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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Super Easy Chalupas

Isn't it funny that prior to becoming a vegan and beyond that, prior to this whole low-fat vegan stuff, I never seemed to eat anything exciting?  Like, a meal with rice seemed "out there" or "ethnic" even if I was eating chicken and broccoli.

Since this whole thing began however, a night where I am not using a grain or spice that I cannot pronounce is rare.   My kitchen has seen cuisines from Thailand, Ethiopia, Greece, Lebanon, the list goes on and on.

And people claim vegans are deprived...

Well, this is not that exciting of a post.  In fact, Mexican may be our default cuisine these days.   When in doubt, put it on a tortilla and add salsa.  We'll both be content.

So we were in a bit of a rush and needed a simple meal that didn't feel like diet food.   Unfortunately, Mexican food, when void of things like sour cream and cheese, seems like diet food.   We were nervous, but these bad boys were DELICIOUS!   I think making my own salsa adds a whole new level of amazing to Mexican food because I control the heat and the spices.   By dulling down the salsa with cheese and sour cream, I'd been missing out on this delicate process.

Anyways, try these bad boys out.  Simple.   Delicious.  And Healthy.



Here's the recipe for Chalupas from Engine 2 Diet:

Ingredients for Chalupas:

6 corn tortillas
1 can fat-free vegetarian refried beans
12 cherry tomatoes cut in half (I used a lot more than 12 because they were almost past their prime)
1 jalapeno, diced
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and sliced
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 bunch cilantro
Salsa

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil.   Place the tortillas on sprayed baking sheet (I used parchment paper) and broil for 2 minutes.   Turn the tortillas and cook for 1 minute, or until crispy.   Spread the tortillas thickly with beans.   Place 4 tomato halves on each chalupa.   Sprinkle jalapenos onto the chalupas.   Broil for 5-7 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to droop.   Divide the avocado slices among the chalupas, and top with the lettuce, cilantro, and salsa.

For my salsa, I basically mixed up a bunch of fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, onion, cilantro, and hot sauce.  Blended to perfection.

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