Portabello Mushroom Bake

   I love portobello mushrooms. They are wonderful as a side dish or even a vegetarian main dish. This is a dish from The Garden of Vegan (Arsenal Pulp, $22.95) by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard. Bragg is similar to soy sauce.

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (or preferably, Bragg sauce)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 medium onion, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In blender or food processor, grind almonds until powdered.
Add oil, Bragg sauce, water, vinegar, garlic, rosemary and oregano; blend.
Place mushrooms upside down in baking dish, tightly in one layer.
Spread onion and sauce on top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
To serve, slice thickly on diagonal.

Butternut Squash with Veggies & Black Beans

Servings: 4  Preparation: 15 min.   Cooking: 25 min.   Total: 40 min.

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter or Smart Balance Butter Spread with Flax (vegan!)
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp cilantro, or parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

Place squash in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan and steam 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté next 4 ingredients in covered skillet 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in squash, remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until mixture is heated throughout.

Calories	Fat	Carbs	Protein	Fiber	Sugar	Cholesterol	Sodium
236 Kcal	6.51 g	39 g	9.3 g	9.82 g	5.01 g	15.3 mg	430 mg

Enfrijoladas

This recipe was inspired by our friend, Hector Garrido, who makes the best salsa around.

Ingredients:

-two cans of fat free refried beans
-1 to 2 cups of water
-one packet of taco seasoning
-one package of corn tortillas
-shredded lettuce
-diced tomatoes
-diced onions
-diced peppers
-jalapeños
-slice avocados

 Optional:
-shredded cheese
-sour cream

Add the beans, water, and taco seasoning to a skillet.  Stir, adding additional water until the beans have thinned.  In another greased skillet, fry the tortillas, one at a time, until the tortilla is soft.  Dip the fried tortillas in the beans until completely coated.  Place on each plate, folded in half.  Garnish with remaining ingredients.