Healthy recipe of the weekWritten by April Ashcroft

I’ve catered this dish for parties and demonstrate it monthly for my dinner class at The Bridge Recovery Center and it’s always well received. You won’t even miss the meat! I like to do a variation of this recipe by using black beans and corn tortillas in place of the pinto beans and flour tortillas. I also have a non-soy variation of the “cheeze” sauce. These recipes can be found in my cook books Whole Food Goodness and Whole Food American Favorites.

Deep Dish Tortilla Pie

1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 4 oz. can mild green chilies
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes
5 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp oregano
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 pound frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
3 cups cooked pinto beans
Juice from one lime
4 T Braggs Liquid Aminos or salt to taste
4 Ezekiel Tortillas or other whole wheat tortilla
Cashew/Tofu Cheeze Sauce

Sauté chopped onion in large sauce pan with 1/4 cup of water on high heat until tender. Reduce heat to medium-high and add remaining ingredients up to pinto beans, in order, stirring after each addition. Cook until hot then add lime juice and Braggs Liquid Aminos. Add water if needed for moisture.

In a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven pour Cashew/Tofu Cheeze Sauce to cover the bottom of the skillet. Lay one tortilla in the skillet and top with 1/3 of the vegetable mixture. Drizzle cheeze sauce on top. Do this with the two remaining layers but instead of topping the last vegetable mixture with cheeze, put it on top of the last tortilla so it covers the pie. Top with sliced olives and paprika if desired. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Serves 6–8.


Cashew/Tofu “Cheeze” Sauce

1 cup raw cashews
1 12 oz. pkg. Mori Nu soft silken tofu
1/2 red bell pepper seeded and quartered*
6 T lemon juice
1 clove garlic
3 T nutritional yeast
1 t onion powder
1/2 t Real Salt or sea salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add this to your favorite Mexican dish, top it on a pizza, or smother your favorite vegetable. It’s good any way you like it.

*For additional heat, use red jalapeño.

April AshcroftApril Ashcroft is the co-founder of the Vegetarian Society of Utah. She adopted the vegan lifestyle in 1991, holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University, and teaches regular cooking classes at The Kitchen Corner in St. George.

After years of developing recipes and collecting research on the health benefits of a plant-based diet, she has published two cookbooks, “Whole Food Goodness” and “Whole Food American Favorites.” Her newest release is available at The Kitchen Corner and online. Visit health4lifecooking.com or follow her blog at health4lifecooking.blogspot.com.

Sunday Edition content for January 25, 2015

Sunday Edition The Independent St. George Utah News

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April Ashcroft
April Ashcroft
http://www.health4lifecooking.com
April Ashcroft is a nutrition coach and cooking consultant. She has a passion for teaching others how to gain optimal health through plant based nutrition. She began teaching cooking classes in 2004 through the Dixie State College Community Education program. In 2005 she co-founded the Vegetarian Society of Utah and continues to serve on the board of directors. In 2007 she created Health 4 Life Cooking classes and teaches private classes monthly. She is also available to teach for your church, business, or civic group. In 2010 she earned a certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from Cornell University’s Nutrition Fundamentals on-line certification program. Since 2006 she has been a member of Dr.Furhman.com where she keeps up with the most cutting edge un-bias nutritional research and loves to share it with you! In January 2012 she joined the team of providers at The Bridge Health Recovery Center where she teaches the benefits of high nutrient plant based nutrition to help those suffering from chronic illnesses and seeking health through holistic methods. April has published two cookbooks, Whole Food Goodness and Whole Food American Favorites. Recipes in these two books are 100% vegan and are high in nutrients using only the most wholesome ingredients that you can find at most any grocery store. She lives in beautiful southwest Utah with my husband Brian and cats Benson and Baxter. She has three daughters and seven grand-kids and loves hiking, biking, swimming, water and snow skiing, and anything that involves being in the great outdoors!

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