Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Chili Stew March 2, 2012

Filed under: Soups — epicureanvegan @ 12:18 pm
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The weather has been a bit cold and windy these days, and last night was no exception. On nights like that, a hearty soup or stew hits the spot. I threw in tons of different things in this chili and I think this one is my favorite version so far. It’s also great to scoop onto tortilla chips. I had three avocados I planned on dicing up to top the chili, but each one was bad! Total bummer. Crash Test Vegetarian used olives and roasted red peppers in her chili recipe, so I owe her a big thanks for the idea!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs olive oil

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (1/2 C of barley is a good substitute)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

4 C low-sodium vegetable broth

2 C water

1 6-oz can black olives, sliced

1 small can tomato paste

3 jarred roasted red peppers, diced

1/8 C lime juice

2-3 Tbs Ancho chili powder

1-1/2 Tbs cumin

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

4-5 green onions, sliced

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Optional: Daiya cheese, diced avocado, Tofutti sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large soup pot. Add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until tender. Add the broth, water, potatoes, tomatoes, black beans, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are slightly tender, about 20 minutes. Add the seasonings, roasted red peppers, olives, and lime juice. Simmer another 15-20 minutes and stir in the lime juice. Sprinkle servings with green onion, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

 

Halloween Shenanigans November 3, 2011

Filed under: Appetizers,Dinners,My Vegan Life — epicureanvegan @ 3:04 pm
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I’m a little slow in getting this post up—I’ve been swamped, but here it is. I LOVE Halloween—behind Christmas, it’s my favorite holiday. It’s The Husband’s least favorite holiday, but he puts up with it for me. (Thanks, hon). He’ll even don a costume . . .

The Husband, on the left, after getting fed up with the (cheaply made) Headless Man costume and our good friend, and neighbor, Chris.

I decided to go as a witch . . .

(No, I’m not drunk, just hamming it up for the camera)

I’ll make this quick . . . I threw together some appetizer favorites along with a pot of Vegetable-Barley Chili. On the menu were Stuff Phyllo Cups, Mushroom/Spinach Truffle Oil Tart, Hummus, and my mom’s famous Party Cheese Ball.

For dips, I used Tofutti sour cream with vegan veggie mixes, had some olive out, as well as cider and punch. For something sweet, I decided to make Cinnamon-Sugar Pita Chips:

So easy! Preheat oven to 425. Cut each pita in half, then each half into 3 pieces, then pull each piece apart; place on a baking sheet.  Heat about 4 Tbs of Earth Balance in a saucepan and combine 2 Tbs sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon in a bowl. Brush each pita triangle with Earth Balance, then sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for about 4-5 minutes. Once they cool completely, whip up some icing by combining about 2 cups of powdered sugar with 2-3 Tbs of almond milk; drizzle on the chip. Enjoy!

Can you guess what my friend, Jessie is?

 

 

Vegetable-Barley Chili April 14, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Soups — epicureanvegan @ 6:07 pm
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This morning, I awoke to this:

And this is how it is now . . . (same day, folks):

Living in Colorado my whole life, I should be used to this kind of schizophrenic weather, but it still amazes me when it happens. The good thing about this morning’s freak snow storm is that it kept me sequestered inside and busy writing. I planned on making just spaghetti for dinner, but like the weather, I switched it up and made this chili. I didn’t have all the ingredients I normally use, but I remember a friend telling me recently, that she uses barley in chili. I decided to give it a whirl. The family actually liked it better than my original chili recipe. If you’re not used to that much fiber (between the beans and the barley) I suggest easing up on the beans, perhaps.

INGREDIENTS:

2 14-oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

28-oz can diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

3/4 C pearled barley

1 Tbs olive oil

5-6 C water and/or vegetable broth

1 pkg chili seasoning or . . .

Home-made chili seasoning:

1 Tbs Ancho chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 Tbs dried minced onion

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbs ground dried chilies

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot; saute the onions and bell pepper until slightly browned. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and about 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then add the barley. Combine all the seasoning ingredients; add to the pot. Partially cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water (or broth) if needed in order to reach the consistency you want. Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes. Serve with some shredded vegan cheese and/or a dollop of Tofutti sour cream. Enjoy!

