Quesadillas a’la Brea

4 whole wheat tortillas
2/3 cup Daiya vegan cheese (half cheddar, half italian)
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/2 c mushrooms
1/2 can green chilies
1/4 cup onions
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup black beans, smashed
guacamole & sour cream for garnish
1 clove garlic, crushed (will be removed later)
Coconut oil (for frying)

To make: heat a pan over medium-high heat, add a small amount of oil, and the mushrooms. Cook them until they start to lose their juice, then add the rest of the veggies, except the chilies. Stir constantly until the onions are *almost* translucent. Add the chilies and seasonings, and remove the garlic. To assemble the quesadillas, spread 1/2 the beans on a tortilla, follow with 1/2 the veggies and 1/2 the cheese. Put the quesadilla into a lightly oiled pan, heated over medium-high heat. Cook until the cheese starts to melt, then flip (I suggest 2 spatulas-I have the MIU Flexible Pancake Spatulas, Red (Set of 2), which ROCK for this AND pancakes!) cook for another 3-5 minutes, just enough to finish melting the cheese and brown the tortilla. Remove from pan, and repeat. Allow your quesadillas to cool for about 5 minutes, then slice into wedges. Serve with your favorite toppings. Can serve 2-4 people, but I like 1 with leftovers.

….also, I promise to post a belly pic just as soon as I can get pictures to load on the site!!

I promise that you’ll LOVE it!

Brea’s Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

1/2 an avocado
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
olive oil

Method:

Scoop the flesh out of the avocado and smash it to your preferred consistency. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Spread on toast and top with a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Brea’s Ratatouille

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, salted and cubed
1 large zucchini, sliced into disks (1/4-1/2 inch)
1 medium yellow squash, sliced into disks (1/4-1/2 inch)
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 onion, quartered and sliced thin
1 bell pepper, chopped
5-7 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large (16 oz) can diced tomatoes
Olive Oil (as much or as little as you like…I recommend at least 3-4 tbsp)
1-2 leaves dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp-tbsp cooking sherry

Method:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and lightly oil an 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish. Add some olive oil, 1/3 of the garlic and all the chopped veggies, except the eggplant, zucchini and squash. Saute until lightly browned, then set aside. Add more olive oil, 1/3 of the garlic and the remaining veggies to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Deglaze the pan with the cooking sherry, saute the remaining garlic for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring the sauce to bubbling and remove from heat. Now you’re ready to assemble: put down a layer of the tomato mix, followed by a layer of each of both vegetable mixes. Repeat. Put your masterpiece in the oven for 45 minutes, or until tender (pierce a few of the veggies with a fork). Serve hot, room temperature or cold (it’s delicious any way you want to have it!) accompanied by crusty bread and a big green salad!

Soba Noodle Stir Fry
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 bundle of soba noodles (most packages come with 3)
small zucchini, sliced
1/2 c shredded carrots
1-2 c crimini mushrooms
1/2 c edamame
1 c broccoli florets
small bell pepper (your preference), sliced into sticks
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 c teriyaki sauce (I like Soy Vay)
splash lime juice

Method:

Bring a pan of water to a boil, drop in soba noodles and cook for 5 minutes. While the noodles cook, heat a skillet or wok on high heat, and add your veggies. Stir fry the veggies for 3-5 minutes, until they’ve brightened in color, but aren’t soft. Add the drained soba noodles, and remainder of the ingredients. Stir fry everything in the pan for 1-2 minutes, until incorporated. Serve!