Vegetarian Chili

We had this tonight. Super tasty and veggie. I think next time, I might toss some spinach leaves in there and swish it around. Bake some cornbread...

Ingredients

• 1 15oz can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15oz can Black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15oz can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 heaping tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp Ghirardelli cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp (or a bit less) cayenne pepper
• A couple splashes of soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp regular paprika

Directions

1. Chop the garlic, onion, and bell peppers. Saute lightly over medium high heat in 1-2 tsp olive oil. Meanwhile, wash the beans until all of the canning liquid is gone.
2. Once the veggies have sauteed for about 5 minutes, add everything else into the pot (tomatoes, beans, spices, etc.). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or longer as needed.
3. Once the chili is done cooking, you can top it with anything you like: 1 Tbsp cheese, fat free sour cream or 0% greek yogurt, green onions, or tortilla chips. I served mine with a piece of cornbread (of course)!

Notes

Adapted from KathEats.com and The Picky Eater

Chicken and Black Bean Crock Pot Soup

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3.5 c low sodium chicken broth
2 (10-oz) cans tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel)
1 red bell pepper, minced
4-oz can diced green chiles
1 T ground cumin
1 t ancho chile powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1/4 t oregano
16 oz (2) skinless, chicken breast
1/2 c chopped cilantro, divided
2 medium scallions, diced
cut limes, for serving
1 medium avocado, sliced
sour cream, for serving (optional)

1. Take one can of beans and place in the blender along with 2 cups of the chicken broth; puree, then add to your slow cooker. Add the remainder of beans and chicken broth into the slow cooker along with tomatoes, bell pepper, diced green chiles, cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and 1/4 c cilantro.
2. Place chicken breast on top. Set cooker on HIGH 4 hours. Shred chx breast and mix in. Heat through.
3. Garnish with avo, sour cream, scallions, cilantro, and lime.

Pizza Dough for the Pro

(Make the poolish a day before the pizza dough)

Poolish

385 g  Bread Flour
385 g  water
.75 g   instant yeast

Whisk polish together, cover loosely, and let sit for at least 8 hours. It will rise, so have it in a big bowl.

Final Dough
1750 g  Bread Flour
962.5 gwater
7 g instant yeast
45.5 g salt
17.5 g cornmeal
61.25 g savory oil (like rosemary oil)
All of the poolish mixture

Knead in a mixer with a dough hook. Let rise for a couple hours. Punch down. Let sit for 10 minutes. Form into 230g dough balls. Let sit for another while as they rise.

Place pizza stone in oven and heat oven to 475. Roll out dough, add toppings and back until cheese is melting and edges of dough look cooked. Yum!

One-minute salsa

This is so easy and comes out great every time. Throw in some diced avocados right before serving - yum!

Ingredients
1/2 small red onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 to a whole jalapeño seeded and ribs removed
2 T lime juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 t salt
1 (28-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

Directions
1. In the bowl of a food processor (or blender), pulse the garlic. Add the onion, cilantro, jalapeños, lime juice, and salt and pulse until coarsely chopped. 

2. Add the tomatoes and pulse until combined. Don’t overprocess in this step if you want your salsa to remain chunky – just give it a few good 1-second pulses until everything is mixed. Place the salsa in a fine mesh strainer or sieve and drain briefly. Transfer to a bowl and serve. (The salsa can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)

Avocado, Beet Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette

This recipe comes from my great sisters-in-law. Tam found it and Kerri added to it with an amazing salad!

Salad:
Spinach
Avocado
Dried beets (we can get a package at Whole Foods)
Parmeson shavings
Red onion
Other stuff that you like...

Pecan Vinaigrette:
1/4 c pecans, toasted
1/4 c cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2.5 t  dijon mustard
2.5 t whole grain mustard
2 T honey
2 t sugar
1 t sea salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
1 c canola oil
1/4 olive oil

1. Grind pecans in food processor until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal
2. Transfer pecans to a small bowl 
3. Puree vinegar, garlic, dijon and whole mustard, honey, sugar, salt and pepper in the food processor. While the machine is running, drizzle in the canola and olive oils
4. Pour into a container. 
5. Stir in pecans. 
6. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 30 days. 

