Vibrant Vegan Chili

This is a favorite of mine (and of a few friends of mine) but my daughter hates tomatoes and my boyfriend doesn't like chili so I rarely make it. They're missing out! I made this for a chili competition at work, though I'm not competing, just entering it as a non-competitive dish.

Ingredients:

1 bag of Boca "beef" crumbles (other vegan ground beef substitutes can work, but this is the best)
1 large onion, diced
1 TBS olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1.5 TBS regular chili powder
1/2 TBS hot chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp salt (optional, to taste)
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp epazote (this is an herb that's supposed to prevent stomach distress when eating beans!)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
1 large can (28 oz) of fire roasted crushed tomatoes (note - I like a very thick chili. If you like yours soupy, add more tomato (a 15oz can of tomato sauce will work), then add a few pinches more of chili powder and cumin)
1 can (15 oz) of dark red kidney beans
1 can (15 oz) of light red kidney beans

Heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook for a few minutes, until the onions are translucent. While that's happening, measure out the spices (garlic through cayenne) and set them aside in a small bowl. Add the Boca crumbles to the pan, cooking until browned, then add the spices. Stir the spices in, then add the crushed tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Add beans and cook for another 20 minutes, still stirring frequently. Simmer for 15 minutes or more to allow flavors to meld. I love serving it with little slices of avocado or with vegan sour cream, but it stands alone pretty well, too.

Nutrition (per 1 cup)

Calories: 209
Carbohydrates: 33.3 g
Fat: 2.7 g
Protein: 16 g.
Fiber: 50% (12.5 g.)
Vitamin A: 28%
Vitamin C: 65%
Calcium: 10%
Iron: 20%

Pasta e Fagioli

I built my menu for the week and noticed that nearly everything started with the letter "p". My friends helped suggest options to fill out the week and pasta e fagioli was mentioned by the lovely Brian K.

It's a nice easy weeknight meal that comes together in about 30 minutes AND it tastes good.

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil
1 large onion
6 cloves of garlic, minced finely
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of vegetable or unchicken broth
1 can (~15 oz) of northern white beans
1 can (~15 oz) of dark kidney beans
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup uncooked ditalini (or other little pasta)

Heat up the olive oil and pan fry the onion until translucent (not browned). Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add all of the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the pasta.

Cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.

After 20 minutes, you can use a stick blender (aka immersion blender) to pulverize some of the beans and tomatoes to give it a thicker, creamier consistency. This is optional, but it makes the soup feel more substantial. You can also just add a cup or two to a regular blender, whirr until thick and creamy looking, then add back to the pan.

Add the ditalini and cook for 8 minutes or so. Check the label for cooking time and follow that, but check to make sure it's not crunchy. I had to add 2 minutes to  the suggested time to get it just right!

Serve with warm bread.

Nutrition (per cup - makes 7 cups)

Calories: 231
Fat: 5.1 g
Carbs: 37.2 g
Fiber: 8.5 g (34%)
Sugars: 5.5 g
Protein: 9.6 g
Vitamin A: 14%
Vitamin C: 22%
Iron: 15%
Calcium: 9%

Yeti Spicy Split Pea Soup

Yeti soup? Is that vegan? I decided to call it yeti soup because it is impossible to photograph properly. I do not know why, but cameras go all blurry when attempting to take a picture of it! Any clearer pictures just didn't look...right, much like the famous fuzzy being.

Blurry, but I promise it tastes better than it looks!

Anyway, this soup is SPICY! I wasn't expecting it to be so spicy because dried peppers, especially jalapeno peppers, lose their heat when cooked for long periods. I think the pressure cooker does something special with this. I love it, but it you don't order your Thai food in the neighborhood of medium + to hot, you're going to want to tone it down a bunch! It was excellent and flavorful, which is never really my expectation with split peas, to be honest.

Ingredients
1.75 cups of yellow split peas, picked through for stones
.25 cups of red lentils, picked through for stones
1 large onion, diced
1.5 cups chopped carrots
4 cubes of un-chicken bouillon (or enough to make 8 cups of broth, if that's not 4 for the brand you have)
8 cups of hot water
1.5 TBS minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
1 TBS jalapeno (if you like it hot!)
1.5 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Rogan Josh seasoning (a standard curry powder would probably stand in here just fine)
1/4 tsp Berbere (I'm not sure what would be a good stand in here, but in a pinch you could use more Rogan Josh or curry)

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients into the pressure cooker, making sure to stir to get the bouillon cubes to incorporate into the water. Then cook on low pressure for 35 minutes. Release the pressure instantly, stir, and serve. It thickens as it sits, but never gets as thick as traditional split pea soup. Don't add salt before you taste it; it's salty enough.

