bean and veggie tortilla casserole

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Sometimes you just need Mexican food. In the form of a bean and veggie tortilla casserole. Spicy, warm, and comforting.

I love Mexican food. It’s one of those things that happens when you move to Southern California. Prior to moving here, Mexican to me was Taco Bell or Don Pablo’s (which is, as I remember now, a not-very-good Mexican chain in the Northeast). I almost always ordered a quesadilla or enchiladas, which is kind of like the cheater “Mexican” food. “Give me a tortilla filled with greasy melted cheese and possibly covered with bland tomato sauce.” Yuck.

Here in LA, thanks to the large Mexican population, you can get authentic Mexican food on nearly every corner. Burritos are my go to, with (soft) tacos a close second. Flour tortillas are smooth and buttery, chewy, sometimes a tiny bit crisp. Tacos from a street truck are just two small corn tortillas topped with the meat of your choice, and cilantro and onions if you’d like. Outside the truck is a table of assorted condiments – spicy pickled carrots and jalapeños, green, red, and orange salsas pureed to a smooth consistency. And since I love condiments, you can guess I load up on all of them.

Not to mention this wonderful thing called POTATO tacos and burritos (notably from one of my favorite Santa Monica spots, Tacos Por Favor). Soft potatoes with lettuce, guacamole, rice, beans. This is a really big thing, considering potatoes are one of my favorite food items. I’ve never seen anything potato related at Taco Bell or a chain Mexican-American restaurant, have you?

I usually need to have some sort of Mexican food at least once a week. Usually it’s a burrito from my beloved Benito’s around the corner, but they’re not exactly the lightest thing to eat. So for those times when I shouldn’t splurge, at-home-Mexican it is.

Enter black bean and veggie tortilla casserole. This is a nice twist on enchiladas. I’m not really a fan of enchiladas anymore because I feel like the corn flavor of the tortillas deepens when they’re baked and ends up tasting weird. Here, in this casserole, the tortillas end up softening and practically melting into the rest of the ingredients. In a word, it’s awesome.

This recipe was inspired by Everyday Food, but has been pumped up with the addition of veggies and mushrooms.

easy pumpkin soup with maple-glazed banana and pecans

You guys, this week is my FAVORITE holiday, and I’m so excited. This Pumpkin Soup with Maple-Glazed Banana and Pecans is a non-traditional, but easy way to start off a Thanksgiving meal.

I usually host a Thanksgiving dinner for 40 people, but this year I’m taking it easy and letting my friend’s aunt and uncle do all the work Although, I’ll absolutely be contributing my Mushroom Nut Roast with Mushroom Gravy (recipe to come next week!)

If you’re not quite sure what to contribute this year to your Thanksgiving pot luck, or are looking for a fun addition to your usual menu, give this soup a try. It’s both sweet and savory.

chicken chili verde + vegetarian option

I’ve never been much of a chili fan. I don’t know why. It just never floated my boat. Maybe it’s because I’m not a fan of ground beef crumbles. I don’t like the texture, which is a major reason why I was able to be a vegetarian for eight years and not miss beef at all.

I gravitate towards this delicious chili recipe because 1. It does not have ground beef, and 2. its flavor is completely different from traditional chili. The green chiles, oregano, cumin, and cilantro all come together for more of a Mexican feel. Great on its own and even better topped with light sour cream or chunks of avocado.

strawberry crumb cake

Crumb cake always reminds me of home (Northeastern PA). The population in our area used to be mostly German heritage, and that still permeates through many of the small towns. You can pretty much find some version of crumb cake at any diner, bakery, or convenience store.

Although I really love trying new recipes all the time, so much so that I’d almost rather try something new every night before making a repeat, there are some recipes I make over and over. In the fall and winter, it’s roasted winter vegetable pizza and in the spring it’s this strawberry crumb cake. It’s sweet and sugary with a slight tang from the berries.

strawberry crumb cake

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

serves 12

• Ingredients
•  
• Strawberry Filling:
• 1/2 pint (8 ounces) fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
•  
• Crumbs:
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
•  
• Cake:
• 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 8 baking pan.

Roughly chop the strawberries and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Toss to mix.

In another bowl, whisk the sugars, spices, and salt. Add in the melted butter, whisking until smooth. With a spatula, stir in the flour. The mixture will be very thick, like a dough. Pat it into the bottom of the bowl.

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, egg, yolk, and vanilla. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add a tablespoon or so of the sour cream mixture and the butter. Mix on medium until chunks form, about 20 seconds. Increase the speed to beat for 30 seconds. Add half the sour cream mixture and beat for 20 seconds, until fully incorporated. Add the rest of the mixture and beat for 20 more seconds until smooth. Important — Scoop out 1/2 cup of batter and reserve for topping berries.

Put the remaining batter into the baking pan. Smooth into an even layer. Using a slotted spoon to remove excess cornstarch mixture, spoon berries on top of batter. Dollop the reserved batter on top of berries.

Break the crumb topping into large pieces with your fingers. I make mine REALLY big, about 1.5 inches, but if you want a more traditional crumb topping, break them into pieces closer to 1/2 inch. Sprinkle them on top of the cake.

Bake for about 35 – 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out free of cake batter (although it may be red from the berries). Cool before eating.