Quinoa Avocado Salad, with Dried Fruit, Toasted Almonds, and Lemon-Cumin Dressing

• I've made this with white quinoa, but the red quinoa was SO good. Made this with a kale salad. 

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs. raisins (preferably a mix of dark and golden)
• 2 Tbs. dried apricots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed well
• Kosher salt
• 1 large lemon
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
• 2 medium firm-ripe avocados (6 to 7 oz. each), pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 medium scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped toasted almonds
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, soak the raisins and apricots in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water, the quinoa, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. (The outer germ rings of the grain will remain chewy and white. Some germ rings may separate from the grain and will look like white squiggles.) Immediately fluff the quinoa with a fork and turn it out onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.

Finely grate the zest from the lemon and then squeeze 1 Tbs. juice. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, and 1/4 tsp. salt. In a large bowl, toss the vinaigrette with the quinoa, raisins, apricots, avocado, scallions, and almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

adapted from: www.finecooking.com

Buddha Bowl

I don't have a picture of this, but trust me, this was good! And I'm really only posting this to remind myself, that I made something that we really, really want to eat again.

In a bowl, layer

Kale Salad

then

Quinoa, Avocado Salad with Dried Fruit and Toasted Almonds

then

fresh slices of avocado

and maybe

a dollop of hummus

Romaine Salad with Bright Mediterranean Vinaigrette

This was a great dinner in itself. I never considered putting herbs into a salad (duh), but they add such a brightness and variation of flavor to a salad.

Ingredients

• 2 pitas

Dressing

• 1.5 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c EVOO
• 1 t brown rice vinegar
• 1/4 t ground cumin
• 1/4 sea salt

Salad

• 6-8 romaine hearts, roughly chopped
• 1 english cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small pieces
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3-4 oz organic feta cheese
• 1 c olives, pitted, halved lengthwise
• 1/4 fresh mint
• 1/4 c fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bake the pitas 8-10 minutes until golden. Cool. Break into small pieces.

Whisking all dressing ingredients and set aside.

Toss the romaine with the dressing. Top with rest of salad. Sprinkle mint, parsley, and broken pita chips on top.

Toss salad at the table and serve on individual plates.

Avocado Kale Slaw

My new favorite kale salad!

Salad

• 6 c chopped kale (stems removed and discarded)
• 1 c shredded carrots
• 1/2 c finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 c toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing

• 1/2 medium avocado, pitted
• 1/2 c unsweetened almond or hemp milk (or 1/3 c canned coconut milk and 1/2 c water)
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 T honey
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T EVOO
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1/2 t granulated garlic powder
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Combine kale, carrots, onion, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. 

Blend dressing until creamy and smooth.

Toss dressing with salad and season with salt and pepper before serving. 

Keeps for days!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

My girlfriend brought us the most delicious soup the other night, along with a great kale salad with this amazing dressing. Is it just because I didn't cook it that it tasted so good? Probably. But also, the soup recipe was courtesy the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. Of course it's going to be good.

Ingredients

• 1.5 t cumin
• 1.25 t chili powder
• .5 t garlic powder
• .5 t salt, plus more to taste
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 c diced onion
• 1/4 c diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 c diced red bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 - 10oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Rotel
• 4 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 c hot water
• 3 T tomato paste
• 2 - 15oz cans black beans, drained
• 3 T cornmeal
• 5 small corn tortillas

Garnishes:

• diced avocado
• diced red onion
• sour cream
• chopped fresh cilantro
• monterey jack cheese, pico de gallo

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Start by mixing together the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the chilli powder, the garlic powder and salt. Drizzle the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture. Set the rest of the spice mixture aside. Bake until the chicken is cooked all the way through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven. Cut the chicken into cubes and set aside.

Next, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Throw in the onions, green and red bell peppers and garlic. Throw in a tablespoon of the spice mixture used to season the chicken. Add a little extra chilli powder (about 1/4 teaspoon) for heat. Stir to cook the vegetables until they begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cubed chicken and diced tomatoes, juice and all. Add the chicken broth, hot water and tomato paste. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the drained black beans. Next, mix together the cornmeal with 1/2 cup water. Add the mixture to the pot, and then simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes. Give it a taste and add salt or seasonings as needed; be sure to not under salt it!

Cut the tortillas into uniform 2- to 3-inch strips. Stir most of them into the soup just before serving. This is what makes tortilla soup tortilla soup! Turn off the heat and get ready to serve it up. Ladle the soup into a bowl, then add avocado, red onion, sour cream, cilantro and extra tortilla strips to the top. The more toppings on tortilla soup, the merrier.

Homemade Almond Milk

When I buy almond milk from the grocery store, I get so frustrated because of all the added ingredients (that I don't even understand what they are). Natural flavors, preservatives - seriously what are these things and why do I need to ingest them? Especially, when - with a little bit of forethought I can just make my own. Easily. And it's so good. Soak about a cup of almonds in 3 cups of water overnight. The next day (when the almonds are all plump and nice), drain the water. Then combine in the Vitamix. It's that simple. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 c almonds soaked in water overnight and then drained
• 3 cups of water

      Optional:

• pinch of salt
• dash of cinnamon
• 1-3 dates 

Blend together well. Add a pinch of salt, a bit of cinnamon, and a couple dates (if you'd like) to sweeten it up. Strain through cheesecloth (or a mesh veggie bag works too).

Bam. Homemade almond milk. It keeps for about a week.

You're welcome.

Cumin Lime Black Bean Quinoa Salad

On another healthy kick, I actually made something that we liked. It tasted so fresh and good and a great snack alternative for the week. Combining with hummus with it is good too.

For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (or 1.5 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• 1.5 cups cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 small/medium carrots, julienned (about 1.5 cups) OR 1 large chopped and roasted sweet potato
• 4 green onions, chopped
• fine grain sea salt & black pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1. To prepare the quinoa: Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Add into pot along with 1.5 cups water or veggie broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium, and then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 15-17 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and steam with the lid on for 5 additional minutes. Fluff with fork and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, toss the quinoa, drained and rinsed black beans, cilantro, carrots (or roasted sweet potato), and green onions.
3. Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl or jar. Pour onto salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I prefer to enjoy this salad chilled, so I usually throw it into the fridge for at least an hour. This is a great make-ahead salad too – prep it the night before and let it sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

from: www.ohsheglows.com

Shredded Kale Salad

For me, this was a solid vegan kale salad recipe. It may have been a bit tart for Jared, but he ate all of it plus a serving. I'll make it again.

Ingredients:
FOR THE SALAD & DRESSING:

• 2 medium bunches destemmed Lacinato/dinosaur kale, finely chopped (8 cups chopped)

• 2 large garlic cloves

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (just eyeball it)

• 1-2 handfuls dried sweetened cranberries, for garnish

FOR THE PECAN PARMESAN:

• 1 cup pecan halves, toasted

• 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 2 pinches fine grain sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Spread the pecans onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.

1. Remove the stems from the kale and discard (you can save for smoothies if you are hard core!). Finely chop the kale leaves (the smaller, the better!).

1. Wash the kale and spin dry. Place dried kale into a large bowl.

1. For the dressing: In a mini food processor, process the garlic until minced. Now add the lemon, oil, salt, and pepper and process until combined. Adjust to taste, if desired. Pour the dressing onto the kale and mix it into the kale with your hands or toss with spoons. Keep mixing for about 1 minute to ensure everything is coated perfectly.

1. For the pecan parm: Rinse out the mini processor and pat dry. Add the pecans into the processor and process until the pecans are the size of peas or a bit larger. Now add in the nutritional yeast, oil, and salt and process again until it's a coarse crumb. Be sure not to over-process - we still want a nice crunchy texture here, not powder.

1. Sprinkle the pecan Parmesan all over the salad. Toss on a handful or two of dried cranberries. Wrap and place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to soften. I tried letting this salad sit overnight in the fridge and I greatly preferred the flavour of the salad served the day of, so I don't recommend making this salad the day before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Rosemary and Garlic

These were amazing and may have replaced my favorite potatoes recipe (yes they did). So when I have lots of garlic and fresh rosemary around, these are the potatoes of choice. Plus, I love brussels sprouts.

• 1.75 lb fingerling potatoes
• .75 lb brussels sprouts
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T fresh minced rosemary
• 1T + 1t EVOO
• 1/2 T Sucanat (optional - I don't use)
• 3/4 t fine grain sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes (or less, optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F 
2. Rinse and scrub potatoes. Pat dry. Slice in half lengthwise and place into large mixing bowl.
3. Cut off stem of brussels sprouts and remove loose outer leaves. Rinse and pat dry. Place in bowl. 
4. Add minced garlic, minced rosemary, oil, optional Sucanat, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper into bowl with potatoes and sprouts. Toss with your hands to combine and pour onto large baking sheet. 
5. Roast 35-38 minutes at 400F, stirring halfway through baking. Potatoes will be golden, brussels lightly charred when ready. Serve immediately. 

from: www.ohsheglows.com

Favorite Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• 4 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams
• 3 (8 oz) bottles clam juice
• 1.5 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 t minced fresh thyme leaves
• 6 slices bacon, chopped fine
• 1 onion, minced
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c heavy cream
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. 1. Drain clams through strainer set over medium bowl. Add bottled clam juice to drained liquid to measure 5 cups (add water if necessary). Bring potatoes, clam juice, bay leaves, and thyme to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low to maintain gentle simmer.
   2. While potatoes are coming to boil, cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
   3. Pour potatoes and cooking liquid into pot with onion mixture, using wooden spoon to scrape bottom of pan. Add clams, cream, and parsley and simmer until potatoes are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
   
   From: Cooks Country

Best Hamburgers

We made these the other night and used our Big Green Egg to cook them just right. We just kept saying, "this is how a burger should taste!" They were so good.

Ingredients

• 8 strips bacon
• 1-2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed and discarded, remaining break cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 c milk
• 1.5 lbs ground beef (85%)
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• Vegetable oil for grill rack

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 and cook bacon on tinfoil lined baking sheet for 15-17 minutes (or fry in large skillet). Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat in heatproof bowl and place in fridge while prepping other ingredients. 2. Place bread in small bowl, add milk, and let mixture sit until saturated, about 5 minutes. Using fork, mash bread and milk until it forms smooth paste. Break up beef into small pieces in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic, bread paste, and reserved bacon fat. Using fork or hands, lightly knead together so that ingredients are well incorporated and mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Using hands, toss each portion of meat back and forth to form loose ball, then gently flatten each ball into 3/4-inch-thick patty.
3. Oil cooking grate and grill burgers over very hot fire, without pressing down on them, until well seared on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve, topped with bacon, if desired.
(adapted from Cook's Country)

Guacamole Salad

This is a great dip to keep in the fridge and just snack on all the time. Or you make this up, fry up some fish, and boom - fish tacos extraordinaire. Drizzle even a little lime cilantro dressing on top for added amazingness. From www.melskitchencafe.com

Ingredients

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup small diced red onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and diced (about 1/2-inch pieces)

Directions

1. Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. This mixture can be refrigerated for 3-4 hours before serving.
2. Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste if needed, and serve at room temperature.

Favorite Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup

Another great recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Jared loved the soup, so I'll make it again this week.

YIELD: SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots, diced small
• 1 cup chopped celery, diced small
• 3 cups peeled and chopped potatoes, diced small
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 4-5 cups broccoli crowns, diced small (about 2 heads of broccoli)
• 4-6 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 16 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, carrots, celery, potatoes and onion. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to get tender.
2. Add the chopped broccoli. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. The pan is going to be very full of vegetables and it might seem like it isn't "soupy" enough since the vegetables overpower the broth but I promise it will all work out when you add the cheese mixture.
3. In a separate medium saucepan, saute the bacon until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the grease and wipe out the saucepan.
4. Melt the butter (in the same saucepan you cooked the bacon in or reserve 3T bacon grease and forget the butter) over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture is bubbling and is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes.
5. Stir in the cheddar cheese one handful at a time, adding another handful after the cheese that has been added has melted. Stir in the salt, pepper and dry mustard.
6. Slowly stir the cheese sauce into the hot broth and vegetables, whisking to combine well. Stir in the reserved bacon and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. If you want the soup a bit thinner, stir in a little extra broth or milk a bit at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.