29 Apr Cinco de Mayo with Christine Waltermyer
Cinco de Mayo
with Christine Waltermyer
Christine Waltermyer is a local and renowned Wellness Chef, private chef to celebrities, published cookbook author and founder of the Natural Kitchen Cooking School, which offers an online Plant-Based Cooking Program. She also loves shopping at Basil Bandwagon! Visit naturalkitchenschool.com to subscribe to her email newsletter for new recipes, tips, and FREE access to the Power of Veggies mini-course!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Looking for some healthy plant-based alternatives for your favorite traditional holiday recipes? Check out two of our Cinco de Mayo favorites from Christine Waltermyer and The Natural Kitchen Cooking School below!
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Pita Chips
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 16 oz ripe strawberries diced
- ½ golden delicious apple diced
- ½ granny smith apple diced
- ½ any red variety red-skinned apple diced
- 1 kiwi fruit peeled and diced
- 8 oz red raspberries
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons all-fruit strawberry jam
- juice of ½ a lime
- juice of a mandarin orange (or a few tablespoons fresh orange juice)
Pita Chips
- 4 whole grain pita pockets
- avocado oil (spray or oil)
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons raw cane sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, place all of the fruit. Add the maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla, jam, lime juice and orange juice. Stir gently.
- Place the whole pita pockets on a baking sheet. Lightly spray or brush each one with a little avocado oil. Sprinkle each one with a tablespoon of raw cane sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Cut each pita pocket into 4 pieces. Bake the pita chips in the preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving them with the salsa.
- Enjoy!
Vegan Enchilada Casserole
Servings 6
Ingredients
Carrot Sauce
- 3 large carrots cut into big chunks
- ¼ large red onion chopped (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon chopped red beet
- water
- sea salt
- lime (½ lime, juiced) optional
Casserole
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 medium zucchini cut into half moons
- 1 cup black kalamata olives chopped
- 16 oz crimini or button mushrooms de-stemmed and sliced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- chili powder or crushed red pepper optional
- 26 oz cooked kidney beans
- ½ cup vegan shredded cheese or cheese of your choice, for the top (plus extra if you want to add some in the layers)
- 1 8-count pack cassava flour tortillas or other tortillas
Instructions
- Lightly oil a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish.
- Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, place the carrots, red onion and red beet. Add just enough water to almost cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer on low for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- Once the vegetables are soft, place the cooked carrots, red onion and any remaining cooking liquid in a small blender. Add ½ teaspoon of the sea salt. You can also add a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large frypan, heat the olive oil over medium heat for a minute. Add the onion and garlic. Add a sprinkle of the sea salt to help the onions soften. Cook and stir for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms. Add another generous pinch or two of sea salt. Cover and cook for a few more minutes, or until the mushrooms soften. Add the zucchini, a little more salt, the corn kernels and the black olives. If you want to add spicy ingredients like chili powder or crushed red pepper, you can add that now.
- In the prepared casserole, place about ½ cup of the carrot sauce on the bottom. Spread it around. Add a layer of tortillas, then top with ½ of the vegetables and ½ of the kidney beans. Feel free to add a little vegan cheese in the layers. Top with ½ cup of the sauce. Repeat the layers with another layer of tortillas, then the remaining beans and veggies, another ½ cup sauce, and another layer of tortillas. Spread with any remaining sauce.
- Cover with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Uncover the casserole and bake for another 8 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for another minute. Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before slicing into squares. Serve with a side salad and guacamole.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Note: If you want more sauce in this casserole, feel free to double the amount of sauce ingredients.
Thank you to Christine Waltermyer and the Natural Kitchen Cooking School for working with us to help promote healthy, nutritious meals and products that are affordable, full of nutrients, and simple to make at home!