Taco Vegetarian Bake

Yesterday was perfect…the sun, a walk through the golf course (5.5 miles! – Wahoo!).  Ted and I enjoyed taking Shane for a walk on such a perfect day.

Today – not a bad morning either.  I didn’t have to get up so incredibly early, but pulled myself up at 6:15 am.  Shane was still snoozing as was my beloved.  I went down stairs for 25 minutes on the ET and a 25 minute weight workout.  i tried a new routine from Muscle and Performance. I didn’t know how it would go, but it was a bit too easy and not as long as I thought it would be.

This workout is for weeks 1 and 2.   It will change every 2 weeks for 6 weeks.  Day 1 I will do Mon. (today) and Friday (or Thurs.). Day 3 will be done Wednesday.  So Day 1 is repeated 2 x per week.  On the other days, I will do heavy aerobics.  It’s good to change your routine now and again because your body adapts and then there is no muscle stimulation. 

After the weights, Shane and I ran for 4.4 miles.  Some poor guy lost his white poodle “Maxi” in the park and was calling for the little critter as we came and left the park.  I hope he finds him/her. 

As for eats…here you go…

 

What are you up to this Labor Day?  Picnic plans?  If you’re a vegetarian, here is an easy recipe to bring along to make sure you don’t go hungry among all the burgers and dogs.

This recipe was adapted from a booklet found at the New York State Fair. It was from the company called ACH Food Companies, Inc.  The original recipe is called “Taco Batter Bake” and uses ground beef.  I made this a vegetarian dish using meatless crumbles.  It is so flavorful and will work well with beans as a meat substitute as well.

• 12 oz Meatless crumbles or 15 oz can of beans of choice.
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 tsp each of the following: cilantro, ezpizote, dill, tarragon, “Spike” Gourmet seasoning, garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

For the Batter

• 1/2 cup Corn Flour
• 1/4 cup All purpose flour
• 2 tsp rapid rise yeast
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup room temp white wine
• 2 TBS butter or  SmartBalance, melted
• 1 whole egg

Topping

• 8 oz Salsa or Picante sauce
• 1 cup cheese of choice (Mexican blend, or Feta mixed with Parmesan…your choice)
• 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

If you use real ground beef, you will need to brown it and mix in the onions at that time. Drain the grease off and add all the seasonings.

Using meatless protein, mix the protein with the onions and all the spices.  Do NOT mix the batter ingredients in with this mixture.

For the batter:  Combine all ingredients, stirring well with a spoon.  Spray a 9 x 9 square pan with non-stick spray and spread the batter over the bottom.  Put in a warm place for about 25 minutes.

The Batter

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Top the rested batter with the “meat”-onion-spice mixture.   Add the toppings, first the salsa, then the cheese, and finally the tortillas.    Bake for 30 minutes and ENJOY!