Recipes (As Requested)

Kate - here are the recipes you requested! We should all get together sometime...I'm intrigued to know that there is another radical feminist turned domestic goddess out there! We are few and far between, I think...

Anyway - here you go:

Mexican Fiesta Casserole
1 Package Corn Tortillas
2 cans vegetarian refried beans
2 cups fat free cottage cheese
1 egg
2 small cans (or 1 large can) green chiles (drained)
8 oz 75% fat free cheddar cheese
8 oz low fat montery jack cheese

Slice all the corn tortillas into strips, approximately 1 inch wide and then set aside. In a small bowl, mix the cottage cheese, egg and chiles and then set aside. Put the refried beans in a small bowl and heat slightly. You want to be able to mix these and create a "spreadable" paste. It's fine to add a little water if they are too thick. Set aside. Grate both cheese and blend together. Spray the bottom of an 8x8 pan lightly with nonstick spray. Put a thin layer of beans on the bottom. Begin layering the ingredients in this order: Tortillas, beans, cottage cheese mixture, cheeses. Do this as many times as it takes to fill the pan or you run out of ingredients. You want to be sure to end up with cheese on the top!

Bake at 375 for approximately 45 minutes. If you want to freeze the dish, do so before cooking! You'll want to bake it at 375 for about 1 and 1/2 hours if baking from frozen.

When it comes out of the oven, it'll be very goopy and gooey. If you have the patience to let it sit and cool for about 20-25 minutes, it'll be a lot less goopy. We just spoon it into bowls and enjoy! It's great with fresh tomato or salsa on top. If you like it more spicy, throw in some jalapeños!

Chicken Pot Pies
Vegetarian Chicken Product (I use Quorn Naked Cutlets or Morning Star Chicken Strips)
1 bag of frozen peas and corn mixed (you could also do a mixture that had carrots if you wanted)
1 potato
1 package mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup frozen green beans
(with the veggies - everything is optional and what you like. Also, the recipe would be just fine with fresh veggies...you'd just want to prepare them before you put them in the mixture)
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup milk

First, prepare everything. Any froze vegetable should be cooked until just tender (a little "underdone"). The potato should be peeled diced and then boiled until it is no longer crunchy, but still holds it's shape firmly. Chop the mushrooms and onions and set them to the side. Dice the chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Measure out all ingredients, because once you get started, you can't stop (you'll be stirring constantly).

In medium/large saucepan, cook mushrooms and onions in butter until tender. Stir in flour, thyme and pepper. Add vegetable broth and milk all at once and stir continuously until thick and bubbly (this may actually feel like it's not thick enough, but remember, you are going to add a ton of veggies and chicken...it will get much thicker!). Add all remaining veggies and chicken. Continue to stir and cook until the mixture comes back to a boil.

Remove from heat.

Here is where the variation comes in. You can put this into a pie plate or a casserole pan and cover with a pie crust (either store bought or homemade). What I do is make individual servings by using the foil mini-loaf pans (you can get five per package in the grocery store). This recipe makes four of them mini-loaf size and it serves nicely as a hearty meal. If you go this route, spoon the mixture into the pans.

I also do not use a pie crust - instead I use Pillsbury biscuits. If the mixture is just made, all you need to do is open one of the small cans of biscuits (with six small biscuits in it). Slice each biscuit into four pieces and then put the pieces on top of the mixture. Cook uncovered in a 400 degree oven until the biscuits are cooked (about 7 minutes).

To freeze, portion out the mixture into the loaf pans and cover with foil. Freeze. You can cook them from frozen by putting them in a 375 degree oven for approximately 1 hour. Do not put the biscuits on yet! After an hour, remove from the oven and stir - making sure that it's hot and bubbly all the way through. Then top with your biscuits and cook in 400 degree oven until the biscuits are cooked.