Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Last night we had the most exciting burritos. They were jam packed with sauteed shrooms, peppers, hand crafted guacamole, hot peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, fresh salsa and cilantro sour cream. I am not even kidding. Snapping the photo before the burrito flung open like a door on a clown car took agility and a strong sandwich pick.

The idea was to create an E2 recipe for fajitas, using our new favorite food Portobellos. It is so funny  that before the vegan challenge there was a ban on mushrooms  in this house and in the past week we have enjoyed them twice. What a difference going vegan has made on our food choices.

I decided to call ours a burrito instead of a fajita because of the sheer number and density of ingredients in our wrap. Calling something that will hardly stay closed, a fajita, seemed silly so I improvised.

The day before the burrito extravaganza I made a Cilantro Sour Cream which was absolutely fantastic. It is light and fresh with that unmistakable tang of real sour cream.  It was easy to make and an amazing condiment on all things Mexican. I even thought it would make a delish salad dressing, ala Green Goddess.

We paired the Grande Burrito with Ruby Red Jasmine Heirloom Whole Grain Rice from Alter Eco Fair Trade. This was a Whole Foods find and it is amazing. It is brilliantly deep red with both a  nutty and fruity flavor.

The meal came together like an homage to a myriad of cultures.  The ancient grains and juicy ripe veggies fed my soul. It was caliente and cool at the same time.

I made the Cilantro Sour Cream the day before and used store bought fresh salsa for time savers and it made a huge difference in the execution of the meal on a busy evening.

Portobello and Bell Pepper Burritos w/Cilantro Sour Cream

From the Engine 2 recipe: EMS Portobello Mushroom Fajitas with Rice and Guacamole    and E2 Sour Cream

Ingredients

4 Portobello mushrooms (we used 8 oz pkg Portobello shrooms. sliced into thin strips)

1 large onion ( we left this out)

2 Bell Peppers (we used 1/2 Red Bell Pepper and 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper seeded and sliced into thin strips)

1 Jalapeno pepper (we used1 Hungarian Hot Pepper seeded and sliced into thin strips)

1 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos (we added this)

1 tsp garlic powder (we added this)

1 tsp cracked pepper (we added this)

1 tsp cumin (we added this)

3 Cups cooked brown rice ( This is for a side dish but Sandy put her rice in her burrito. We used Ruby Red Jasmine Heirloom Whole Grain)

12 corn  or whole grain tortillas  (We used Ezekial whole grain wraps)

Add Ons:

Guacamole (Recipe below)

Salsa (I used very low sodium, store bought fresh)

Cilantro Sour Cream (E2 Sour Cream recipe below)

Fresh cilantro and chopped tomatoes

Make It Happen

Cook mushrooms in large non-stick skillet on medium high heat for 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to brown slightly.  Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, liquid aminos, garlic, pepper and cumin and cook for 3 minutes.  Warm the tortillas.  To serve, spoon the mushroom and pepper mixture into the tortillas with the guacamole and salsa.  Serve with a side of rice and beans if you choose.

Guacamole (Sandy’s quick and easy version)

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp lime (or lemon juice)

A few twists of the pepper mill or kick it up with some hot sauce if you like.

Make it Happen:

Halve the avocado, remove the pit and scoop out with a spoon into bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a fork until smooth.

Cilantro Sour Cream Ingredients

1 oz package of Silken Lite Firm Tofu

1/3 C soy milk

3 Tbsp lemon or lime juice ( I used the juice of an entire lemon and a half)

2 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro or dill ( I used a ton of fresh cilantro)

1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast ( I used a dash or two more than that)

Make It Happen

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve on anything that would love a dollop of creamy cool sour cream.

These were easy and amazing and a departure from our normal Mexican routine of beans  in and on everything.

Have a delicious day.

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