[Firebird Rising]

I NEED to get down to my milestone weight. I REALLY want to, really, really, really. I have seven pounds to that milestone and then I only have 25 left till I'm at a healthy BMI and can start running again.

Without further ado, I present my return to low-fat vegan eating. For more information on this type of eating, please consult Dr. John McDougall's books. Before my first pregnancy, I lost 40 lbs in a year eating this way and felt REALLY good.

Here we go.

Mmmm, Enchiladas, recipe made up by me...



Enchilada Casserole

1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
8 oz mushrooms
1 clove crushed garlic
2 cups salsa
taco seasoning (one packet or about 1-2 tablespoons)
chili powder (1-2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon corn starch

corn tortillas
recipe of cheese sauce (see below)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Start by sauteing mushrooms and garlic in a skillet with just a tablespoon of water or so. Let the mushroom just slightly begin to stick to pan after water condenses and then add just a bit more water to unstick. Continue doing this until the mushrooms are soft but still formed. Meanwhile, drain both cans of beans. Dump them into the skillet with the mushrooms and let them heat up. Combine taco seasoning, chili powder and cornstarch with about 1/4-1/2 cup cold water and whisk vigorously. After the beans are warmed, add the taco seasoning mix and stir lazily with a wooden spoon. Turn heat down to med-low and the liquid in the skillet will start to thicken because of the corn starch.

Make the cheese sauce if it's not done already.

Spray a 9X13 or so casserole dish with Pam and put about 1/3 of the salsa in the bottom. Carefully fill each tortilla with the bean mixture and roll up tightly, laying each roll next to the other in the dish. When you have filled the dish, mix the cheese sauce with the remaining salsa and pour it on top of the entire casserole, being sure to cover all of the surface. Cover with foil and place in oven. Bake for about 30-45 minutes with foil and then take foil off and bake another 20 or so minutes until the top is a bit drier.

Leftover beans and mushrooms make a really good dip if blended together, FYI

Here's the cheese sauce recipe:

Cheese Sauce (modified from the 7 Secrets book)

1 cup raw cashews
2 cups water
1/2 large or 1 small red bellpepper or 1/4 cup pimientos or a handful of baby carrots or 1-2 medium carrots
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tbs food yeast flakes (optional, I leave it out 'cause I hate it in this recipe)
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Blend until smooth. Place in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until thick. Use for pizza, lasagna, burritoes, etc...

Starting tomorrow, I will hopefully also be logging my calorie breakdown. We'll see.

Jen D.