Sunday, March 11, 2012

Different But Delish Chili (Vegan!)

Normally, any chili I make is beef-based, if only in the broth.  This time, I realized I didn't have any beef broth (I normally make my own from cheap bones I buy at the farmer's market--it's SO not the same to use the store kind!), but I forgot to buy bones!  So, I used vegetable bouillon cubes (they're made with just dried veggies and are very low-sodium).  I had to adjust the ingredients as well of course--and this is what I came up with!

(serves about 6)


Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

2 salt-free vegetable bouillon cubes

5 medium tomatoes, chopped fine

1 lb fresh shitake mushrooms, cleaned, chopped

3 cups mixed legumes (I used white beans, pinto beans, and adzuki beans), soaked overnight and boiled until almost cooked.

1 lb fresh mustard greens (or greens of your choice) chopped relatively finely

1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped (for digestion and lightening of flavour)

½ cup frozen edemame (optional)

Seasonings:

3 bay leaves

1 tsp ground ginger

2-3 tbsp dulse (optional)

1 tsp honey or maple syrup

1-2 tsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp garlic chili sauce (the kind with the rooster on it) optional.

Garlic powder/granules to taste (I used about 3 tbsp)

Onion powder to taste (I used about 3 tbsp)

Chili powder to taste (I like a lot)

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp nurtitional yeast (optional--but better if you use it.  You can find it in health sections of supermarkets, and sometimes in bulk stores or bulk sections of health food stores)

Instructions:

In a spritz of olive oil, sautee mushrooms over medium-high heat. It’s always a good idea to sautee your mushrooms first, in any recipe you can—it brings out the mushroominess.

Add onions and cook until translucent, then add chopped tomatoes. Sautee for an additional 2 minutes or so.

Add bouillon cubes, and about 7 cups of water. More water can be added later if needed.

Add all seasonings, except fresh parsley.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium/medium low (depending on your stove), and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

Add remaining ingredients except fresh parsley, and simmer again, covered, for about 15 minutes, until greens are cooked. If you’re using something like spinach which takes no time to cook, adjust cooking time accordingly.

Add fresh parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beet and Brussels Sprouts with Blue Cheese and Candied Pecans

When attending The Arnold this past weekend, I re-discovered my love for cooked beets (I've been juicing them for a few months, which I also LOVE), and also discovered a way that I actually LIKE Brussels sprouts!  Amazing!!

The salad tastes best when eaten right away--thankfully, even though it takes an hour to make, most of the time it's not hands-on, so it is still an easy meal to make.

Ingredients

•4 small beets (any kind), cleaned, trimmed, and chopped into bite-sized pieces

•4 small Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and halved

•1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese (or alternatively goat cheese)

•1 tbsp RAW pecans (pieces are fine and cheaper)

•1 tbsp honey

•sea salt

•black pepper

•Cinnamon, ground, 1/2 tsp

•Eat Clean cooking spray

•2-3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

Instructions

1) Pecan glaze--combine honey, sea salt, and cinnamon in a microwave-safe container. Heat until honey is liquid (just a few seconds), and set aside.

2) Heat oven to 375F. On a foil-lined baking sheet, arrange beets. Spray with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and dot with half of the crushed garlic. Bake for about 30 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces) until they're half-way done.

3) Arrange Brussels sprouts cut-side down, spray with a bit of EC cooking spray, dot with remaining crushed garlic, and return the baking sheet to the oven. Cook until beets and sprouts are cooked--they will be soft, but with a tiny bit of resistance. Remove sprouts and beets from the oven, and arrange on a plate. Turn the oven down to 300F.

4) Re-warm the honey until it's runny again (just a few seconds) and mix together with pecans, until all pecans are covered thoroughly.

5) On another piece of foil (re-use the same one if you can), on the baking sheet, arrange the pecans in a single layer, and put in oven.

6) DON'T LEAVE THE KITCHEN! They will not take long to bake, and you don't want them to burn.

7) After about 1 minute, stir the nuts, and return them to the oven. Repeat often, until the nuts are roasted. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then unstick them. They should come up easier as they cool and the honey hardens.

8) Sprinkle beets and Brussels sprouts with crumbled blue (or goat) cheese, and nuts.

9) Eat with GUSTO!

Tips & Bonus Information

Purchase small beets, as they are tastier, and you don't have to peel them. Much of the honey will end up on the foil, so don't worry that the sugar content will be too high. You can sub maple syrup if you prefer too. You may add a bit of chili powder to the honey mixture, if you like a bit of zip. Add some sort of grain, to make this a complete meal.

Yield: 1 meal. Can be multiplied as many times as needed.

Preparation Time: About 7 minutes.

Cooking Time: About 1 hour (most is hands-off)