When I sit down to do my meal planning for the month ahead (yes I do a month ahead – saves time and money) I really like to incorporate at least one vegetarian meal each week. However I really struggle sometimes to know what vegetarian dish to cook that will be substantial enough yet tasty. There is so many quiches and fritter recipes that you can squeeze into a month.

Don’t get me wrong I love a good quiche or fritter but these are really hot weather recipes to eat alongside a salad on a sweltering evening. They really don’t float my boat when it’s raining outside and your toes are cold and all you want to eat is something comforting and warming.

Now that autumn is here these kinds of comforting recipes will start making their way into the monthly meal plan, as the temperature starts to drop and the leaves start to change colour and fall off the trees. I love autumn for natures beautiful display of colour but I don’t like it for the cold, awful weather to come from old man winter. I just need to enjoy what autumn has to offer now and grin and bear what winter is going to give. I am enjoying the last fruits of summer while I can with the last of the fresh ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil going to seed in the herb garden.

I love Mexican flavoured foods – burritos, tacos, re-fried beans etc. I’m sure they are not authentic flavours but still good all the same. The combination of flavours and spices of Mexican food brings a smile to my face. It makes me happy, it always hits the spot when I need a food pick me up. Instead of the usual burrito or taco think outside the box and create a Mexican surprise with this casserole. It has reminders of summer throughout the dish with the fresh basil and juicy tomato base. A great pick me up on a miserable day.

You have to make this dish when the day is dreary outside and you want something to warm up your tummy. It’s a one pot wonder with all processes using one pan. It is packed full of goodness with vegetables galore, kidney beans smothered in a spicy Mexican sauce finished off with some fresh eggs “poached” in the sauce for a few minutes. Served alongside some crunchy corn chips or in my case I made my own tortilla chips out of mountain bread. A dollop or two of sour cream and some grated cheese would finish this meal off with a bang.

We opted to leave out the sour cream and cheese because I can’t eat it and instead finished the meal off with some fresh corn from the garden. Oh my was it good. It is a tradition in my husband’s family to serve the cob of corn, fresh from the pot, at the end of dinner. It’s strange to me but I do it anyway because I know hubby likes it that way. We really enjoyed it slathered in butter (nuttelex for me) with a sprinkling of salt on it. Can’t beat corn freshly picked from the veggie patch.

Mexican Simmered Eggs

by The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Keywords: saute main soup/stew Mexican fall winter

Ingredients (Serves 4- 6)

1 x onion, finely diced
1 x carrot, peeled, chopped into 1 cm cubes
2 x sticks celery, chopped into 1 cm cubes
1/2 red capsicum, chopped into 1 cm pieces
1/2 green capsicum, chopped into 1 cm pieces
1 x large zucchini, chopped into 1 cm cubes
1 cup peeled, chopped 1 cm cubes sweet potato
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g tin red kidney beans
1/2 cup water
400g tin crushed tomatoes
30g packet salt reduced taco seasoning
3 x green shallots, finely sliced - to garnish
6 x free range eggs

Tortilla Chips

6 x Slices mountain bread or tortilla's, sliced into triangles
3 teaspoon italian herbs
1 1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika
3/4 teaspoon dried garlic
spray oil

Options to serve

sour cream
sweet chilli sauce
grated cheese
corn chips or homemade tortilla chips

Instructions

In a large pan over a medium heat drizzle a little olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, capsicum, zucchini and sweet potato.

Saute for 7-10 minutes until all vegetables have softened.

Add the garlic and taco seasoning and saute for a further minute until fragrant.

Add in the kidney beans, water and crushed tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes on low.

Make divets into the casserole mixture and crack in the eggs around the edge and in the center of the mixture. Place a lid onto the pan and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the white of the egg has cooked through.

Remove the lid of the pan and sprinkle with the green shallots.

Tortilla Chips

Preheat an over to 180 degrees celcius. Line a large cookie tray with baking paper.

Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the triangles of bread onto a lined baking tray.

Spray with oil over the tops of the bread.

Sprinkle the spice mixture over the bread evenly.

Place in the oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Be careful not to burn.

Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheese and sweet chilli sauce.

If you are a mexican lover why not also try my Mexican Chicken One Pot Wonder!