Bean & Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado

Nothing strikes fear and trepidation in my heart quite like the prospect of making homemade lasagna. Even though it's one of my favorite Italian dishes, I think I've made maybe 5 lasagnas in the last 10 years. I keep thinking I'm going to make another one of these days...and then I start thinking of the lasagna noodles. And the tofu ricotta. And the sauteed veggies. And the sauce. And the layering.

And then I make myself a smoothie to calm myself down.

But a Bean and Corn Tortilla Lasagna from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan? Yeah, I could totally handle that.

Step 1 - mix a bunch of spices, beans, tomato sauce, and garlic & onion (uncooked! yeah!!) in a bowl
Step 2 - spread half the mixture on the bottom of a casserole dish
Step 3 - top with some corn tortillas, avocado slices, frozen corn, and lime juice
Step 4 - top with more tortillas, remaining sauce, and crushed tortilla chips
Step 5- top this with a sprinkling of vegan cheese
Step 6 - cover and bake
Step 7 - devour

Let's see - no precooking or sauteeing required; no noodles to boil; no complicated ricotta to make. Just mix, layer, and bake. My kind of lasagna!

Here it is, all assembled and ready for baking:

Here's a slice, fresh out of the oven!

And the inside "money shot." The avocado layer gives it a little somethin' somethin':

If only Italian lasagna was this easy!

Lentils and (Lots of) Rice

So.....not a lot of posts this week. I have been feeling sick (in some way, shape, or form) for the last 5 days. One day it was vomiting, another day it was...something else, every day it's been a headache and nausea, and every night has been poor sleep. You could say I'm not feeling my best :) As such, the meals I've been making have been simple - rice and tempeh, grilled cheez, quinoa salad. I've been cooking for my hubby and son because, thankfully, they both feel fine and want to subsist on more than just liquids and rice (unlike me). My stomach is not even letting me enjoy my beloved smoothies. In fact, the only thing I've been able to tolerate is rice...brown rice pasta, rice crackers, plain ole brown rice, etc. I decided to make some more rice tonight for myself and also make something more substantial for the boys.

When you haven't been to the grocery store in a week, and you're feeling pretty tired, Enjedra is your friend. Enjedra is a variation of mujaddara, a Middle Eastern dish of spiced lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. Really, it's just lentils, onions, cumin, and salt. Let them simmer together for an hour or so until it gets all fragrant and soft and squishy. Serve on top of some brown rice, and top it off with some frozen collard greens. A well-balanced, hearty, nutritious meal that costs about $2 and takes a minimum of effort.

Bonus? The lentils and rice are really sticky and easy for a toddler to spoon up. They're also really good at hiding the collard greens you just know he likes but pretends not to :)

This is a great pantry meal when you have nothing else to make, or when you're just too doggone tired to make anything involving a lot of chopping, stirring, or fussing. You get your proteins, carbs, fiber, greens, and lots of A and B vitamins. Much better than calling for take-out!