Sopa de Tortilla

This recipe was inspired by Susan V's recipe on http://blog.fatfreevegan.com but I made some adaptations of my own! Very good... my mom is hooked and we've made 4 huge batches in the last month! Freezes well, too.

2 large dried chiles

1 small raw chili pepper

1 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted or "mexican-style"

1 medium white onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)

1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash's chipotle powder (or to taste)

4 cups vegetable broth or no-chicken broth

3 cups water

3 cups pinto beans, cooked

1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)

salt to taste

6 corn tortillas

1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges

2 ripe large avocados, cut into 1/4-inch slices or cubes

4 cups FRESH chopped spinach ( the kind you buy in the bag in the lettuce section)

Toast the chiles (dry and raw) by putting them in a dry skillet over medium heat and press them flat for a few seconds on each side.

When the chiles are cool enough to handle, stem and seed them, tear them into pieces, and put them in a blender along with tomatoes and their juice.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Spray lightly with olive oil (optional) and add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, this should take 4 to 6 minutes.

Pour it all into the blender along with the chipotle powder and process until smooth.

Return the pot to medium heat. When hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. (Careful--watch for hot, bubbling "eruptions"!) Add broth, oregano (if using), pinto beans and water LAST because you may see that there is too much liquid. Dependent on your consistency add most to all of the water. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the tortillas. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut each tortilla in half (can be done in a stack if you have a sharp knife). Then cut each half into 1/4-inch wide strips. Place the strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool uncovered until soup is ready.

Add spinach to the soup and season with salt to taste, depending on the saltiness of the broth. I also added more chipotle powder. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes for spinach, longer for chard or kale.

Let cool until desired temperature and serve garnished with a wedge of lime and as much avocado and tortilla chips as your tummy desires!!

Crazy Vegan "Craisin" Cookies (born w/ love in Elk Grove, CA)

These were inspired by another cookie recipe I found online via my BlackBerry when I was fresh outta internet and living in the dark ages with a hankering for the oatmeal cookies my aunt would always make me when I was a kid. After eating these I must admit I kind of forgot what hers taste like! I adapted the original recipe to have less sugar, added craisins and doubled the batch (among a few other things) because the cookies were very small and if you're an "I'm only having one.." type of person then you are deserving of having a perfectly sized cookie! So these are not-so-but-mostly-uniquely my own. If you're an oatmeal lover I GUARANTEE you wont miss the eggs or milk in these...

Ingredients:

1.5 cups whole wheat or unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 scant teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon ( I love cinnamon so I am more of a "eyeballer and then some" rather than a measurer when it comes to cinnamon!)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup raw or turbinado sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil ( I tried to use a tad less oil and the cookies stuck to the pan a bit so use precaution if you happen to be kind of an oil phobe as am I)

1 teaspoon vanilla (as with cinnamon, I don't measure vanilla... more is better IMO)

3 cups rolled oats

a handful to a cup of dried cranberries (whatever your preference)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with cooking oil spray.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Mix both sugars, maple syrup, rice milk, oil and vanilla together in a larger bowl. Add the flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the oats, followed by raisins. (no electric mixer necessary)

Let sit for a few minutes.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Cookies will not really grow while baking so the size you make them will be the size they come out as. I prefer cookies taller and not so wide because they seem "fluffier".

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool for about 5-8 minutes on cookie sheet(s) then carefully spatula those babies off and place them wherever your heart desires.

ENJOY!