Deniz and I were doing Mexican taco/burrito this week and saw beautiful baby sweet bell peppers on sale in the grocery store.  We decided on a whim to also make stuffed peppers.  The turned out so delicious, we had to add a post so we remember the recipe.  We gobbled up 6 peppers in the span of 5 minutes.  Guilty, and yet healthy pleasure.

Ingredients:

• 12 sweet baby red/yellow/orange bell peppers
• 6 Morningstar Original Vegetarian Sausage Patties
• 2 t taco seasoning
• 1 t salt
• 4 chipotles from a can marinading in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 box of cheesy broccoli rice or ½ c plain rice
• ½ c shredded mexican cheese or cheddar cheese
• 1 Knorr Vegetarian bullion cube
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 c water
• ½ t corn starch
• 2 T cilantro (optional)

Instructions:

Toast the veggie sausage patties in the oven for 14 minutes on 400°F. Pulse the toasted patties a food processor (or chop manually) to a ground beef consistency.  Heat 1 T cooking oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add 1 t of the taco seasoning and salt and stirfry for 30 seconds.  Add the toasted ground patties, 2 of the chopped chipotles and stirfry for 1 minute longer.  Transfer the ground patties into a large bowl.

Prepare the rice according to package directions.  Add 1 c of the prepared rice to the large bowl with the ground patties.  Add the shredded cheese to the bowl.  Mix to combine well.  This is the filling for your peppers.

Cut the tops off of the peppers, remove the seeds and veins to make a hollow space for the filling.  Fill each pepper with filling, pushing the filling in to stuff well.  Leave about ½ of the pepper unfilled.  The filling will expand to the top during cooking.

Dissolve the bullion cube, tomato paste, the remaining 1 t of taco seasoning, the remaining 2 chopped chipoltes, and water in a small pot.

Carefully place each stuffed pepper in the pot so that the open ends are facing up and stay facing up when the pot is on the stove.  Cook covered for 20 minutes on medium heat.

Remove the peppers from the pot, leaving the sauce behind.  Dissolve the corn starch thoroughly in the sauce, ensuring no particles remain.  Reheat the sauce on medium heat while continually stirring until the sauce thickens.  Pour the thickened sauce on top of the peppers.   Garnish with cilantro.

I love tamales, and wish vegetarian versions were more commonly available.  Below is Tyler Florence’s recipe adapted for our vegetarian diet.  Takes a while to make, but is totally worth it.  Has that perfect blend of chilies, vegetarian beef, and sweet corn.  This version is very mild, with just a touch of heat.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag dried corn husks, about 24

Meat Filling:

• 14 Morningstar Original Vegetarian Sausage Patties
• 1 onion, peeled and copped
• 2 T garlic, minced
• 1 t salt
• ½ t pepper

Chili Sauce:

• 2 oz dried California chilies (about 5 chilies)
• 1 oz dried ancho chilies (about 2 chilies)
• 1 oz dried pasilla chilies (about 3 chilies)
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 T cumin seed, toasted
• 1 Knorr vegetarian bouillon cube
• ½ T salt

Masa Shell:

• 2¼ c masa mix
• ½ T baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 t sugar
• 2 cups veggie broth (1 Knorr vegetarian bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 c of boiling water)
• ½ cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

Prepare the ingredients as described in the ingredients list.

Corn husks:  Go through the dried cornhusks, separate them and discard the silk, be careful since the husks are fragile when dry. Soak them in a sink filled with warm water for 30 minutes to soften.  Rinse, drain, and dry the corn husks and set aside.

Meat filing:  Toast the veggie sausage patties in the oven for 14 minutes on 400°F. Pulse the toasted patties a food processor (or chop manually) to a ground beef consistency.  Heat 1 T cooking oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the chopped onions, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.  Stir fry until translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add the ground patties and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Chili Sauce:  Remove the tops of the dried chilies and remove the seeds. Place the chilies in a large stockpot and cover them with just enough water to coat. Add the chopped onion, cumin, and Knorr bouillon. Stir until the bouillon is dissolved.  Boil for 20 minutes until the chiles are very soft. Strain the chiles/onions and put into a blender, adding a ladle full of the chili water. Puree the chiles until smooth. Pour the chili sauce into a large bowl and add salt, stir to incorporate.

