Meatless Monday Recipe-Tatale (Ripe Plantain Pancakes)

Tatale (Ripe Plantain Pancakes)
Vegan; about 30 minutes

Since Bruce and I had a Saturday morning without having to make a mad dash out the door to football, I decided to make these for him. This recipe comes from Ghana, so I adapted it for what I had in the kitchen. If you want use rice flour for the corn meal and replace the whole wheat flour with cornmeal! I also served these with strawberry candied jalapenos....

3 or 4 large over-ripe plantains, about 1 1/2 lbs. after peeling), or about 3 cups when sliced
1/3 onion, or shallots, minced or finely chopped
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 t dried ground red cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
3 t fresh grated or ground ginger
about 1/4 cup of oil for pan frying
1/4-1/2 t salt (optional)
1 cup of water

1. Cut the ends off, slice them into slices about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Traditionally these would then be pounded in a mortar with a wooden pestle, however, I mashed mine with a fork (since my potato masher is still in storage). It should not be completely smooth.

2. Stir in the grated ginger, cayenne pepper and onions. Add the cornmeal and wheat flour. Add the water and stir again.

3. Over medium-high heat, heat a heavy frying pan or griddle as you would for regular pancakes (my cast iron skillet worked perfect). I used enough oil to coat the pan, then drop the batter onto the griddle (either small, like "silver dollar" pancakes, or somewhat larger, say using 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter).

4. As soon as the tatale is firm enough to turn without breaking, carefully turn it over with a pancake turner and press the turner down firmly on the pancake to flatten it. Continue doing this every few minutes while the pancakes cook.

5. Drain the pancakes on paper towels and add a little more oil to the pan for each batch of tatale. Avoid stacking them--spread them out to drain, and serve them on a large platter. The tatale can be made in the morning and kept warm in a low oven, but will become tough if heated too long. A better alternative is to zap them briefly in the microwave to heat them before serving them.

**NOTE**It's good to let the mixture sit for 20 - 30 minutes before you cook the pancakes. The batter can actually be made a day ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to cook the tatale.

Original Recipe Found: BetumiBlog

Meatless Monday Recipe-Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Vegan; 1 hour total; Can be made Gluten Free; Serves 4

Alright, I made these for the boys and added the cashew cream wrapped in the enchilada. The boys ate the dish all up, with corn tortillas and daiya cheese, this is a SUPER kid friendly dish. To make this easier, you can use taco seasoning or (like me) use a variety of seasonings. This recipe does require an extra set of hands. So get a friend or loved one to help and make it an extra special meal....

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans
1 cup vegetable broth
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 sweet onion, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 package "chicken" seitan (omit if making gluten free)
1 cup cashew cream
1 cup daiya cheese shreds (I used pepper jack)
1 package corn tortillas (organic)
2 small cans tomato sauce
Chili Powder to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste
1 cup fresh salsa (be creative here, my favorite is either the one Bruce makes or apple chipotle salsa)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small, wide bowl combine tomato sauce and seasoning. (You'll be dipping the tortillas in it.)

2. Over medium heat; in a medium pan combine the vegetable broth, seitan, onion, garlic, chipotle pepper and sweet potato. Cook sweet potatoes and black bean mixture until broth has evaporated.

3. Cover the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce.

4. Heat corn tortillas (this will help them from breaking). Place tortilla in spice/sauce mixture and fill with sweet potato and black bean mixture. Add cashew cream, salsa and pepper jack cheese. Roll and repeat till tortillas are gone. Sprinkle the remaining fillings (salsa, cashew cream, black beans and pepper jack cheese) on top. Cover with foil and bake for minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Marinated Portobellos With Cashew Cheese and Pesto

Marinated Portobellos With Cashew Cheese and Pesto
Vegan; Makes 3 servings; Gluten Free

This recipe takes a little bit of prep, but it's SO worth it! From the cashew cream (soaking the cashews), to making the pesto~ the prep is easy and the presentation is a beauty for any table.....

For the Mushrooms:
1/2 Tbsp./tsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari (use gluten free)
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. dried basil
6 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

1. Combine all ingredients, except for the mushrooms, in a bowl and mix well.
Coat each portobello with the mixture, and then place on a plate. Pour the remaining mixture over the mushrooms. Set aside until ready to bake.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

3. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, place the mushrooms on the pan, and bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

4. Remove mushrooms from the oven, fill with cashew cheese (recipe in blog), and top with pesto (recipe in blog). Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve immediately.

For the pesto

(This is my go to recipe when I need a great lighter version of a pesto recipe!)

1 oz/ 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 oz fresh mint leaves, torn
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon

1.) To make the pesto, puree the basil and mint, garlic mustard, pine nuts, oil and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Season and set aside.

Cashew Cream
Vegan; Gluten Free; Prep Time: 6 hrs.; 10 minutes

I made this to go with the fabulous meal for Bruce and the boys. When I made the recipe origanilly I followed it to a "T". I felt like it called for way too much lemon juice, so in the post it I'm adjusting the lemon juice. If you feel you need more add an extra tablespoon. To make sweet add 2-3 teaspoons of sugar.

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in 4 cups of water for at least 6 hours, then drained
1 cup cold water
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Dash or two of sea salt

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth, about 5 minutes.
**Will keep fresh for one week in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

Found: Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats