Guest Post: Mexican Dinner by "Vegans Eat Yummy Food Too!!!"

I am SOOOOOOOO excited to have a guest post from my friend Sandy of Vegans Eat Yummy Food Too!!!  PLEASE check out her website to see more DELICIOUS recipes.  For those who have kids, she has a GREAT Kids Lunchbox section.  (BUT....You don't have to be a little kid to enjoy these lunchbox recipes !!!)

Sandy went all out and put together a GREAT Mexican Dinner for us. She thought of EVERYTHING for a night of Mexican food !!!!!  I can't wait to try these recipes myself !!!  I was SOOOO excited to post Sandy's INCREDIBLE recipes that I haven't had a change to make them yet.  

SOOOOO...this is Sandy's GREAT Mexican Dinner Party !!!!! ENJOY !!!!

Mexican Dinner Party

We’re big Mexican meal fans in our home. We also find that it’s a very popular meal for other people too.

And so when it comes to having guests over, we find this is a great way to cater. There are many options, and it seems that there is always something to please everyone. And…… its something that most people don’t mind if we turn into a vegan meal.

So here’s how we host a Mexican Dinner Party- Vegans Eat Yummy Food Too Style!!!

Mexican Spiced Potatoes

First up we chop potatoes into little wedges and coat them in Mexican spice mix of choice (if you don’t want to buy a premixed one just use equal quantities of paprika, oregano and cumin, add chilli as desired). I always find it really easy to use a leftover produce bag for coating vegetables. It’s convenient and keeps hands and kitchen counters clean!!! 

Bake the potatoes in a hot oven until tender (time will depend on how small you have chopped the potatoes). As a general rule I find 40 minutes is a good place to start.

Mexican Salad

In a large bowl simply combine:

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 can corn, drained

1 capsicum, chopped (also called bell pepper – whatever colour you choose)

1 avocado, chopped

3 spring onions, sliced thinly

1 can red kidney beans, drained

1/2 cup salsa of choice

Juice of one lime

Rice Salad

I use microwave rice to make this quick & easy, however you can cook your own rice if you’d rather.

I use 2 bags of quick microwave rice.

Once heated, I stir through a chopped green capsicum, half cup of corn kernels and 1/2 cup salsa. Mix well then heat again, covered, in the microwave for 1 minute.

Tortilla Cups

These take a little bit of time to prepare but they are well worth it.

Firstly you need to chop into little pieces one sweet potato, one zucchini, and one capsicum. Use a produce bag to coat the vegetables with mexican spice mix.

Roast vegetables in the oven til soft – approx 20 minutes.

I use mini size corn tortillas to make these.

I place each tortilla in a lightly oil-sprayed muffin pan. Slightly overlapping the sides to make them sit in. Then I bake the tortillas for 7-8 minutes.

They will firm up slightly but not be crunchy. This gives them enough stability to be able to stuff them.

Line the bottom of each baked tortilla with a generous spoonful of refried beans.

I then fill the tortilla cups with the roasted vegetables til they are full. Dollop a spoonful of salsa on the top and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until all ingredients are warmed through and the tortillas are slightly browned.

Simple Rice Nachos

Can’t have a Mexican dinner party without nachos!

However, I prefer to use rice crackers as a lower fat version for our nachos.

Spread rice crackers over a lined baking dish.

Pour on a jar of pinto bean sauce – or make your own by blending a drained can of pinto beans with a jar of salsa.

Followed by generous amounts of “cheesey-salsa sauce” (recipe below).

Place in a warm oven for 20 minutes until warmed through and sauce has thickened.

Serve with dollops of mashed avocado on top.

Lentil “Mince”

In a frying pan combine one chopped brown onion, one chopped green capsicum and 2 cans drained lentils.

With the lid on, dry-fry, adding little amounts of water to stop sticking, until warmed through completely. Add 1/2 cup salsa.

We also warm both hard and soft Taco’s to serve. The lentil mix works great in the tacos, as does the Mexican salad.

And we have a condiments bar which includes:

Salsa

Cheesey-salsa sauce (recipe below)

Mashed avocado

Tofu Sour cream (recipe below)

Cheesey-Salsa Sauce Recipe:

1/4 cup salsa

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons cornflour

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup plant milk of choice

Blend til smooth.

Tofu Sour Cream Recipe:

1 package of firm tofu (around 350g)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon agave nectar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Blend til smooth.

Best if left in the fridge overnight to firm up.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but it’s really quite easy. A lot of the ingredients are similar and so it makes the process much easier. There are several bits that can be made in advance and then just a quick ‘heating’ towards serving time!

So next time you’re thinking of hosting a dinner party and worried that your guests won’t like a vegan meal – try this option! 



THANKS SANDY !!!!!

The God who made the whole world and everything in it is the Lord of the land and the sky.  He does not live in temples built by human hands.
Acts 17:24 (CEV)