 

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu July 7, 2010

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 8:10 pm
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This recipe is tofu-licious! Even though the recipe has a long list of ingredients and you’ll need 3 pans and a bowl, it was extremely easy and it was done in about 25 minutes. I recommend doubling the sauce. As it is, it makes a great glaze for the tofu, but I would have liked it a little more saucy. It made about 5 servings and as I was eating the final pieces of tofu, I was thinking that these would be great toothpicked (minus quinoa and kale) and served as a hot appetizer. Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

Quinoa:

3/4 C quinoa, rubbed/rinsed, drained

Zest from one lime, divided in half and slice lime for garnish (use 1/2 the zest)

2 bruised cardamon pods (optional–I used a dash or two of dried cardamon)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tiny cinnamon stick (optional)

1-1/3 C water

Sweet Chili Lime Sauce:

3 Tbs sugar

3 Tbs tamari

1-3/4 Tbs lime juice

1/2 zest of the lime

1/2 tsp red chili flakes (I didn’t have this, so I used 1/2 tsp of Ancho chili pepper)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

4 mint leaves, sliced thinly

The Greens:

1 bunch collard greens, washed with middle veins removed (I used kale)

2-3 Tbs water

1 tsp lime juice

1 pinch salt

The rest:

14-oz extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed

Lime slices for a garnish (optional)

Mint leaves for a garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the quinoa, 1/2 the lime zest, cardamon, cinnamon stick, salt, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and don’t remove the lid. Let steam for 10 minutes.

Sweet chili lime sauce: Whisk together the sugar, tamari, lime juice, lime zest, red chili flakes, garlic,  salt, and mint until the sugar and salt and dissolved. Set aside.

Tofu: Slice the tofu into 7-8 rectangles:

Then cut each rectangle in half to make two squares, and then each square into four triangles:

I sauteed the tofu in a dry skillet for about 10 minutes on each side. The recipe says to add it a “well-seasoned” skillet.  Add the chili lime sauce and stir to coat the tofu. Turn off the heat.  The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze.

While this is happening, slice up the kale. In a wok (which I didn’t have, so I used a small skillet) add water, lime juice, and salt. Cover with a lid and steam  until tender. (The other thing to do, is just add the greens to the quinoa and steam them that way).

To serve, layer plate with  a scoop of quinoa, kale, then tofu. Garnish with lime slices and mint. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Vegan Yum Yum

 

Chili-Lime Corn on the Cob June 9, 2010

Filed under: Sides — epicureanvegan @ 5:05 pm
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I love this recipe for corn on the cob—the perfect combo of chili powder and lime zest. The original recipe, from Guy Fieri, calls for leaving the husks on, but I usually just use foil–a lot easier, but I’ll give directions for leaving the husks on, too. Corn on the cob also has it’s health benefits: Corn is full of resistant starch (like fiber) and phenolic compounds, both of which help prevent colon cancer.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbs butter, at room temp (I microwaved for 30 secs and let it cool)

1 tsp lime zest

1 tsp  chili powder

1/2 tsp  salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp granulated garlic (I used garlic powder)

6 ears of corn

DIRECTIONS:

Soak ears of corn in water for 30-60 mins. Combine all ingredients (except corn) into a resealable zip bag. Drain and pat each cob with a paper towel. Place each ear of corn into the the bag, one at a time, and cover each cob thoroughly with marinade. Wrap with foil.

Place on a grill for indirect medium heat (350-450 degrees) for about 15-20 minutes. If leaving the husks on, peel back to soak and cover with marinade and then cover again with husks and grill.

 

Vegetable Chili February 18, 2010

Filed under: Dinners,Soups — epicureanvegan @ 7:55 am
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A great hearty vegan meal! And such a cinch to make. I added about 7-oz of Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style, but it’s certainly optional.

INGREDIENTS:

7-oz (half a tube) Gimme Lean ground beef style (optional)

1 small eggplant, cubed

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1-28oz can diced tomatoes, juice and all

2 to 2-1/2 cans of water (I use an empty kidney bean can)

1 small can tomato paste

1 pkg. chili seasoning

Salt, to taste

Vegan cheddar, shredded

Tofutti sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

Saute the Gimme Lean with the garlic until browned. Basically, combine everything in a large soup pot and simmer for about 30 mins. Serve in individual bowls (about 8 servings) salt to taste, top with cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  Enjoy!

 

 
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