I was super excited to try this recipe as it sounded like Angela Liddon’s Best crowd pleaser. It went together very nicely and I had all ingredients on hand. (I had prepared for this recipe by picking up a large container of raw cashews from Sam’s.) It’s really pretty with all the wonderful colors; black beans, corn, peppers etc. I would highly recommend you make the creamy cashew sauce to accompany this dish as well as chopped avocado. This works well as a casserole but could also act as a dipping appetizer with tortilla chips. 4 adults really like this dish, one grand-daughter was surprised how much she like it (would prefer it had no black beans but admitted she didn’t really taste them) I honestly think that she was put off by too many colors and items in one bite. When I think about what my children liked and the many students I watched at lunch time, simple and rather bland was the name of the game. I know there are exceptions to that rule of thumb, but now this is on my grandma radar as I think through recipes for the family.
My daughter asked for a left over portion for her lunch and have to say, this is wonderful as a left over lunch or dinner or appetizer with tortilla chips. YUM!!
The creamy cashew sauce (page281) was very easy to assemble, if you have a food processor. Think about this as a sour cream alternative. There are commercial dairy free sour creams available but give this recipe a shot before running to a store. Once you have the big jar of cashews, you’re down to lemon juice and apple cider vinegar and some salt and pepper. I think I will use this sauce in place of sour cream in some other recipes as well. And on that thought: the avocado-cilantro cream sauce would also be wonderful with this recipe. (page 147)
side note: The more I make this recipe, the more people are putting it on their radar for family and friends. Tip: put your cashew cream into a zip lock bag, snip a small tip of the corner and ribbon the cream onto your servings of Tex-Mex Casserole. IF you have any leftover, simply make the corner a little bigger and squeeze the remainder into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. This is easy and NO MESS! (My sister-in-law came up with this when I gave her the baggie of cream.. Trying to get the cream out of the open top with a corner that was leaking left quite a bit of cashew cream on Jan and not as much for another meal. )
Recipe:
Tex Mex spice blend:
1 TBL. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked sweet paprika or 1/2 tsp regular paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
For the casserole:
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange AND 1 red pepper diced
1 jalapeño , seeded and diced
1 tsp. sea salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c. frozen corn
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 c. tomato sauce
2-3 c. chopped Kale or spinach leaves
1 15 oz. can black beans ( drained and rinsed)
3 c. cook wild rice blend
1/2 c. vegan shredded cheese (Daiya) 1-2 handfuls of corn tortillas chips , crushed
Optional toppings:
sliced green onions, salsa, avocado, corn chips, cashew cream or sour cream
Cashew cream:
In a food processor combine 1 c. of raw cashews that have been soaked overnight and drained. 1/2 c. water (can add a little more if you like it thinner) and a pinch of salt.
Heat the oven to 375.. oil a large casserole dish …
Fry pan:
onion, garlic. peppers and jalapeno, saute for 7-8 minutes..season with salt and pepper
Stir in: tex mex spice, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Kale OR spinach, beans and rice. Add 1/4 c. shredded cheese
Pour mixture into casserole dish. Sprinkle with crushed chips and remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
I gave this a 4 spoon rank due to the time it takes to read the recipe. It’s really much easier to make than it appears.
