Recipes from the Vesanto Melina Dinner

TACO FILLING

1 1/2 cups textured soy protein (TVP)
¾ cup hot water
1 med.yellow onion, minced
2 cups tomatoes in puree
2 Tbsp. mild chili powder or to taste
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy  sauce
1 Tbsp. Raw (turbinado) sugar
½ tsp. Black pepper 

Mix TVP and hot water and set aside.  Saute onion in 3 Tbsp. oil or water until tender. Add TVP and remaining ingredients and heat through.  Serve in taco shell with lettuce, tomato, sliced black olives and tofu sour cream. 

BEAN AND RICE BURRITOS and
BEAN AND POTATO BURRITOS

Mix above taco filling with 2-15 oz. Cans of refried beans, and 2 cups cooked organic basmati white or brown rice or 2 cups cooked mashed potato. Put 2 or 3 Tbsp. mixture into a 10-inch LaMariposa organic whole wheat flour tortilla. Makes 8-10 burritos.  Top with tofu sour cream and sliced black olives.

TOFU SOUR CREAM

1-12.3 oz Mori Nu Silken firm tofu
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil, expeller pressed  or Earth Balance Spread
2 Tbsp. Pure lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos or ½ tsp salt
1 tsp. Raw (turbinado) sugar

Blend until smooth.  Chill to firm.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Dollop on foods or use, in cooking, as you would dairy sour cream.

CORNBREAD

1-1/2 cups cornmeal
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
3-1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. raw sugar or Maple Syrup
1 tsp. salt
2-1/4 cups water
¼ cup sunflower oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Stir in water and oil. Spray a 10-inch round pan or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter into pan and bake 30 minutes until well browned. Serve warm. For Mexican corn bread, add 2 cups of whole corn, 1 small onion,
diced, 1-4oz. can chopped green chiles and 1 Tbsp chili powder.  Baked as directed. 

COCOA CAKE

1 cup Organic White Flour, unbleached and un-enriched
2/3 cup Organic Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Sucanant or raw sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder, non-alkali
1 tsp. baking soda (NOT BAKING  POWDER)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup Sunflower oil, expeller pressed
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients.  Whisk in remaining
ingredients until well blended.  Pour into an oil sprayed 8x8 or 9x9 inch, baking
pan.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes. When cake is done the top will spring back when lightly tapped with fingertips. Cool and frost.  Double the recipe to a make 9x13 cake.

FUDGE FROSTING

1 cup water
3/4 Yellow D brown sugar or Sucanat or  raw sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa powder, non-alkali
1 Tbsp. sunflower oil, Spectrum Spread or Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend all ingredients EXCEPT vanilla until smooth. Pour into a sauce pan and cook over med. heat, whisking constantly, until thick.  Whisk in vanilla. Cover tightly, cool completely and whisk before frosting cake. Double the recipe for a 9x13 inch cake or bundt cake.  Triple the recipe for layers.