Last night, we were in the mood for Mexican food and Spanish rice but wanted something a little more elaborate. We had hard corn tortillas, some left over vegie meats and some vegan cheese. Just the right ingredients for a special casserole. It is a Mexican version of shepard’s pie! Make sure to make extra, it keeps in the fridge for a few days and can be frozen.
Make Spanish rice:
You can make this rice dish in less than 30mn. It is simple to prepare and everyone will love it.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 onion, chopped fine
1 large garlic clove minced
1/2 chopped green bell pepper or mild chiles
2 cups water with some vegetable broth (2 tsp powder or 1 cube)
2 cups of fresh tomatoes, or 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes or fresh salsa*
green chiles
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt
*note: if you use fresh salsa, do not add chili powder unless you like it spicy.
PREPARATION:
- Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.
- Sauteed rice, onion, and bell pepper until rice is lightly browned and onions are tender, stirring often. Lightly browning the rice prior to cooking it will create a nutty flavor to the rice and shorten the cooking time and make the rice fluffier.
- Slowly add the water and broth, being careful not to splash yourself.
- Add the fresh, canned tomatoes or tomatoe sauce. Season with chili, cumin powder and salt and stir to make sure that the spices are mixed in the rice.
- Bring to boil then turn down to simmer immediately for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat.
Prepare the vegie meat mixture:
While the rice to simmering, start stir frying the vegie meat topping.
This is a great way to use up your left over dried protein or vegie ‘meats’.
Filling ingredients:
2 cups dry TVP seasoned (textured vegetable protein) or
2 cups of vegie ground round or
2-3 boca burgers
1 medium chopped onion
1 large garlic clove minced
- Preheat the over at 375F. Lightly spray a square baking dish.
- Place a layer of corn tortilla chips at the bottom. You can use chips or the larger round ones and break them.
- Cover the chips with a layer of Spanish rice. Then add another layer of broken chips. Cover that with the vegie meat mixtures and sprinkle vegan cheese on top if you want.
- Bake at 375 for 40mn
- SPANISH RICE
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- ½ chopped green bell pepper or mild chiles
- 2 cups water with some vegetable broth (2 tsp powder or 1 cube)
- 2 cups of fresh tomatoes, or 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes or fresh salsa*
- green chiles
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- FILLING INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups rehydrated TVP seasoned (textured vegetable protein) or
- 2 cups of vegie ground round
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 2 cups fresh or frozen spinach
- SPANISH RICE
- Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.
- Sauteed rice, onion, and bell pepper until rice is lightly browned and onions are tender, stirring often. Lightly browning the rice prior to cooking it will create a nutty flavor to the rice and shorten the cooking time and make the rice fluffier.
- Slowly add the water and broth, being careful not to splash yourself.
- Add the fresh, canned tomatoes or tomatoe sauce.
- Season with chili, cumin powder and salt and stir to make sure that the spices are mixed in the rice.
- Bring to boil then turn down to simmer immediately for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat.
- ASSEMBLING THE CASSEROLE:
- Preheat the over at 375F. Lightly spray a square baking dish.
- Place a layer of corn tortilla chips at the bottom. You can use chips or the larger round ones and break them.
- Cover the chips with a layer of Spanish rice. Then add another layer of broken chips. Cover that with the vegie meat mixtures and sprinkle vegan cheese on top.
- Bake at 375 for 40mn
