thefigtree, Author at The Fig Tree

Apr 8, 2013

Oaxacan Tlayudas (Mexican Flatbread)

To start the week off right, I’d like to share a delicious vegetarian dish from Mexico – Tlayudas (sometimes spelled Clayudas) which is a Mexican antojito (snack food) akin to mini pizzas. The Oaxacan specialty is traditionally made with a crunchy flour tortilla crust, a sauce of refried beans, meat and then topped with fresh sliced cabbage, avocado and Oaxacan cheese. For this vegetarian version, I topped my favourite homemade flour tortillas with some refried beans and monterey cheese then baked the tlayudas until slightly crisp . I then garnished them with fresh, diced tomatoes, creamy avocados, salty cotija cheese (or feta cheese) and a simple cumin-lime slaw. So so so delicious! Very fresh, but incredibly filling! I can honestly say, this is one of the best dishes we’ve made at home in quite some time.

On a side note, I am so excited for the new season of Mad Men! Now that we are done Downton Abbey, there has been a huge void in our daily lives. *hehe* Thankfully Mad Men should fill such void until Downton airs again in the fall.

Wishing you all a wonderful Monday. xo

Ingredients

8-6 inch homemade flour tortillas or store-bought flour tortillas
1 recipe of quick vegetarian refried beans (recipe to follow)
cumin-lime coleslaw (recipe to follow)
2 tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, sliced
1 cup of reduced fat cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese or oaxaca cheese OR Daiya vegan cheddar shreds
1/4 cup of cotija cheese or feta cheese (optional)

Note: You can use Amy’s Vegetarian Refried Beans in lieu of the homemade refried beans. They are delicious!

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450’F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Spread flour tortillas with the the quick refried bean mixture then sprinkle with monterey, cheddar or oaxacan cheese. Place pans in over and cook for 5 minutes, or until the edges of the flour tortillas begin to turn golden and the cheese is melted. The tortillas will be slightly crispy. Remove pans from oven.

3. Garnish each tlayuda with fresh diced tomatoes and slices of avocado. Top with some cumin lime coleslaw and a small sprinkle of cotija or feta cheese.

Yield: 8 servings

Source: lightly adapted from Vegetarian Times [Everything Vegan]

Quick Vegetarian Refried Beans

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté a small onion (diced) in 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1 teaspoon of ancho chili powder. Heat through and then add two (15ml) cans of organic black beans and 1/4 cup of water. Cook the beans with the spices and onions for 5 minutes and then mash with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Set aside.

Cumin Lime Coleslaw

In a small jar, combine 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon of canola oil, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin. Season with a pinch of salt. Shake to combine. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of shredded cabbage with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro. Drizzle dressing over the cabbage and mix well.

Apr 5, 2013

Creamy Lemon Basil Quinoa Primavera

11 Comments

Yesterday, I saw a quote on Facebook – “What a wonderful winter we are having this spring” – and it made me chuckle because it’s SO true. It’s supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow here with no real signs of warming up anytime soon. Bah! I cannot wait for warmer weather. I’m anxious to go for long walks in the sunshine, go on countless picnics, and I cannot wait for the farmers markets to open up!

In an attempt to bring a little spring around to these parts, I created a delicious, creamy quinoa primavera loaded with green spring veggies such as asparagus, peas (or edamame) and broccoli. The primavera sauce is a fresh combination of lemon, basil, garlic, almonds and feta cheese – whipped all together until creamy. For my vegan friends, you can replace the feta cheese with your favourite brand of vegan cream cheese and the recipe will taste great!

Happy Friday everyone! Wishing you a fantastic weekend. xo

Creamy Lemon Basil Quinoa Primavera

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups of uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 and 1/2 cups of water (to cook the quinoa)
1/2 cup of sliced blanched almonds
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
juice of one medium lemon
3/4 cup of reduced fat feta cheese (or 1/2 cup of vegan cream cheese)
1 large bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup of frozen edamame or greens peas
2 cups of broccoli florets

Method

Bring 2 and 1/2 cups of water and the rinsed quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook quinoa for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a second medium saucepan, bring another 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the asparagus, broccoli florets and edamame (or peas). Reduce heat to low-medium and cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, or until slightly tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the almonds, clove of garlic and olive oil. Add in the 2 cups of fresh basil leaves and lemon juice. Blend again to create a rough paste. Add the feta cheese and blend until creamy.
Once the cooked quinoa has cooled slightly, add the basil feta almond pesto and toss well to combine. Add in the cooked vegetables and mix.
Serve warm. Garnish with some crumbled feta and some asparagus tips. Enjoy!

Notes

Source: The Fig Tree

Apr 2, 2013

30 Healthy Vegetarian Lunch Ideas

28 Comments

Hello! Long time – no post! I apologize for my unexpected two-week absence. I’ve not been well, but am on the mend and excited to get back to blogging and share some delicious new recipes. I have so many exciting meals planned! However, today I would like to share some healthy vegetarian lunch ideas with all of you. I suffer from a chronic medical condition that is normally controlled, but sometimes my health can go from good to bad in a matter of hours. In order to maintain my health with limited medication, I have been focusing on eating natural/unprocessed foods, trying to get proper sleep and start exercising more.

Generally speaking, I am really good at eating a very healthy breakfast and wholesome dinners. However, I’ve been slacking off when it comes to lunch. I’ve been buying a few too many processed microwave dinners or even skipping lunch all together! So, to make things easier for myself (and hopefully for my lovely readers), here are 30 fantastic healthy, vegetarian lunch ideas from some of my favourite blogs. Some of the recipes require a bit of advanced prep, but each recipe is simple and perfect for lunch. Each lunch options is packed with veggies, protein, and tons of fibre – everything you need to keep you full + energetic throughout the afternoon at work.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a new recipe post and some exciting news!

Sandwiches + Wraps