didn't get to try them, but they looked amazing.

Here are some of the pics from the event. Pictures by Colleen Holland, cofounder of VegNews, who was also one of the judges for the event.

 

I will post the recipes for the tacos as well as the spring rolls soon.

Roasted pepper and Onion with Beans Tacos

                   Who doesn't like Mexican food? After coming late from work, I generally prefer to make a quick delicious meal. If you are also in same boat as me, these tacos definitely fit the bill.
                  It is a nice combination of roasted peppers and smoky flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes. You could add many toppings like lettuce, sour cream etc as you like, but I like mine to be minimal so that the actual flavors of the stuffing are not diluted.
              I do hope that you like this quick healthy dinner.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup thinly sliced red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Onions
• 1 tsp Black Pepper powder
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Onions
• 3 minced Garlic cloves
• 2 cups Black beans
• 1/2 cup diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp red Chili powder
• 6-8 Corn Taco Shells
• 1 cup Salsa
• 1 cup diced Avocados
• 1/2 shredded Cheese (Can use vegan cheese also)
• Olive Oil

Instructions:

      For roasted peppers and Onions:

• Preheat the oven at 450°F.
• Add the sliced peppers and onions to a bowl. Add some Olive Oil to the bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper and mix it well.
• Arrange the mixture on a large baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
• Stir and roast again for 10-15 minutes or until the peppers are tender and beginning to turn slightly black.
• Remove from oven, transfer to the bowl and keep aside

      For the bean stuffing:

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add the garlic and chopped onions and saute till they are translucent.
• Now add the cooked black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. Add about 1 cup water and salt and chili powder and mix it well.
• Let it simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, until most of the liquid is evaporated.
• Take it off the heat. Now, gently mash the beans until the mixture is thick but still chunky. 
• Transfer to the bowl and keep aside.

     For assembling the tacos

• Heat the taco shells in microwave for couple of minutes
• Take a taco, add some stuffing to it.
• Top it with some roasted peppers and onions.
• Garnish with some avocado, cheese and salsa.
• Serve immediately and Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this quick meal! 

Tortilla Soup

            Soups are loved by everyone. And personally, both me and my husband, love having soups for dinner. They are light, tasty and nutritious. So I keep trying to make different varieties of healthy soups every now and then. Today, I tried making a Mexican specialty, the Spicy Tortilla soup.

            Tortilla soup is easy to make and is healthy and rich in fiber and protein. The best part about soups is you can customize them in a number of ways. You may add more vegetables to it, or more chillies or skip the chillies altogether. So here is my take on this Mexican delicacy.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 cup finely chopped Onion
• 1 cup finely chopped colored Bell Peppers
• 4-5 minced Garlic cloves
• 3-4 chopped Green Chilies/Jalapeno peppers
• 1 cup yellow Corn
• 15 Oz/425 gm kidney beans (I used black beans)
• 1/3 cup Cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
• 4 cups Vegetable Broth
• 2 tsp Lime Juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Shredded Mexican Cheese (Optional, omit it for Vegan Soup)
• 3 Tortillas

Instructions:

• To make the tortilla Strips, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Cut the Tortillas in strips and place the strips on a cookie sheet or any baking pan. 
• Place them in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until they are crispy.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, and add the cumin seeds to it.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add the garlic and the chilies and saute it for a minute.
• Now, add the onions and saute them till they are translucent. 
• Then add the bell peppers and corn to it and stir for about 4-5 minutes.
• Now add the vegetable broth. If you don't have broth, you may add water too.
• Add the cooked beans and mix well.
• Then add salt, pepper and lime juice and mix them well
• Reduce the heat, cover and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes
• To serve, pour some soup in a bowl, garnish with Cilantro, Cheese and the Tortilla strips and serve hot

Beans and Corn Enchilada

           Mexican cuisine in US has lot of similarities to the Indian cuisine. They have some very similar flavors. So the first time I had Quesadillas and Enchiladas here, I loved them so much that I tried making them at home. They were so tasty and filling that it became our go-to dish during our student life.
          So, here is an quick and easy recipe for tasty Enchiladas. You can also add more vegetables to the stuffing like spinach, bell peppers etc as per your taste and availability. This is a basic Beans and Corn Enchilada recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 Burrito sized Tortilla
• 1 can Refried Beans
• 1 small Onion
• 4-5 pickled Jalapeno slices
• 1/2 cup boiled Sweet Corn
• 2-3 Olives
• 1 cup red Enchilada Sauce
• 1 cup Chunky Salsa
• 1/4 cup Hot Sauce
• 1 cup Mexican Blend Cheese

Instructions:

• Heat some oil in a pan
• Add the re-fried beans and mix it well
• Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes

• Meanwhile, finely chopped the onions, jalapenos and olives

• Take a tortilla, I prefer spinach and tomato flavored tortillas rather than the plain flour tortilla. You can also use whole wheat tortilla
• Spread a spoon of Enchilada sauce and a spoon of Hot sauce evenly on the tortilla.

• Then spread a spoon of salsa on it
• Now take 2 spoons of beans and keep it in the center of the tortilla
• Add some onions, corn, jalapenos and olives over the beans.
• Now sprinkle some garlic salt, black pepper and oregano leaves

• Fold the tortilla as shown below.
• Then add some more enchilada sauce and salsa on it.
• Sprinkle some cheese on it 

• Now heat for 3 minutes on high in Microwave
• Enchilada is ready!!! Enjoy!