It’s hard on these hot days to figure out a meal for my family that doesn’t heat the kitchen and satisfies hunger. This dish is cooked in a skillet, is full of flavor and hearty enough to satisfy everyone. Serve with a crisp, cold salad and you’re done. Well, except for the clean up.

Making the Skillet Enchilada Casserole

I like to have everything prepped before I start cooking – cut up, measured, ready to put into the dish.

Use Mexican chorizo ^[1] in this recipe. Peel the plastic wrapper off before you start cooking. Crumble the meat up in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat, until it’s starting to brown a little and much of the fat has been rendered.

Add the pork chunks and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is lightly browned.

Stir in the onion and garlic and cover. Simmer for about ten minutes.

Remove from the heat stir in the tortillas until the are distributed evenly in the meat mixture.

Add the tomatoes and cheese. I used queso fresco, but it doesn’t melt. Queso Oaxaca will have more of a cheddar like flavor and will melt. You can also use cheddar if you prefer.

Pour the broth over the top, then top with the enchilada sauce.

Bring it all to a boil, the cover and simmer on low for about 35 to 40 minutes. The sauce should be bubbly and the tortillas soft.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with sour cream and avocado –

Serve!

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

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I like to watch cooking shows. I get some ideas from them and I learn about trends. There have been a lot lately that use maitake mushrooms as a meat substitute.

I decided it would be fun to try – if they were awful, we’d have something else. And the best dish to experiment with is tacos ^[6]! And they were good!

What are maitake mushrooms?

This beautiful fungus grows at the base of oak trees. It’s early flavor and meaty texture make it a perfect mushroom to use in vegan dishes.

Unlike most mushrooms, the maitake is a “polypore”, which means it has no gills. Usually a mushroom drops its spores via the gills, but polypores have pores in them that releases the spores. And like all mushrooms, you eat the “fruit” that grows on top of the ground.

These delicious shrooms are full of potassium, fiber and antioxidants – and with a mild umami,  they really taste good!

Making the Tacos –

First thing is to chop the mushrooms – caps and stems.

Place them in a bowl and add the spices.

Gently rub it into the maitake. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet on medium heat. Gently sauté the mushrooms until they start to get a little crispy.

While the mushrooms are cooking, prepare all the taco toppings (and don’t forget the jalapeño!).

Heat the tortillas,

then build your tacos.

Goes great with simmered black and pinto beans. Garnish is all with cilantro! Yum!

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

My dad made the best chili-mac ^[11]. It was simple and we looked forward to it. When I saw chili-mac soup on a diner menu recently I wondered if I could make dad’s into soup. And so I did – and it was so good!!

Making the Soup

The first thing to do is get everything ready.

Then it’s time to brown the ground beef. If you prefer you can also use ground turkey or better than burger.

Next add the tomatoes. Use the liquid from the can to loosen up the bits on the bottom of the pan.

Give it a good stir and add all the spices and 1/2 cup of the broth.

Stir and simmer gently for  about 10 minutes to meld the flavors together.

Add  the remaining broth and stir. Simmer, covered for an hour or so on low.

The beans are next. Stir them in, bring to a boil, then simmer again on low for about a half an hour. My dad used kidney beans, but we like pinto beans. You can use either – or a combination!

Last, stir in the water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stir and cook until the pasta is tender, about a half an hour.

Serve topped with grated cheddar and chopped onions.

NOTE: The longer it sits, the more liquid the pasta will absorb. You can add more water or eat it as a stew. We ate it both ways – and it’s even better the next day!!

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

As we try to eat more plant based foods, I’m continually running ideas through my head. I love smoked foods and the smoky taste of chipotles. So why not smoke some tofu? You don’t need a big smoker – I used a stove top version. And then I made some tacos ^[16]! It’s super easy and tastes delicious!

Here’s how you do it:

I used my little stove top smoker. It’s perfect for small amounts and tastes great.

Rub all sides of the tofu with the spices.

Place it in the smoker and bring the temperature up to 210 to 220 degrees.

Cook in the smoker for about 3 hours. It should be fairly firm by then.

While the tofu is smoking, make the cream.

Chop the chipotles into chunks.

Add them with the sea salt, lime juice, and lemon pepper to the cream. Using an immersion blender, whip everything together until the cream begins to thicken. Set aside.

Remove the tofu from the smoker and slice.

Next, cook it in a heavy skillet until it’s firm and a little crumbly.

Prepare the tortillas the way you like them – fried or warm and soft. I warmed them on a griddle until they were soft and pliable.

Place the tofu in the tortilla with condiments of your choice. We used chopped sweet onion, cilantro, some shredded cheese and the crema. Add anything you add to any taco – and maybe a side of beans!

Add a lime wedge to each plate and enjoy!

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe or to give as a gift!

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I’ve been on a quesadilla ^[20] kick. This vegetarian version came out so good, even my meat-eater husband wanted more!! Oyster mushrooms have the perfect meaty texture to replace the pork. And if you use vegan cheese, the whole dish becomes vegan!

Here’s how you do it:

Marinate the mushrooms in the morning.

Mix all the marinade ingredients with a wire whisk.

Place the whole mushrooms into the mixture making sure they are fully covered.

Let them sit for at least 2 hours – up to 4 hours.

Drain them then bake at 400 degrees for about an hour.

Let them cool, then chop or shred them into small pieces.

Ready to eat?

Heat the olive oil and cook the onions and poblano until the onions become translucent and the peppers are soft.

Add the spinach and cook until it’s reduced and softened, but still bright green.

Heat a heavy skillet or griddle.

Lay half the tortillas on the hot surface and heat for about 2 minutes, then flip.

Top with the cheese first, then all the vegetables, including the vegetarian “carnitas” (the mushrooms).

Put the remaining tortillas on each one and heat until the cheese begins to melt and the bottom tortilla is lightly browned.

Carefully turn the quesadilla and cook until the bottom is browned.

Remove from the heat and allow to rest about 2 minutes.

Mash the avocado with the lime juice and add salt to taste.

Cut into quarters and serve hot with salsa, mashed avocado and microgreens. Delicious!

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

 

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