Lovin' the oven today....

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."
~John Burroughs~

Smoothie Love
2 c spinach, 1 c almond milk, 1 banana, 2 Tbsp chocolate PB and a handful of ice

Black Bean, Corn and Yellow Rice Enchiladas w/ Red Chile Sauce
This recipe was adapted from 'Cooking for Isaiah' and started out as a gluten and dairy free recipe. I added cheese, sour cream and chicken for Dane and made mine an all veggie version with added sweet potatoes and red bell pepper. You can get creative with these and add your favorites to the filling.

• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, 1 smashed and 2 finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp ancho chile powder
• 2 c dry red wine
• 1 (28 oz) can of tomato puree
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 c water
• salt
• 1 c long-grain white rice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 (15.5 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 c corn kernels
• 1/2 sweet potato (yam)
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• Mexican cheese, shredded (if desired)
• Chicken, shredded
• 2 ripe Hass avocados
• Red onion, diced (to taste)
• Sprinkle of garlic powder
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 Tbsp fresh cilantro

Heat the olive oil over med heat and saute the garlic, onion and jalapeno pepper until softened (about 5 min)

Add the chili powder and toast for 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil; simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, honey and 1 cup water; cook for 15 minutes. Season with a little salt.

If using chopped sweet potatoes and pepper slices, add a little of the sauce to a pan with the vegetables and simmer until semi-soft, as these don't cook long in the oven.  

In a medium sauce pan with a tight fitting lid, combine the smashed garlic, rice, cumin, turmeric, 1 tsp salt and remaining two cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.



Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed (about 15 min). Let sit covered, about 5 minutes.



Fluff with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 450. Grease a large baking dish. Dip the tortillas in the sauce and place on a plate. Spoon rice, beans, sweet potato mix and corn (shredded cheese and chicken if using - I just picked up a rotisserie chicken ) into center of tortilla.



Roll up to enclose and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and brush the tops with olive oil. Brown for 5-10 minutes in oven.

Dane added a little sauce and cheese on top before putting his in the oven

Once finished, pour the remaining sauce down the middle of the enchiladas and top with chopped cilantro.

Serve with guacamole - 2 avocados, lime juice, cilantro, diced red onion and garlic powder (I usually add diced tomato but was out) Dane also likes to top with salsa and sour cream :)

Even with the jalapeno and spicy chile powder, Dane thought they could use a little more heat but I thought they were just right.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:
This recipe was also adapted from 'Cooking for Isaiah' so these cookies are gluten and dairy free. Don't want (or need) to go gluten free, just substitute all purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum. They are perfectly crisp on the outside with just a hint of chewiness throughout the middle. For half of the batch, I decided to add a little cocoa powder and some shredded coconut.

• 1 c plus 3 Tbsp Gluten Free all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c all-vegetable shortening, at room temp (I use Spectrum Organic All-Vegetable Shortening)
• 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temp
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• To half of the dough I added unswntd cocoa powder and a few Tbsp unswtnd shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or just lightly grease). In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder,  baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl and using a fork, beat together the shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour mixture; stir in chopped chocolate (I used dark chocolate chips).

Using a 1 1/2-inch scoop or a rounded tablespoon, drop the dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden at the edges, 10-12 min (mine only took 8). Let cool for about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer to a brown paper bag-lined surface or a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy! xoxo