Nutrition (per 1/5 of the batch, about 2 cups in each serving)

Calories: 256
Carbs: 53 (18%)
Fat: 2.8 g (6%)
Protein: 18.5 g (24%)
Fiber: 20 g (82%)
Sugars: 6 g (16%)
Vitamin A: 160%
Vitamin C: 14%
Calcium: 5%
Iron: 18%

Tomato Rice Soup and Grilled Cheese à la Melanie

What makes the grilled cheese special? Well, first it's on the best kind of bread - thick, caraway-laced rye. It also uses Daiya cheese and dill pickles. Yes, pickles! I don't know why I started doing this, but I started adding pickles to my grilled cheeses when I was a picky child who considered grilled cheese to be a food group. Add them when you add the cheese  - it's good, I promise! Do not use bread and butter pickles or any other sweet pickle; I have tried it and it's not something I would repeat.

Hey look, it's another recipe with tomatoes! 

This tomato rice soup is very good - it was rated a 5/5!

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 stalk of celery, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large tomatoes (about 2 lbs) peeled*, cored, and chopped
1 tsp Parisien Bonnes Herbes
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
6 cups of broth (I used 6 cups of water,  1 cube of mushroom bouillon and 1.5 cubes of not-beef bouillon, but pretty much anything should work)
1/2 cup uncooked jasmine rice

*Peeling tomatoes is easy! Boil enough water to cover them, make a little X on the bottom, put them in the water for 90 seconds, then drop them into an ice water bath. The skins peel off very easily!

Instructions:

Heat the oil and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.  Add the garlic, spices, and tomatoes and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring regularly. Add the broth, stir well, and cook for 20 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take an immersion blender and blend the soup briefly (you can also add about 2 cups to a blender if you don't have an immersion blender). You want to leave most of the texture, but blending it a little makes it thick. I served with black pepper and a sprinkle of dill weed.

Makes 6 1-cup servings

Nutrition (per cup):

Calories 131

Calories from Fat 46

Total Fat 5.1 g

Potassium 395 mg

Carbohydrates 20 g

Dietary Fiber 4.8 g

Sugars 4.9 g

Protein 6.2 g

Vitamin A 77%  

Vitamin C 36%

Calcium 1%

Iron 12%

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

This soup sounds a little boring,  but I assure you it is not! It is my new favorite soup and you should definitely make this. Definitely! Make it! It is so good! We all loved it and it got a 4.75/5 rating!! I will double it next time.

1 cauliflower head, washed, cored, and broken into florets.

1 onion, diced

1 TBS coconut oil (yeah, the solid stuff)

1.5 cups frozen butternut squash cubes

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut milk (the stuff from the can, mixed well)

1 TBS nutritional yeast (optional)

Heat up the coconut oil in a large pot, then add the onion and cook until golden. Add in the butternut squash and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, then add in the cauliflower pieces and cook for another 5 minutes, until they've softened somewhat. Add in the broth and water and cook for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Take half of the mix and put it in a blender, blend until smooth, then add it back to the pot. Add the salt, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast (if using). Serve! It makes 3 servings, but we all wished I'd doubled it. :)

Calories: 221

Fat: 11.7 g

Carbohydrates: 25.4 g

Fiber: 8.8 g

Sugars: 10.3 g

Protein: 7.1 g

Vitamin A: 110%

Vitamin C: 176%

Calcium: 9%

Iron: 11%

Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca

I wanted to make soup tonight because I was feeling awful all day. I was hoping to use farro in it, since I'd picked some up the other day while I was shopping, so I decided to use this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/farro-soup-in-the-style-of-lucca-minestra-di-faro-lucchese-recipe/index.html with a few changes (my changes are in italics).

3 TBS olive oil

1 vidalia onion

no celery - didn't have any

1 leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced

1 cup farro

1 can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained (I can now assure you that pinto beans taste and feel about the same, but are cheaper. Kidney beans would be okay, too)

1 TBS tomato paste

~6 cups water

1 bouillon cube (I used mushroom, but anything would work here, it serves to give it depth) 

1.5 cups frozen peas

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small circles

1 tsp dried basil

mushroom salt

freshly ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil

no Parmigiano-Reggiano (for obvious reasons!)

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add onion and leek and cook until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the farro, beans, and tomato paste, stirring to spread the paste. Add about 4 cups of the water, or whatever it takes to submerge the pan's existing ingredients. Let it come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the peas, carrots, bouillon cube, and basil for another 30 minutes, adding water bit by bit to prevent the soup from getting too dry. Place the soup into bowls, then add a sprinkling of mushroom salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1/2 tsp of high quality olive oil to the top of each bowl. 

