Meatless Monday #1, Mexican Casserole

                                                                   

Mmmmmm, I love black olives. They fill me with thoughts of sunshine, earth and balmy breezes...and my mom, who could eat a whole can in one sitting, although she also liked to share, hence my love of them too. As I was chopping up whole pitted olives just now, to put in the Mexican Casserole I'm making for my family tonight, I was thinking how much I love humid, warm ocean climate foods. Foods from Mexico, Greece, Italy, oh anything Mediterranean, Indian, Thai, well, you get the picture.

This is what the weather looks like outside my kitchen window as I cook. September has certainly not been warm and sunny this year. More like cold and rainy. I even put a tarp around my chicken's covered run, to give them relief from the wind and rain. (see blue in right corner of our lower back yard.)

And here are a few pictures of the little ones as they took the bus for the FIRST time, brrrrr, early this morning (except for William, who is an old hand at this form of transport)

(And off they go for the W H O L E  day....inside I head to have a cup of tea and decide, what's for dinner?....I like to get it out of the way early so I get sink into a few projects...decluttering is on the list)


And you may ask, why in heaven's name, am I not living in a warmer clime with some yummy cultural dishes???? What is Canada's cultural dish anyway? Well, I guess we are a diverse, hodge-podge of many countries. The only thing off the top of my head as I type is, Smoked Wild Salmon, Maple Syrup and Bacon. Oh and of course in Eastern, particularly French speaking Quebec, Canada they love poutine, but when I think about French Fries, covered in cheese curd and gravy it makes my arteries cringe.

Anyway, chopping up the olives just now got me thinking, I would really like to do blog posts that makes a difference in the world. I know it's been said before, but what if we did start making veggie dishes every Monday? Imagine.... if everyone in the world did that? Choosing to start the week with a vegetarian meal is delicious, may help you continue the week on a healthier note, and of course by taking that one step helps to decrease your environmental footprint on the earth.

So, stay with me, what I was thinking is that every Monday I'd like to write a blog post, highlighting a vegetarian dish from around the world. At least for 7 weeks which would give me/us a vegetarian meal for each day of the week and get my family, maybe yours too building a repertoire of meatless meals as we head into fall.                     

The side benefit for us obviously is this is a healthier, greener choice and who knows, maybe we can lose a bit of weight. Another BIG reason for me is that I have little ones who are learning to make good food choices. I'd like to share my love of eating vegetarian meals with my children, so like my mom, sharing her beloved can of olives with me so many years ago, my children will grow up and have fond memories growing vegetables in our gardens and eating favorite dishes from all over the world. This is another way of helping the earth and staying connected to other cultures, feeling connected to everyone on this earth.

I hope you will join me in choosing some around the world veggie dishes for your family.


                                                   
                                               

Since I'm making a Mexican Casserole, let's start with that dish. I know on a chilly September day, it's a great way to nourish my family. Hey, and a side benefit, is this meal is relatively inexpensive, especially if you are harvesting your peppers and tomatoes from your garden, as we are doing right now.

Hope's Mexican Casserole

(Makes a large 9x13 casserole dish....great for a large crowd of 8)

Ingredients

3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 large minced onion
1 stalk of celery
1/2  cup of sliced black olives...more is you like them like my mom and I
1 Red hot chili pepper  (I'm using a "Hot Portugal" from my garden) but if you only have dried, use 1 tbsp of chili powder
1-1/2 tsp of dried cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of pinto beans (I'm using dried and cooking them)
1 can of black beans
4-5 large tomatoes chopped or you can add a large can of drained tomatoes
2 cups of salsa
4 tortilla wraps
1 cup of crushed taco shells or taco chips
1 cup cheddar cheese (I didn't have a cup...so I used 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 mozzarella)

I cooked my pinto beans early this morning, you don't have to soak them overnight, Rinse them, bring them to a boil, then continue to cook them on low heat for 2 hours. Finally. let them sit until you need to add them to the pot)

 Directions:

Heat oil in large pot, saute onions and celery until translucent, add garlic and red pepper, cook for a few minutes. Add the rest of the spices, stir well. Add the tomatoes and allow to cook for about 5 minutes to 10 minutes, and finally add the cans of beans and the 2 cups of salsa. Cook and heat through well.

Prepare a 9x13 pan by laying two tortilla wraps on the bottom.

 Add 1/2 of the above bean and tomato mixture over the wraps. (at this point, if you wish, you can layer some cheddar cheese on top, if you want the dish really cheesy, but I didn't do this as I didn't have enough cheese today)

Now like a lasagna, add another layer of 2 tortilla wraps and finally top with the remainder of the bean and tomato mixture. Top with crumbled taco shells, or taco chips and finally sprinkle the top of the whole pan with cheese.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes



While the casserole is baking, make a green salad of your choice.

My garden is abundant with kale, red cabbage, carrots and tomatoes....make what you have on hand, anything green is great

To plate, place a large square of the casserole, top with sour cream, add the salad and some taco chips of your choice. Serve with a "Provecho"....enjoy!

This is a favourite of our family as it's easy for me and the kids think it's a "fun" meal.

This is what our cat Ryuuki thinks of this gloomy Monday...but the family is going to LOVE dinner tonight

 Oh, and did I mention one of the BEST things I can think about when making it a meatless Monday? If you love animals like I do, this is just a humane way to walk the earth. Here's a great link to the Vancouver Humane Societies page and an article on "Meatless Monday." Have a look and I hope you join me in eating this way, if not all the time, then at least once or twice a week. We can make a difference!!!

Before I say goodbye, I'd like to tell you about my little guy Will, "Will I Am, Where there is a Will there is a Way, Will Power." He's got a powerful, and peaceful name. He loves people. He loves the earth. He loves animals. He also has this strong belief, that we can all do something to make the world better for everyone. The seed is in each of us, but we all have free WILL to make it grow. Yeah, maybe Meatless Mondays are just a humble step, but with each little thing we do, we do make the world a better place.

Here's a link to one of his favourite videos. Interestingly, William was born on June 25, 2009, the same day Michael Jackson left the earth. I sometimes wondered if Michael didn't whisper something to Will in passing. When I tuck Will into bed at night, lately he's been playing this CD, (Peace in the World) and he likes to drift off listening to songs like Michael's, "Man in the Mirror." 
Click on the hyper-link above to see this Youtube video.

"If you want to make the world a better place, then take a look at yourself and make the change."

Thank you for coming today and joining me in my kitchen.

 I'd love to hear what your favourite veggie meal is for your family. Drop me a comment below.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope