Black Bean and Corn Chili March 20, 2008

Once again, no picture! I really need to remember to take pictures. What’s a food blog without pics?? Anyway…

Last night we had black bean and corn chili with corny cornbread muffins. Chili is one of those dishes that can be simmered all day or whipped up in a flash. I chose the later because even though I make my meal list every weekend and then do my shopping, I still don’t start thinking about dinner until about 5 or 6 in the evening. I love chili, especially on cold rainy days like yesterday. This meal is also cheap and can be done even more cheaply if you don’t buy canned beans, but dried and cook them from scratch. The recipe follows.

Black Bean and Corn Chili

2 cans black beans (or equivalent cooked)

2 cans tomatoes (I used one can diced and one crushed)

1 cup corn (frozen, canned, or fresh will all work)

1 cup green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, cinnamon, salt, and pepper – all to taste.

Olive oil

In large soup pot, sautee onion and green pepper in a small amount of olive oil. Once softened, add tomatoes, beans, and spices. Also add a can or two of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to simmer for however long (if a while, keep an eye the water level, adding more if too much cooks out). Towards the end, add the corn. Give it a taste to check spices, add more if necessary. Serve in bowls, topped with (vegan) sour cream.

While the chili is simmering, whip up some easy corn bread using this recipe from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook:

Cornbread

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1 1/2 cups flour

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sweetener (sugar, honey, or agave nectar)

1 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups soymilk or water

1/4 cup oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients well, stir in the milk and oil. Pour into greased muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve with Earth Balance Buttery Spread. (I added that last part ). I added some frozen corn to the batter to make them corny corn muffins. If you like, some shredded cheddar cheese can also be added with the corn to make them cheesy and corny.

Parmesan-Crusted Vegetable Sandwiches & Carrot Soup March 17, 2008

One word about this meal: Yum!

These are my first recipes tried from How it all Vegan. The sandwiches were made by spreading a mixture of Earth Balance and vegan parmesan on only one side of the slices of bread then grilling them in the skillet. I then let the bread cool and filled the sandwiches with alfalfa sprouts, avocado, and tomato and just enough dijon mustard and Veganaise. This was a seriously good sandwich. Adam really enjoyed it, too.

The carrot soup was good, but I put too much dried dill in it. I was lazy and didn’t measure. The dill over-powered the carrot taste. It didn’t ruin it, but next time I’ll definitely use less.

Oh, and ignore the bites already taken out of the sandwich. I started to eat and then I was like, “Oh! I need to take a picture of this for my blog!”

Thanks, Mom! March 15, 2008

My mom bought me two new cookbooks that I’m so excited about reading and then trying out the new recipes.

They are How it all Vegan and The Garden of Vegan.

I’ve taken just a quick glance through these cookbooks and they look great! I can’t wait to start cooking from them.

Thanks, Mom!!

Honey-Baked Lentils March 11, 2008

(Sorry – no picture again. I’ll try to take one at lunch today.)

Honey-baked Lentils has got to be one of my favorite things to make and eat. It’s easy, cheap, and oh-so-good!

I’ve seen this recipe in different blogs and forums, so I’m not sure where it originated. Here’s how I make them:

Honey-Baked Lentils

1 lb. green lentils

4 – 6 cups water

4 carrots, diced or sliced

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

In a large soup pot, sautee onion in a tablespoon or two of the olive oil until softened. Add carrots, lentils, honey, tamari, remaining olive oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir. Add water to cover lentils and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Keep an eye on the water level and add more if needed. Cook for an hour or until lentils reach desired tenderness. Serve over cooked quinoa or brown rice, with a green salad on the side.

I also make  this in the crockpot by just throwing all the ingredients in at once and letting it cook on low most of the day. Again, keeping an eye on the water level, though I think 5 or 6 cups should be fine, depending on if you want it more like soup.

Green Smoothie Challenge Update March 5, 2008

I’ve been drinking green smoothies almost everyday. My favorite is spinach, banana, and orange. It is a GREAT way to get at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies. It’s so EASY, too!

Yesterday was the first day I didn’t drink one and I grazed/snacked all day even when I wasn’t feeling hungry. I hadn’t noticed any other benefits to drinking the smoothies for breakfast since I generally eat pretty well. BUT since I’m trying to lose weight, if a green smoothie keeps me from snacking during the day when I’m not hungry then I’ll keep drinking them for breakfast! (I’m not sure *why* it would keep me from snacking, though…)

Fajita Soup and Cheese Quesadillas March 5, 2008

(No picture, sorry!)

This was a super-easy dinner and yummy, too! The soup consisted of a can of black beans, a can of diced tomatoes, one onion halved and sliced thin, and a bag of frozen bell peppers and onions – plus chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.

I sauteed the fresh onion first. Once softened I added the frozen peppers and onions, sauteed those for a bit, then added the spices and herbs. I cooked the mixture for a few minutes before adding the black beans and tomatoes. I also added water and maybe a cup of tortilla chip crumbs (t0 thicken the soup and add flavor).

The soup simmered for about 15 minutes while I assembled and made simple cheese quesadillas – cooked in *maybe* a teaspoon of butter (just enough to keep them from sticking in the pan).

This dinner was pretty good and we all enjoyed it. It was a good twist on the traditional soup and sandwich.