Plant Based Carne Asada

I'm a sucker for latin foods...oh me oh my! 

This carne asada is one of my most visited recipes here, and it's probably in my top 5 favorite foods. My daughter asked for carne asada for her birthday and while I made hers with skirt steak, I was bound and determined to figure out how to make carne asada vegan style so that I could enjoy it too. 

I bet you can guess what we'll be having for Mother's Day??! Can't wait! 

I hope you'll enjoy this much as we do. I've tweaked my marinade and added mushrooms and honestly, could eat this raw as a salad as well as cooked.  

Carne Asada Marinade or Mojo
1/4 c. key lime juice (the very small green limes)**this is key for the flavor
1/4 c. coconut milk
2 T. white vinegar
4 garlic cloves - pressed or very finely diced
1/2-3/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/2 t. ground cumin
2 t. kosher salt (less if table salt)
Jalapeño or serano chiles, minced (optional - to taste)
1/4 t. crushed red peppers (optional - to taste)
2 t. pure maple syrup (more or less to taste)

3-4 cups sliced mushrooms - portabello and shiitake

Combine ingredients except for mushrooms in a non-metal bowl. 

Add 3-4 cups sliced portabello and shiitake mushrooms and toss to coat. 

Allow to marinade for at least 1 hour, gently tossing - occasionally.

Heat grill. 

Place ingredients onto a sheet of foil, and fold edges to seal. Wrap with an additional layer (or two) of foil. 

Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning once. 

Remove and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. 

Serve inside of warmed corn tortillas, with black beans, rice, pico de gallo and guacamole. 

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta - Vegan,Plant Based, No oil/sugar

I made this 4 days ago and I can't stop thinking about it - wondering how long I should wait before I make it again, because I could probably eat it every day. My husband took all of the leftovers for lunch the next day, and my kids actually liked it too! See those divine rays of sunlight in the photo? Yes, they are a sign that you should make this too. Now. You are welcome. 

Ingredients
10 red and orange mini peppers - coarsely sliced (or 2 cups normal bell peppers chopped)
1 large jalapeno coarsely sliced
1 large onion coarsely chopped
6 large garlic cloves coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
4-8 baby portabello mushrooms sliced
1/8-1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup boiling water
1/2-3/4 cup of coconut milk OR vegetable broth
1 package of pasta 16-18 oz (500 g)
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika (the smoked part is important for a deep rich flavor)
2 Tablespoons fresh/2 teaspoons dried basil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350* F.
Cover baking sheet with parchment paper, or silpat.

Place the peppers, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and sesame seeds into a bowl and toss to coat with balsamic vinegar. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Saute mushrooms in soy sauce until softened, then remove from heat and set aside.

Bring salted water to boil, and begin to cook pasta.
Add boiling water to cashews and allow to soften for 10-15 minutes, then blend with a high powered blender until smooth. Remove the vegetables from the oven and blend into the cashew milk, adding paprika, coconut milk or vegetable broth (to thin), paprika, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.

Drain pasta. Leave in colander. Reserve some of the cooking water.
Add sauce to pasta pan and heat.
Add pasta to sauce in the pan, and if needed, thin using the reserved some of the pasta's cooking water.
Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper.

Marinara all purpose sauce - vegan, whole food/plant based, no oil

I came across a recipe for marinara at brandnewvegan.com which I really liked....with a few tweaks of my own. My family devours this - as in, none left for my lunch the next day! This is vegan, plant based with no oils or processed sugars. And...this handy sauce can be used for a pizza sauce, a dipping sauce, lasagna, spaghetti, served over rice or other grains...so many possibilities!

Marinara

1 medium onion - chopped

1 medium red, orange, or yellow bell pepper - chopped

5 mushrooms - sliced

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart canned tomatoes, or equivalent (reserve juice)

1 six oz can tomato paste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1-2 Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon basil

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste - optional)

black pepper - to taste, optional

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add oregano, paprika & basil (if using dried spices) and toast lightly, stirring constantly. Add fresh veggies and red wine vinegar. Saute until softened. Add water if needed to keep ingredients from sticking. 

Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Use a potato masher to break tomatoes down to desired chunkiness if needed

. Season to taste. 

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Add reserved tomato juice or water to thin if needed, or blend if a thinner consistency is desired.