This is a recipe for using some of the leftover fillings and garnishes of cauliflower tacos. Cauliflowers can be grown in New England, and are excellent for their texture, substance, and taste.
Ingredients:
strips of corn tortillas, spread with a bit of oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and very lightly browned
cheese sauce (cheddar cheese, milk, a little corn flour or corn and wheat flour, butter)
leftover baked cauliflower seasoned with chipotles and lime (original taco leftovers from a “Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos” recipe, author unknown, on a summer fitness newsletter)
leftover refried black beans
red lentil macaroni (gluten free), cooked until still a bit chewy
some grated cheddar cheese
Menu suggestion: For a chilly day, start with a roasted carrot-parsnip (puree) soup garnished with creme fraiche and fresh herbs. Pairs well.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a casserole dish. Mash the leftover cauliflower with the refried black beans. Spread on the bottom. Pour cheese over macaroni, and put the macaroni-and-cheese on top of the bean mixture. Put some shredded cheddar cheese on top, then the corn tortilla strips. Bake at 375 degrees F, until lightly browned, and beginning to bubble a bit towards the center. As it boils, some of the refried beans, and flavor, will rise into the cheese-sauce, bringing the flavors together. Serve with guacamole on the side.
Meat Variation – add some pasture-fed beef hamburger, to taste on top of the beans, under the mac and cheese.
For Dogs? Not the guacamole – it likely has onion in it. And not perhaps the taco ingredients, for the same reason. However, some parts of the meal might be fine, depending upon your original recipes and ingredients.