Delectable Dime

Tortillas Galore by Faith Escher

Tuesday is one of my favorite nights of the week! Monday night I am preparing for the full week ahead and resting from the weekend, and wednesday night is usually my busiest night of the week, full of homework and meetings. So Tuesday night is my mid-week reprieve where I can be intentional about cooking, catch up on my to do list, work on projects, do some reading, or spend quality time with someone in my life. Another reason I love Tuesday, is because taco Tuesday specials are observed in LA far and wide, which means that Tuesday is a great opportunity to save on one of my favorite foods. And because so many people love tacos, it often turns into a group event where I get to spend time with amazing people.

What started out as Taco Tuesday for me slowly metamorphosed into tortilla Tuesday, because I kept wanting to explore new foods and flavors! I went from only getting tacos, to getting a taco salad, a burrito or tostadas! I love the idea of having a weekly theme one night of the week so that I can explore and refine the art of crafting delicious tortilla central dishes. This week’s shopping list is a collection of some of my favorite dishes that I have gathered from a myriad of talented cooks! Whether you decide to eat them all this week, or whether you make one of these dishes for the next five tuesdays, I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Tortillas Galore

Total Budget: $100 or less

All recipes serve 4

NOTE: Garlic (2) = how many recipes the ingredient garlic is used in. For example, “Garlic (2)” means we will be using garlic in two of our recipes for this week.

The Shopping List For All 5 Dinners

• 1 Package of corn tortillas 16 count – $1.99 (2)
• 1 Package burrito sized whole wheat flour tortillas 4 count – $2.69 (1)
• 4 16-oz cans of black beans – $4.00 (4)
• 1 16-oz can of refried pinto beans – $1.29 (1)
• 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes – $1.68 (1)
• 1 4-oz can of chopped green chili peppers $1.08 – (1)
• 1 Can of black olives – $2.37 (1)
• 4 Serano chili peppers – $1.27 (2)
• 1 .09 oz Container of ground cumin powder – $2.28 (3)
• 1 3 oz Container of garlic powder – $2.64 (1)
• 1 2.5 oz Container of chili powder – $2.57 (1)
• 1 Head of iceburg lettuce – $0.98 (3)
• 1 Jar of salsa or pico de gallo – $1.69 (2)
• 1 Large garlic bulb – $0.50 (2)
• 1 Carton of vegetable broth – $2.99 each (2)
• 3 Large tomatoes – $1.58 (1)
• 2 Small red onions – $1.58 (1)
• 1 Bunch fresh cilantro – $0.99 (2)
• 2 Jalapenos – $1.00 (2)
• 2 Limes – $0.38 (1)
• 5 Avocados – $5.00 (1)
• 16 oz. Frozen corn kernels – $2.49 (3)
• 1 Can tomato paste – $1.50 (1)
• 2 Yellow onions – $1.78 (2)
• 1 Package of extra-firm tofu – $2.50 (1)
• 32 oz. Brown rice – $2.29 (1)
• 1 Package of all tri-color bell peppers – $3.29 (2)
• 1 Green bell pepper – $0.99 (1)
• Vegan sour cream – $3.99 (1) *See Note
• 1 Zucchini – $0.99 (1)
• 1 Bunch of green onions – $0.99 (1)
• Non-dairy cheese, daiya mozzerella – $6.29 (2)
• Non-dairy cheese, daiya cheddar – $6.29 (2)
• 1 Large bag of tortilla chips – $2.29 (2)
• Roasted garlic hummus – $2.50 (1)

* Whole foods has some amazing vegan sauces in the refrigerated and prepared meals section, in the same area where they keep their hummus. There are different kinds of vegan sour cream, but the one I usually purchase is the cashew variety. Cashews make a rich and creamy topping that is a little different from traditional sour cream, but lighter and more flavorful!

$65.00 – $80.00 *Prices may fluctuate depending on tax, store, sale and season. I paid $78.83 this week.

If you followed us last week you already have the following; however, if this is your first week you will need to make these additional purchases (appx $13.95) or substitute with ingredients you have in your cupboard.

• Crushed red pepper flakes – $2.99 for spice container (1)
• Olive oil – $3.99 for 12 oz container (3)
• Salt and Pepper shakers – $3.49 (3)
• Sriracha – $3.48 (1)

Recipe No. 1

Black Bean Tostadas | Cook Time: 50 minutes

Source: Veg Kitchen by Nava | Link to instructions

• Good-quality corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoons vegetable broth or water
• 1 medium onion
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Two 16-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• Juice of ½ lime or lemon, or more, to taste
• 1 to 2 small hot green chili peppers, seeded and sliced, optional
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Shredded lettuce
• Plenty of mild, medium, or hot chunky salsa, such as chipotle, peach or mango
• Store-bought or homemade vegan sour cream or cashew cream

Note: Feel free to be creative with your toppings! If you love making salsa go ahead and make some fresh salsa, or if you like sour cream you can experiment with making some homemade cashew cream or try a new brand of vegan sour cream.

