Vegan Quesadillas

This is one of my favorite quick, inexpensive, healthy and satisfying meals for two.


Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato, cooked
• 1/2 cup black beans, cooked
• 1/4 cup salsa (I use chipotle salsa - yum!)
• 1/2 cup shredded soy cheese (optional, but I never use it)
• 4 small whole-wheat flour tortillas
• cooking spray

Steps

1. SPRAY cooking spray onto skillet.
2. HEAT over med-high.
3. CUT sweet potato in half and scoop 1/2 onto 2 tortillas, spread to cover.
4. ADD black beans, layer of salsa, cheese and top with 2 additional tortillas.
5. COOK for about 6 minutes on each side (or until it browns lightly).
6. SERVE immediately.

Avocado: A Vegan Toddler's Friend

I didn't discover the wonder of avocado until I was in my 30s. What a shame that I missed out on all that yum for so many years.


Unlike most foods I offer my toddler, avocado is almost always eaten with gusto. And how happy am I that he's loading up on Vitamin K & B6, fiber, potassium, and folate? Very happy. Happier still that he's getting all that cancer-fighting oleic acid and carotenoid lutein.**

Here are a few ideas for introducing avocado to your vegan kiddo:

• Avocado Boats: cut ripe avocado in half, remove pit and scoop green flesh out with a spoon while sitting outside in the sunshine (it's better than ice cream!)

• Avocado Roll-ups: spread flour tortilla with Tofutti cream cheese and avocado, slice into 1/2 inch strips and roll

• Avocado Sammiches: toast bread or bagel and top with avocado (add tomato, sprouts and other fresh veggies if your little one is agreeable)

• Avocado Smoothies: add 1/4 of an avocado to your favorite smoothie recipe to add a nice creamy texture

• Avocado Dip: make a spice-free guacamole (just avocado, tomato, lime juice and pinch of salt) for dipping pita or veggies

• Avocado Pudding: try this recipe (sans the cayenne) from Dog Hill Kitchen for a sweet treat

If it looks like your family is enjoying their avocado adventures, there's more fun to be had if you save a pit and grow your own tree from it!


** Nutritional data taken from The World's Healthiest Foods

Vegan Meal for Lovers

Aaah, Paris! The French know how to love and they know how to eat. Sadly, most of the food is full of animal products. Enter Shellyfish, a lovely ex-pat living in France and veganizing a fair number of French specialties at Musings from the Fishbowl. On Monday we celebrated Candlemas by embellishing her crepes, but I think this menu would be lovely for a special Valentine's Day meal. In fact, we may just have it again then!

While the dishes here are easy to make, it takes some planning to pull it all together. The coffee needs to steep in soy cream for at least 3 hours before using it to finish off the sauce. And the crepe batter needs to sit in the frig for at least 2 hours before cooking. While the mushroom sauce would be fine to make the night before, the crepe batter will need to be used the same day it is made.

Be My Vegan Valentine: French Menu
(serves 2)

Entree

• SALAD of mixed greens with your favorite dressing

Main Course

• SALEE (salty) CREPES a la Shellyfish
  

• TOP with Coffee Mushrooms from this "Cream" Sauce recipe (use Silk original soy creamer and leave most of the liquid and some mushrooms & onions for pouring over noodles for lunch tomorrow)

• SERVE with a side of Chickpea Bacon (using just 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten) and a glass of your favorite red wine
  

Dessert

• SWEETEN the remaining crêpe batter with 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon cointreau.

• MELT 1/3 cup of high-quality chocolate in microwave in 30-second increments. Mix with 3 tablespoons of hot soy milk and 1/8 teaspoon orange extract until well combined and spreadable.

• SPREAD over crêpe, roll and drizzle with more chocolate.

• FEEL the love!