Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Breakfast Soft Tacos

 

Breakfast Soft Tacos are very tasty and so easy to make. The insides can be adjusted to what you have in your pantry, freezer or fridge and allow you to eat Tex-Mex in the morning without people thinking you are weird. Breakfast tacos are first cousins to the famed Breakfast Burrito (which I shall describe in a later post). The soft tacos are easier than burritos since they tortillas are smaller and can be corn tortillas if you must. But do try them with warm flour tortillas, preferably homemade flour tortillas warm out of the pan.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Scrambled eggs and/or Morningstar Grillers Recipe Crumbles, vegetarian sausages, sausage patties or even vege-bacon. Pick your favorite or combine them.
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt, or (optional) seasoned salt, Creole or Cajun Seasoning, or taco seasoning)
  • Velveeta style cheese (optional)
  • Butter or margarine
  • Your favorite peppers, hot, medium or mild
  • Chopped onions
  • Grated cheddar cheese or Fiesta Blend (Monterey Jack and cheddar)
  • Picante sauce
  • Sour cream
  • Diced tomatoes (and lettuce if you like lettuce in the morning
  • Diced black olives and/or avocado slices

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In (preferably) an iron skillet, sautee onions and peppers in light oil until the onions are caramelized and set aside in a bowl or on a plate.
  2. Melt butter in the skillet. Season and brown the Recipe Crumbles or what have you if you're going to use them. Set these aside in a bowl or on a plate. 
  3. In the skillet melt butter, scramble your eggs with a bit of salt and maybe a little seasoned salt, Cajun or Creole seasoning (optional). I cube up some Velveeta type cheese and add to the eggs to make them fluffy. Stand over them while they cook or they get overdone and dry. Set eggs aside in a bowl or on a plate.
  4. Gently warm your flour tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave or in the skillet. If you make homemade flour tortillas (recommended) prepare them in advance and keep them warm. (You should buy a tortilla press, they're totally worth it.)
  5. On a bed of eggs, recipe crumbles, sausage crumbles or whatever you want in your tacos.
  6. Add onions and peppers, grated cheddar, diced tomatoes, black olives, avocado slices.
  7. Top with picante sauce and sour cream, fold them over and eat them (see photo above).

Serving Suggestion:

A little OJ, cup of milk, some sliced fruit and you've got a ranch breakfast worth serving to the visiting academy choir. Let them make their own soft tacos. Gives them something to do with their hands.

One of my favorite things for breakfast. Enjoy!

Tom King

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Poblano Vege-Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 
Prep: 15 mins Cook:1 hr Total:1 hr 15 mins Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  •  6 tablespoons butter or margarine divided (you could even use olive oil)
  •  2 cans diced vege-chicken (Loma Linda or Worthington)
  •  2 fresh poblano peppers, seeded and slice into strips
  • 4 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 lime, halved
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 pint half-and-half
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 ounces sour cream
  • 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Step 1:  In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Drain diced vege-chicken. Sautee diced vege-chicken in olive oil in the skillet with poblano peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Squeeze the juice from one lime half over the vege-chicken. Simmer for 25 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 3: In a medium saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over low heat. Gradually stir in flour and half-and-half. Mix mushrooms, sour cream, cilantro, and the rest of the lime juice. Simmer until mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes).

Step 4: In a 9x13 inch baking dish melt butter in the baking dish. Cut up and spread 3 tortillas. Pour half the chicken pepper mixture and one cup mozzarella over the tortillas. Pour half the cilantro sauce evenly over the first layer. Add another layer with remaining chicken and pepper mixture. Pour the rest of the vege-chicken pepper mixture and the cilantro sauce evenly over the casserole. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Step 5:  Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.