• THE BEST { AND OUR FAVORITE } ZESTY ENCHILADA SAUCE •

Okay, are we over-hyping the sauce? We don't think so; it's pretty darn delicious. In fact, so delicious that we both decided to use the same sauce recipe for our enchiladas - and it didn't come out of a can! Imagine that!  And who doesn't love enchiladas?!  They're a great option for meat-eaters and vegetarians. 

Just in case you're unfamiliar with the variety of chiles we used, this is what you should be looking for at the market:

VEGGIE ENCHILADAS 

I grew up eating enchiladas.  They're one of my favorite things to make and in reality, I consider them a comfort food.  

There are a few different ways you can make enchiladas but I decided to roll mine and fill them with some veggie goodness: spinach, mushrooms, and added a bit of mozzarella cheese to half of the batch.  For the vegans out there, you don't have to add the mozzarella cheese or you can substitute the mozzarella for some melting vegan friendly cheese like Daiya.  

If you want to roll your enchiladas you can choose to fry your tortilla or warm them before putting them in the enchilada sauce. I lightly fried my tortillas then dunked them in the sauce.  Then I filled them with my veggies and rolled them up.  It's a simple as that.  

You have to work quickly so your tortillas don't break apart, but once you get a hang of it, the time goes rather quickly.  Oh and don't forget to be generous with the sauce!

Michelada: a cold Mexican beer with lime and salt

I enjoyed these enchiladas on September 16th, Mexican Independence Day, so I had to include some of my favorite musica en espanol...

1) Los Tigres del Norte w/Paulina Rubio:  Golpes en el Corazon

2) Cafe Tacuba:  El Rio

3) Luis Miguel:  Inolvidable

4) Lila Downs:  Cielo Rojo 

5) Lola Beltran: Corazon, Corazon

I usually layer my enchiladas for a couple of reasons: one, it's easier (I'm often time-pressed during the week); two, I haven't quite mastered the skill of rolling the tortillas without cracking them.  

So I roasted some chicken and threw it together with sauteed onions, fresh corn, yellow and red bell peppers and cheese. Pretty easy and of course, delicious. I should also note that I throw a little flour into the sauteed veggies and then added a bit of stock to make the filling into more of a sauce. Muy deliciosa.

I'm with Monica on this one; definitely a Mexican beer, although I'll suggest Tecate - ice cold, with lime and salt.

1) Ruben Blades: Pedro Navaja (para mi amor)

2) Ozomatli: Cumbia de los Muertos

3) Ozomatli: Como Ves (couldn't leave this one out)

4) Carlos Vives: Fruta Fresca

5) Los Fabulosos Cadillacs: Revolution Rock

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• UPDATE: I Made the Vegan Peanut Butter Banana & Honey Muffins... •

Remember when I mentioned that I would make these in the last post?  I did, and they were good, seriously good - a tiny bit gooey and totally yummy!!! 

So if you're feeling a bit adventurous, just follow the Vegan PB & J Banana Muffins recipe I posted last week, and substitute honey instead of jelly (personally, I love Attki Greek honey). You won't be disappointed.

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• DAIRY-FREE PB & J BANANA MUFFINS •

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches = comfort...Freshly baked muffins = comfort...PB & J Banana Muffins = the ultimate comfort treat!!! 

I really like peanut butter and jelly; I think most people do, it's a classic after all. Remember those jars of Smucker's Goober peanut butter and jelly stripes? I honestly think I only tried it once, many, many years ago and I remember that pre-made artificial concoction didn't live up to the hype. These muffins on the other hand, are a delicious alternative to the typical pb and j sandwich. 

This is a fairly simple recipe inspired by the vegan banana muffins I made a few weeks ago.  Yes, they're vegan and incredibly good! I'm pretty sure you'll love these muffins as much as I do. Always remember to use good quality, natural peanut butter - avoid hydrogenated oils at all cost! 

Choose your favorite jelly for your filling and be creative with your choice: fig, boysenberry, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, etc.. . Better yet, make your own preserves! I was also thinking since this is a peanut butter banana batter, honey might be a tasty option in the middle instead of jelly. 

Hmmm... I think I'm going to bake some of those tonight! I'll let you know how it goes.

Some may prefer a tall glass of cold milk, I opted for unsweetened green iced tea.

Since the batter consists of peanut butter banana - I had to include an Elvis song...

1)  Elvis:  It's Now or Never

2)  Pink Floyd:  Another Brick in the Wall

3)  Ramones:  Rock n' Roll High School

4)  Neil Young:  Heart of Gold

5)  Ceci Bastida:  Ya Me Voy

••••••

• AHI TUNA W/SUMMER VEGGIE SALAD •

GRILLED TUNA

A nice light summer dish that won't leave you unbuttoning your pants and grabbing the Tums. In fact, you'll still have room for more wine - and             that's always a good thing...

*You can adjust the salad depending on what you have in stock or what's in season. 

I'm going to go against the grain here and suggest a red wine. I know 'traditionally' fish goes with white but I was in the mood for red so I opened a bottle of Sweetcheeks Shiraz and I was surprised how well it complimented the fish and veg. 

1)  AudioBullys:  Face in a Cloud

2)  Ben Harper: Burn One Down

3)  Spoon: The Underdog

      4)  This is a great summer anthem from Matt and Kim:

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