Add the meat filing to the bowl of chili sauce, and mix thoroughly.

Masa shell:  In a large bowl, combine the masa, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pour the broth into the masa a little at a time, stirring well. In a small bowl, beat the vegetable shortening until fluffy. Add it to the masa and beat until the dough has a spongy texture.

Constructing the tamales:  Lay a husk flat on a plate or in your hand with the smooth side up and the narrow end facing you. Spread a thin, even layer of masa over the surface of the husk with a tablespoon dipped in water. Add about a tablespoon of the meat filling in the center of the masa. Fold the narrow end up to the center then fold both sides together to enclose the filling. The sticky masa will form a seal. Pinch the wide top closed.

Stand the tamales up in a large steamer or colander with the pinched end up. Load the steamer into a large pot filled with 2-inches of water. The water should not touch the tamales. Cover with lid and keep the water at a low boil, checking periodically to make sure the water doesn’t boil away. Steam the tamales for 2 hours.

The tamales are done when the inside pulls away from the husk. The tamale should be soft, firm and not mushy.

Got this recipe from a reddit VegRecipes post 3 years ago and have made it countless times since.  It’s addictive.  Makes about 6 cups of salsa that gets gobbled down in less than a day every time.  The beans give it a heartiness, the corn gives it a sweetness, and the apple cider vinegar gives it a fresh tangy taste.  With tortilla chips, it feels like a full meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 c frozen corn
• ½ can black beans, drained and washed
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
• ½ jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/4 c or more chopped cilantro
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1½ t salt
• 1 t cumin
• hot sauce to taste

Instructions:

Boil the frozen corn according to package instructions.  Drain and cool.

Prepare other ingredients as described in the Ingredients list.

Combine all prepared ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix to combine.

Deniz and I have always loved lentil soup.  Before we met, each of us made it in our own way, me with Taiwanese seasoning (soy sauce and vegetables), Deniz with Turkish seasoning (tomato paste and onions).  When we started cooking together, we found a way to marry our two recipes, and the result was better than either of our original recipes.  It’s now become one of our old standby easy recipes if we don’t know what to cook.  We had a little extra lentil this week and decided to make it again.  This time we spiced it up with chipotle and it turned out dynamite.  We’re adding it to this website so we don’t forget to add the chipolte again next time!

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 T tomato paste
• 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 t garlic, minced
• 1½ c dried lentils
• 1 large chipolte from a can marinading in adobo sauce, chopped
• 10 c vegetable broth
• ¼ c orzo
• olive oil for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Prepare the ingredients as described on the ingredients list.

Heat 2 T of cooking oil in a large non-stick pot.  Stir fry the chopped onions in the oil for 3 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and continue stir-frying for another minute.  Add the chopped celery, carrots, and garlic and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes.  Add the lentils, chipotle and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the orzo and continue simmering covered for another 10 minutes.  Garnish with (optional) olive oil.

One of the great things about Mexican food is how easy and fast it is to make, and how the filling ingredients can be reused in other recipes.  We like to prepare a large batch of filling and use it in several different recipes, saving us time and effort.  Below is our vegetarian enchilada recipe, that reuses food prepared for the VegBeef Taco recipe.

Ingredients:

• 10 Morningstar Veggie Sausage Patties
• 1  T taco seasoning
• ½ T salt
• 2 medium red onions, chopped
• 3 cups raw spinach leaves
• 1 c black olives, sliced
• 1 T capers (optional)
• 1/2 c frozen corn, cooked to package directions (optional)
• 1/2 c black beans, drained and washed (optional)
• 10 corn tortillas
• 1 c mexican cheese, shredded

Enchilada sauce:

• 3 T cooking oil
• 1 T flour
• 2 T chili powder
• 3 c water
• 2 Knorr Vegetarian bullion
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 1 t oregano
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 t sugar
• salt to taste

Garnishes:

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• sour cream
• 1 tomato, chopped

Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients as described in the ingredients list.