Recipe No. 2

Vegan Black Bean Enchiladas | Cook Time: Under 1 hour

Source: Foodie by Trendeing Blog by Jenna Garcia | Link to instructions

• 8 taco-sized tortillas
• 1 cup black beans, strained
• ½ cup corn kernels
• ½ cup extra firm tofu, chopped into tiny cubes
• ½ jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
• ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

1 recipe enchilada sauce (see below)

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on desired heat
• 1 can tomato paste
• ¾ cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Note: This recipe is one of my very favorites from our very own Trendeing.com Foodie Blog writer, Jenna Garcia! Also note that she used frozen roasted corn kernels, I used the brand from Trader Joe’s–they come in a 16 oz bag and are delicious!

Recipe No. 3

Better Than Chipotle Vegan Burrito | Cook Time: Under 45 minutes

Source: Raw Till Whenever by Hannah Janish | Link to Instructions

• Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
• 2 Cups Brown Rice
• Vegan Refried Pinto Beans
• Red Onion
• Red Pepper
• Lettuce
• Serrano Peppers
• Organic Corn
• Guacamole (or Avocado)
• Cheese Sauce (from the Vegan Nachos)*See note
• Pico de Gallo (or Diced Tomatoes)
• Hot Sauce

Note: *Instead of using the vegan cheese sauce I just added some of the vegan daiya cheddar cheese from the shopping list.

Recipe No. 4

Vegan Tortilla Soup | Cook Time: 35-45 minutes

Source: Oh She Glows | Link to instructions

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 cups chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 ear fresh corn *See note
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp ground cumin
• One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained (optional)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp chia seeds (optional) **See note
• 1.5-2 cups cooked black beans (or beans of choice)
• salt & pepper & crushed red chili pepper, to taste
• Fresh lime juice, to garnish on top
• Non-Dairy Cheese (I use Daiya cheese), for sprinkling
• Chopped avocado, for garnish
• Tortilla sticks (flour tortillas, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, to taste)

Note: *I also used frozen corn kernels for this recipe. Be sure to defrost or heat them before adding them to this dish though! **This recipe link provides an additional recipe for tortilla sticks, but I just purchased tortilla chips and split the bag between this recipe and the next recipe–the nacho plate.

Recipe No. 5

Loaded Vegan Nacho Plate | Cook Time: 30 minutes

Source: Ilovevegan.com by Brittany | Link to instructions

• 6 cups of tortilla chips
• ½ cup finely chopped vine-ripened tomato (seeds removed)
• ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup sliced black olives
• ¼ cup black beans
• 2 tbsp finely minced jalapeño (seeds removed) (optional)
• ½ cup vegan mozzarella shreds
• ½ cup vegan cheddar shreds
• ½-1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• ⅓ cup chopped tomato (seeds removed)
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• ½ cup guacamole
• ½ cup roasted garlic hummus
• ½ cup salsa

Note: Hummus is one of my new favorite toppings! I love adding humus to burritos, sandwiches, nachos, or dipping chips. With this recipe you can use plain hummus, garlic hummus, or my favorite, red bell pepper hummus.

From taquitos to burritos, Tortilla Tuesday has become an enjoyable routine for me, whether I am out and about or cooking at home. I hope you enjoy this week’s collection of tortilla central dishes!

References

Brittany, & I Love Vegan. (N.D.). Loaded Vegan Nacho Plate. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from

www.ilovevegan.com website: http://www.ilovevegan.com/loaded-vegan-nacho-plate/

Garcia, J. (2017, April 3). Vegan Black Bean Enchiladas. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from

www.trending.com/foodie-blog website: https://www.trendeing.com/foodie-blog/2017/4/3/vegan-black-bean-enchiladas

Janish, H. (2015, August 31). Better than Chipotle Vegan Burrito. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from

www.RawTillWhenever.com website: http://www.rawtillwhenever.com/better-than-chipotle-vegan-burrito/

Nava, & Veg Kitchen. (2014). Black Bean Tostadas. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from

www.vegkitchen.com website: http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/black-bean-tostadas/

Oh She Glows. (N.D.). Vegan Tortilla Soup. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from ohsheglows.com

website: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/08/30/vegan-tortilla-soup/