Black Bean and Mushrooms Tacos with Purple Cabbage, Carrot and Yam Salad

This is one of my favorite meals in the whole universe! It's very very easy to make! And it's vegan! Ever since I read the book "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer, I have become a full vegetarian (no more seafood) and I am attempting to substitute more and more vegan meals.

For the tacos, I use a very basic recipe and top them with a mild store-bought salsa (el-paso) and my own homemade fresh salsa.
All you need is:
1 can of black beans
white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
package of corn tortillas
Heat the black beans in a pot atop the stove until they start to boil and thicken. I like to use a potato masher and mash the beans so that it creates a paste-like texture. Add salt and pepper to season. 
Saute the mushrooms in a pan with butter over medium heat until they are browned and delicious.
Heat the tortillas one at a time in a pan until warm.

For the salsa, you need: 
1 avocado
1 tomato
1/4 white onion
garlic
cilantro
lime juice
salt and pepper
Chop the avocado, tomato, onion, garlic and cilantro, and mix together. Add a teaspoon or two of freshly squeezed lime juice and mix. Season with salt and pepper. 

I like to serve the tacos with a cabbage, yam and carrot salad, which I call my "rainbow salad." It's very crunchy and delicious!

For the salad, you need: 
red cabbage, chopped into thin slices
1 yam, boiled and chopped
2-3 carrots, sliced into thin slivers
pumpkin seeds
craisins
balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
Mix the cabbage, yam and carrots together. Add the pumpkin seeds and craisins. Top with the vinaigrette, and mix!

Broccoli Mushroom Popovers

These fluffy, nutty, cheesy, broccoli-y popovers are also coined "poor people's brioche," or, as I like to call them, "puffy pillows of perfection."

I would highly recommend doubling the popover section of the recipe to optimize the tastiness of the end result!

Stuffed Popovers

(adapted from vegetarian cookbook Horn of the Moon)

Popovers:

2 T butter, melted

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp honey

1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 T butter, melted

3 cups chopped broccoli

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups cheese (I use a mozza-cheddar mix!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put melted butter, eggs, milk, salt, honey and flour in a food processor and mix until smooth.

2. Butter a 12-hole muffin tin and fill each cup half full with popover batter.

3. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake popovers another 10 to 15 minutes more until lightly browned.

4. Take out of oven and immediately make a 1-inch slit across the top of each popover. Now gently go around the edge of each popover with a wide-edged knife. Lift up the sides and bottom of each one until free. Tilt onto its side in muffin tin and allow to cool.

5. On a cookie sheet, roast walnuts 5 minutes in the oven and set aside.

6. In melted butter, saute the broccoli, garlic and herbs in a 10-inch fry pan over medium heat. When broccoli turns bright green and tender, add mushrooms and salt. Continue to cook over medium heat until mushrooms are done. Remove from heat.

7. In a medium bowl, combine broccoli mixture, walnuts and cheese.

8. Make an opening in each popover (where slit is) and stuff with the broccoli-cheese filling until all the popovers are filled.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes!

Pan-seared Sole with Mushroom Risotto and Roasted Asparagus

On a visit to the local library today, I checked out a copy of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," which of course inspired me to make an elegant, french meal. I haven't actually cracked open Child's 684 page cookbook yet.. but don't worry, I will!

The first thing I made was the risotto, which is quite a daunting task. I recommend pouring yourself a big glass of red wine and doing some arm stretches before you begin because once you start, it's non-stop stirring for a good 20 minutes.

Mushroom Risotto

3-4 cups stock (your choice; I used vegetable stock)

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 T. butter

1 1/2 cup arborio rice

1 cup white mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup grated parmigiano

1/4 cup italian parsley, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Simmer stock over medium heat.

2. Add 2 T. butter to a 4-6 quart saucepan. Once melted, add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until a medium blonde colour.

3. Add the rice to the saucepan. Stir it and turn it over several times until coated well. Add a ladleful of stock, using a wooden spoon stir continuously to ensure the rice does not stick. When the stock is evaporated, add another ladle, cook this way until the grains of rice lose their chalky centers and are firm yet tender. (18 to 22 minutes- do not over or under cook!)

4. Add the mushrooms at the half-way mark... (I added them when I was half through the stock.. about 10minutes left).

5. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat; add parmesan and chopped parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

After the risotto was done, I covered it and set it aside. I then arranged the asparagus on a baking sheet, tossed it with olive oil and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I then roasted it in the oven for 10minutes at 450 degrees F, or until slightly browned and soft in the center.

While the asparagus was roasting, I pan-seared the sole. I found that the recipe I used was a little bit bland, I think I would have used more wine or perhaps bread crumbs to give it a kick.

Pan-seared Sole with Provencial Spices

2 T. butter

2 shallots, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

4 filets sole

provencial spices (I used a small jar of provencial spices my aunt brought me, imported from france)

italian parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt the 2 T. butter in a skillet. Once melted, add the shallots, and cook over medium heat until translucent.

2. While the shallots are cooking, dip the sole filets in the provencial spices, until coated on both sides.

3. Add the sole to the skillet, and cover with white wine. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side, until the sole is hardened on the outside, but still soft the inside.

4. When the sole is cooked, remove from heat, and sprinkle with parsley. Season with salt and pepper.