This is a hearty soup! It's more of a stew, so perhaps I didn't add enough water, but it turned out great. We all gave it a solid 4 and I'd make it again, though next time I'm thinking pressure cooker, since the sucker takes so long on the stovetop!

Calories: 286

Fat: 8.3 g

Carbs: 44.7 g

Fiber: 12.1 g

Sugars: 5.6 g

Protein: 11.2 g

Vitamin A: 96%

Vitamin C: 13%

Calcium: 7%

Iron: 21%

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Many, many years ago, when I was a teenager, I went to a wedding and they were serving pumpkin curry. I thought this sounded pretty terrible, but once I tried it, I was hooked! This version is pretty close to the other, though as an adult I feel like I'd prefer it to have some texture. Still, we gave it a 4 overall because it was nice in spite of its smoothness!

Pumpkin Curry Soup

I used the recipe here, but with a few changes: http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/hotsoups/r/crmpmpknsp.htm

My version:

1 T. olive oil

1 mediucm chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium-sized leek, white parts only, chopped

1 cup peeled and chopped apple

2 T. sugar

1 TBS curry powder

¾ t. ground cinnamon

½ t. ground ginger

¼ t. ground mace

½ t. salt, plus more to taste

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

2 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup plain soy milk

Pepper, to taste

Cayenne, for garnishing

In a large pot, lightly brown the onions in the olive oil. Add the garlic, leek, and apple, plus the sugar and spices and cook until the leek is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and water and cook for 15 minutes, then transfer to the blender and puree until smooth. Add back to the pot, then add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 5 more minutes on medium heat, until flavors have come together.

Serve with bread - I used the cornbread biscuit recipe from the Vegan Brunch cookbook (Moskowitz) because it's slightly sweet, so it went with the sweet/savory theme.

I garnished the adult bowls with cayenne (this is nice!) and the teenager's bowl with some coconut milk to make it creamier.

I decided this made 4 large servings - about 2 cups each. So, for 1/4 of the recipe, the nutritional information is:

Calories: 255
Fat: 12 g
Carbs: 37.1 g
Fiber: 11.5 g
Sugars: 23 g
Protein: 5.4 g
Vitamin A: 526% CRAZY!
Vitamin C: 15%
Calcium: 10%
Iron: 13%

Accidental Ethiopian Soup

I intended to make Ethiopian split peas tonight, but ended up making Ethiopian soup instead. What went wrong? Probably water ratios and pressure cooker experimentation. Still, the flavor was good, albeit mild, and the stuff is nutritious and SUPER filling. It does contain 91% of your daily value of fiber, so that's probably why it's so filling.

I served it with some pita bread we had left from eating at a Middle Eastern restaurant earlier in the week. Here's a good tip to reheating delicious bread without losing the texture: stick it in a pan over low-med heat and flip repeatedly until it's warm.

1.5 cups of split peas - I used half green and half yellow, but it really doesn't matter
1 onion, diced
1 TBS olive oil
1 chunk of ginger, peeled and grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4.5 cups of broth
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp berbere

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne
Salt & pepper to taste

Stick everything in the pressure cooker and put it on high pressure for 15 minutes, then release naturally. I thought it would take less time based on some pressure cooker timer charts I found, but for some reason it wasn't the 6 minutes I hoped it'd be. Still 15 minutes to soup is not bad!

We all rated it a 4/5.

Nutritional information for 2 cups (1/3 of the recipe):

Calories: 281
Fat: 4.7 g
Carbs: 58.7 g
Fiber: 22.8 g
Sugars: 4.4 g
Protein: 22.6 g
Vitamin A: 16%
Vitamin C: 5%
Calcium: 5%
Iron: 30%

Crock Pot Cabbage Soup

You may have noticed that I haven't posted in awhile... sorry about that! I had too many nights in a row where it got to be too late to blog or I forgot to write down spice quantities or something. Anyway, I think I am back on track now!

This soup is, as most soups are, easy! If you have a crock pot it is even easier. Just toss the ingredients in, wait 5 hours as your house fills with a wonderful fragrance, then eat!

5 cups savoy or regular green cabbage, chopped (One medium head = ~5 cups after coring)

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

1 onion, diced

2 can tomatoes, diced

9 mushrooms, quartered            

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed & drained

4 cups broth (I used Edward & Sons "not beef" flavor bouillon cubes in hot water)

4 cloves garlic

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp paprika (sweet)

1 tsp paprika (smoked)

½ tsp caraway

½ tsp crushed peppers

½ tsp dill weed

Salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low heat for 5 hours. You can cook it over the stove, too, cooking until the vegetables have reached the desired tenderness. 

