Memorial Weekend Indian Mexican Fusion - HGK's Mushroom Kale Salsa Verde Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Cream, the Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Panang Curry & Skinny Marg & Melon Margaritas for Everyone

 

Mega-Vegetable Panang Curry

 

 

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Just had to share two recipes that the Lab Rat & I recently enjoyed:

• A Veg-Heavy Enlightened Version of Chef Chloe Coscarelli's Panang Curry
• The Healthy Girl's Kitchen Mushroom, Kale, Spinach, Salsa Verde Enchilada "Lasagna" with Roasted Poblano Cream.  Everyone who has made this, has loved it.  Can't argue with success.  Be sure to follow Wendy's recipe exactly.

I'm seriously thinking about bringing HGK's Amazing Enchilada Lasagna to a potluck Memorial Day picnic on Monday.  This is definitely a dish that any omnivore will enjoy--the Roasted Poblano Cream is just "knock your socks off" scrumptious--with a nice kick!

Later today I'm also going to try out this Marge & Melon Skinny Margarita recipe that my DIL sent to me on Sunday.  If this is as good as it looks, it will be a perfect combo to bring along with the Enchiladas.  And a margarita that's just 150 calories.  Oh, baby!

 

Marg and (Water) Melon Margarita 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Panang Curry

 

Lime Zest, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Garlic, Shallots

 

Funny-Looking Speckled NaSoya Sprouted Black Soybean Tofu

 

Thai Red Curry Paste, Turmeric, Cumin, Better'n Peanut Butter

 

Award-winning Chef Chloe Coscarelli is a fantastic vegan chef, but she often uses oil, Earth Balance, nuts, & coconut milk in her recipes--so it takes a bit of substitution magic to enlighten her recipes.  Here's Chloe's original recipe.

We thought it tasted delicious, if you can trust our taste buds.

 See what you think!

 

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Panang Curry

Serves 4, generously

Click Here for the recipe on one page

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Better'n Peanut Butter, made from defatted peanut flour)
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups soymilk (not light) mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons good quality coconut extract
• 1 1/2 tesaspoons lime zest
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt (or to taste)
• 1 (14 ounce) package of extra firm tofu, drained & cut into 1-inch cubes (look for a lower fat version like NaSoya Light)
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/2--inch cubes
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sliced carrots
• 1 bunch of kale, spines removed, & cut into bite-sized pieces (6-8 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup of roasted cashews (roast in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes, watching carefully)
• Plenty of cooked brown rice to serve the curry on

Preparation:

• Preheat a large deep saute pan on medium to medium high for a few minutes.
• Add shallots, ginger and garlic and let cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Lower to medium low, cover pan, and continuing sauteeing for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Periodically, stir vegetables, & add a small amount of water or broth if the vegetables start to stick. This will deglaze the pan.
• Stir in peanut butter, turmeric, cumin, and curry paste and let cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes
• Whisk in water, "coconut milk", lime zest, maple syrup, and salt (if using) until combined.
• Add tofu, sweet potato, carrots and kale & bring to a boil.  Let simmer, covered for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes & carrots are fork tender.
• Add in the peas & continue to cook for about 2 minutes.
• Stir in lime juice and adjust seasonings to your taste.
• Serve over brown rice & top with a couple roasted cashews.

Note/Options to Readers:  I'm sure that many of you can improve upon this recipe with additonal seasonings.  Maybe the addition of curry powder, more curry paste, some basil leaves, tamarind paste, who knows?  I added in some World Foods Thai Sweet Chili with Kaffir Lime sauce I had in the fridge on my leftovers the next day & it kicked it up a notch. Let me know what you come up with it.

 

Nutrition Info for 1/4 serving of Panang Curry

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Panang Curry Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 344 Total Fat 8g       Saturated Fat 1.2g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 793mg Carbohydrate 53.7g       Dietary Fiber 8.9g       Sugars 17.4g Protein 21.4g Vitamin A 719% Vitamin C 308% Calcium    45% Iron 33%

 

 

 

Healthy Girl's Kitchen OMG Mushroom, Kale, Spinach Enchilada "Lasagna" with Salsa Verde & Roasted Poblano Cream

 

The Roasted Poblano Cream is Amazing

 

Everyone who I heard from, who has made this, has loved it!

My sister is pretty picky.  Sorry, sissy.  And if she says, "OMG just made the enchilada casserole & it was incredible!"   you better believe her.

I followed Wendy's directions exactly!  Just saying...

Find the recipe HERE

If you're a little skittish about using 3/4 cup of cashews for the Roasted Poblano Cream, maybe this nutritional breakdown will help you decide.   You can always use less--but, I've got to say, this topping really puts this dish into a class of its own.

 

Nutritional Info for the HGK's Mushroom, Kale, Spinach Enchilada "Lasagna" with Salsa Verde (minus the topping)  - 1/8 serving

Nutrition Facts HGK's Version Mushroom, Kale, Spinach Salsa Verde Enchilada Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 232 Total Fat 1.5g       Saturated Fat 0.1g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 1270mg Carbohydrate 43.6g       Dietary Fiber 7.6g       Sugars 4.6g Protein 9.4g Vitamin A 212% Vitamin C 194% Calcium    18% Iron 19%

Nutritional Info for the HGK's Roasted Poblano Cream Topping - 1/8 serving

 

Nutrition Facts HGK's Version Roasted Poblano Cream for Mushroom Kale Enchilada Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 72 Total Fat 5.2g       Saturated Fat 1.1g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 148mg Carbohydrate 3.6g       Dietary Fiber 0.4g       Sugars 1.3g Protein 2.6g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 3% Calcium    1% Iron 4%

 

 

 

Bon Appetit!! 

 

 

Comments

[Jules]

Just curious, the sodium for the enchilada seems really high for a serving - 1270 mg!? I could come up with about 700mg per serving, using the bottle of salsa verde I used and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt called for in the recipe.

But beyond that - this is really a fantastic treat. We look forward to a couple more days of this nutritional cornucopia. Brava to you for sharing.

[Terry]

I was surprised by the sodium content of the enchiladas as well; I don't see ANY added salt or source of the sodium besides the salsa and maybe the tortillas? Please help on this one as I'm trying to watch sodium intake.

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Jules & Terry: Thanks for your questions. I looked through the nutritional content of the ingredients I used & by far, most of the sodium came from the SALSA VERDE!!! This would be an easy fix--just look for a low-sodium version. But, a warning, the recipe uses a lot of salsa verde & most nutritional info on labels is based on just 2 tablespoons of salsa. In this recipe, each serving has about 1/4 cup of salsa verde--so multiply the sodium on the label by 4 to know how much sodium will be in each serving of the enchiladas. Hope that makes sense. Also, buy no salt black beans--or rinse them well, that removes a lot of the salt. Don't add any salt to the recipe! You can make this work for you!

[Kim Hawkins]

The enchilada casserole was definitely a hit in our house. I was a little concerned that my hubby (who's not a fan of green salsa, and is a confirmed carnivore) would not care for it, but he ate it up & asked for seconds! Definitely going into the regular rotation.

[Jean Myers]

Regarding the sodium calculations - if you are using 1/4 c. per serving that is four Tablespoons so you would multiply the sodium on the label (for two T.) by two, not four, I think.