Toast the veggie sausage patties in the oven for 14 minutes on 400°F. Pulse the toasted patties a food processor (or chop manually) to a ground beef consistency.  Heat 1 T cooking oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the ground patties, chopped onions, taco seasoning and salt.  Stir fry until browned/toasted (about 2 minutes).  Add the spinach, olives, capes, boiled corn, and black beans.  Continue to stir-fry for 3 more minutes.  Turn off the heat and add in 1/2 c of the shredded cheese.  Mix well to combine.  Set aside in a large (1 gallon) container.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prepare the enchilada sauce:  In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and flour, stirring until thoroughly blended.  Cook for one minute.  Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.

Microwave the tortillas on high for 30 seconds.

Coat the bottom of a large pyrex container with a layer of enchilada sauce.  Place the rest of the enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl to allow for easy dipping.  Dip each tortilla into the enchilada sauce to coat.  Spoon 1/2 cup of the sausage-vegetable-cheese mixture onto each enchilada and roll.  Place each rolled enchiladas in the container side-by-side and top with additional enchilada sauce and the remaining 1/2 c cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese melts.  Add garnishes on top as desired.

Deniz loves Mexican food.  I mean REALLY loves Mexican food.  When we first started dating, I once caught him with beans smeared all over his face and a pile of empty bean cans rolling on the floor.  I think he’d be making daily excursions to Taco Hell if left to his own devices.   So when we got married, I had to find a quick and easy way to make him tacos or risk seeing the sad puppy dog face.   Below is our vegetarian recipe, which can be slightly modified for breakfast, lunch, or dinner applications.  Deniz loves it more than anything we can get at the best Mexican restaurants.

Ingredients:

• 10 Morningstar Veggie Sausage Patties
• 5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped into small ¼ to ½ inch cubes
• 3 cups raw spinach leaves
• 2 medium red onions, sliced
• 1 c black olives, sliced
• 1 T capers (optional)
• 1/2 c frozen corn, cooked to package directions (optional)
• 1 + 1 T taco seasoning
• ½ + ½ T + ½ T salt
• 20 corn tortillas
• cooking oil

If making breakfast, also include:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup of cream
• 1 t salt
• ¼ t pepper

Optional:

• 5 carrots, peeled and sliced in circles
• 1 t garlic, chopped
• ½ T salt

Garnishes

• Cilantro, chopped
• ½ cabbage, shredded (lunch/dinner only)
• 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
• Mayo (optional)
• Hot sauce (optional)
• Enchilada sauce (optional)
• Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Instructions:

Toast the veggie sausage patties in the oven for 13 minutes on 350°F. Pulse the toasted patties a food processor (or chop manually) to a ground beef consistency.  Heat 1 T cooking oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the ground patties, 1 T of taco seasoning and ½ T of salt.  Stir fry until browned/toasted (about 2 minutes).  Set aside in a large (1 gallon) container.

Put the chopped potatoes in large 1 gallon zip lock bag.  Add 1 T cooking oil, 1 T taco seasoning and ½ T salt.  Zip the top of the bag and tumble/massage the bag to coat the potatoes evenly.  Pour the mixture into a large 6 cup or greater Pyrex container.  Create a small depression in the center to facilitate cooking in the center.  Microwave covered on high for 5 minutes.  Mix well.  Microwave covered for another 3 minutes on high.  Add to the sausage patties in the large container.

Heat 2 T of cooking oil in the saute pan on high heat.  Add the red onions and ½ T salt and stir fry until slightly wilted (about 1 minute).  Add the olives, capers, spinach, and cooked corn.  Continue to stir fry until the spinach is wilted.  Add to the potato-sausage mixture in the large container, and mix to combine well.  Salt to taste.

If making breakfast:  Blend the breakfast items (beaten eggs, cream, salt and pepper) to combine well.  Heat 1 T of cooking oil in the saute pan on medium high heat.  Pour the egg mixture in the pan.  Push/flip the cooking mixture around to make scrambled eggs.  Turn the heat off and remove from the heat when egg liquid is no longer visible in the pan.  Do not overcook.  Set aside and use as a garnish.

Optional carrots: Heat 2 T of cooking oil on medium high heat.  Add the carrots and garlic and stir fry.  If the carrots become dry, add ¼ c water.  Continue cooking until the carrots are soft.  Add the salt and butter and stir fry for 30 seconds more.  Remove from heat and use as a garnish.

Microwave the corn tortillas on high for 20-30 seconds.  Add the sausage-potato-vegetable mixture.  Add garnishes as desired.  Eat until a smile warms your whole face.