A serving is 1.75 cups and is pretty filling and healthy! We gave it a 4 out of 5 overall.

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 335

Fat: 3.2 g

Carbs: 58.9 g
Fiber: 22.4 g (that's 90% of what you need for the day, hence why it is so filling!)

Sugars: 9.6 g 

Protein: 20.3 g

Vitamin A: 103%

Vitamin C: 106%

Calcium: 18%
Iron: 46%

Unchicken & Dumpling Soup

I love this soup, because it reminds me of what my mom made when I was growing up. I know a lot of people who say their moms were/are bad cooks, but mine has always been solid! It's satisfying and tasty, and, if you don't have all of the listed vegetables on-hand, or you want to add spinach or potatoes or something, it is flexible enough to accommodate. It's especially good if it's a cold night or you're sick, but I like it all of the time.

Unchicken Soup Ingredients

1 TBS olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup green peas

2-3 servings of faux chicken, cooked & diced (I used a kind from Canada called Blue Menu, but I've used diced Morningstar Griller patties, Morningstar Meal Starter Strips, and off-brand faux chicken strips.)

3 large cubes of un-chicken bouillon 

8 cups of water

1 tsp poultry seasoning

2 bay leaves

pepper to taste

Dumpling Ingredients

1.5 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 TBS vegetable shortening

3/4 cup plain soy milk

First, start the soup part. Get a stock pot and add the olive oil, garlic, onion, carrots, and celery, and pan fry until the onions have softened. Add peas and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add in the water, poultry seasoning, bay leaves, and bouillon cubes and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

While the soup is cooking, mix flour, baking powder, and salt, the cut in shortening with a pastry blender. Add soy milk, stir until just combined (over-mixing makes hard dumplings instead of fluffy ones). Set aside.

After the soup had been cooking for 10 minutes, drop the dumplings in gently, and cook for 10 more minutes, uncovered. Then push a dumpling aside and add the cooked un-chicken pieces carefully, trying to keep the dumplings from getting jostled too much. Put the lid on the pot and cook covered for 10 more minutes, then serve. We served it with a simple side salad.

This gets a 4 overall rating.

Nutritional Info for 1/6 of the Soup with dumplings:

276 Calories

11 g Fat

32 g carbs

4.2 g fiber

4.6 g sugar

13.2 g protein

48% Vitamin A

9%   Vitamin C

11% Calcium

156% Iron

Lentil Soup with Garlic Drop Biscuits

It's been alternating between cold and hot weather here in Southeast Michigan. Yesterday was a cold one, so it was the right day for a hearty bowl of lentil soup and fresh biscuits.

I've been playing with lentil soups, and I now have the perfect recipe that gets about a 4.5 overall on my family's scale. 

Lentil Soup Recipe

1 TBS olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

6 cups water

2 large bouillon cubes, crumbled (I used Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n)

1 1/2 cups red lentils (picked over and rinsed)

Heat the oil in the pan over medium-high heat and add the onion and carrot.Cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook briefly, then add all of the spices and stir until fragrant. 

Put the mix into the pressure cooker, then add the water, bouillon, and rinsed lentils.Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes, and allow for a natural release. I am sure you can do this over the stovetop, too, if you don't have a pressure cooker, but if you have one, use it here! On the stovetop, just keep everything in the same pan and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender. This makes 6 servings.

While the cooker is doing its magic, you can make the biscuits. Drop biscuits are THE way to get fresh bread on the table with minimal effort.

Drop Biscuit Recipe

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup plain soy milk

Preheat the oven to 450. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder and mix well. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender (easiest) or forks, until it looks like crumbs. Stir in soy milk until everything is just combined. Over-mixing will make terrible biscuits, so don't do that.  

Drop 12 equal portions of dough onto a non-stick (or greased) cookie sheet, then cook for 9-12 minutes on the middle rack. I told you it was easy!! The garlic flavor isn't very strong, so if you're not counting calories, you could melt some margarine and add in fresh garlic and parsley, then brush the tops of cooked biscuits with that. But they're really rich and don't need butter at all.

Nutrition Info:

Soup (1.25 cups)          Biscuits (each)
                                                         
Calories 207                  Calories 152
Fat 3.4g                         Fat 8.3g
Carbs 33 g                     Carbs 16 g
Fiber 8.5 g                     Fiber 1 g
Sugars 5.3 g                   Sugars 2.2 g
Protein 11.9 g                Protein 2.6 g
Vitamin A 72%              Vitamin A 1%
Vitamin C 8%                Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 6%                   Calcium 3%
Iron 18%                       Iron 4%