Vegan Thai Chili

Chili is a fantastic dish. It can be made with just about any ingredients, in just about any flavor. I’ve seen sweet chili recipes. I’ve seen savory chilies. I’ve even seen recipes for chili (an American staple) with Asian or African twists. That’s why I decided to try and make my own Thai chili. I’ve based this off of Linda McCartney’s Chili Non-Carne recipe and then ran with it.  As far as the ingredients go, you can use fresh or canned veggies. Personally, I pick canned for a few reasons. 1. It saves time. I hate cooking beans and this recipe calls for THREE different types of beans. I don’t want to think about how long it would take to soak 3 different kinds of beans. 2. Canned tomatoes come with their own juice, eliminating the need for vegetable broth. 3. I don’t have as much clean up This one is pretty self-explanatory so that’s good. I use canned tomatoes because they come with juice already built in. Plus, using canned beans, tomatoes, and pumpkin will help you make multiple portions. In fact, I make a huge batch of chili by pouring a 16 ounce can of tomatoes into a pot with a 16 ounce can of pumpkin puree, and 3 cans of beans, and I get 8 to 10 meals from that. But one meal for me is about half a serving for most people. So I quartered my recipe and posted it here. If you are using fresh ingredients you will definitely need the vegetable broth. More chili recipes to follow soon.

Ingredients:

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp basil

1 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp red chili paste

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

¼ cup garbanzo beans

¼ cup black beans

¼ cup kidney beans

¼ cup diced tomatoes

¼ cup vegetable broth (optional)

½ cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

Cook the seitan and in the oil using a pasta pot. You can replace olive oil with avocado, flax seed, or sesame, or peanut oil. I haven’t tried those myself so let me know how it comes out, if you experiment. You want to heat over a low flame until the seitan gets nice and golden brown. Depending on your stove and seitan, this process can take anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. When the seitan starts to darken, chop up your garlic and toss it into the pan. Add your tomatoes, chili paste, lime juice, and spices. Stir, cover the pot, and simmer over a low flame for thirty minutes. Make sure you lift the lid every 5 to 10 minutes to stir again. Next, add the beans. Stir once again, cover and heat for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the heat source, and stir. Let the pot sit, covered, for another ten minutes so the flavors can develop more.

Parmesan Crusted Seitan

Ingredients

2/3^rd cup seitan cut into small strips or chunks

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic diced or ½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp chili powder

¼ cup parmesan style topping or shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup broccoli (on the side or in the mix)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and pour the olive oil into another. If you are using fresh garlic mix it in with the oil
3. take a small baking dish and line it with aluminum foil (or grease it lightly)
4. Dip the seitan in oil one piece at a time 
5. Then, roll it lightly in the cheese and spices, and place the strips into the pan.
6. Once all the seitan is lightly coated on both sides, place the baking dish into the oven and cook for ten minutes
7. Remove from the oven, stir, add the (optional) broccoli and then put it back in for another ten to fifteen minutes,

This recipe is pretty simple. I basically took the popcorn broccoli recipe and made a whole meal of it. I often throw in whatever veggies I have lying around. I also cook it in one big batch at the beginning of every week so I just reheat come dinner time. That way I can have it almost every night. I have been making this with “Go Veggie” brand parmesan style cheese shreds. That makes it vegan. I find that the texture is good too. It gives the seitan crunchy feel but doesn’t burn. 

Simple and Healthy Chocolate “Ice Cream”

Crunchy Edamame Bites (vegan)

I’ve been crafting this side dish ever since I discovered shelled edamame a few months back. I don’t eat a lot of salt or junk food; so for me these are almost as good as munching on potato chips, with added nutritional benefits. I personally cook this recipe with regular old garlic powder instead of garlic salt because I’m not huge into salt myself. However, I tried it with the garlic salt for a test batch to see how it would taste, and this came out fantastic! I prefer this dish without the olive oil/dry. I buy frozen edamame and heat it in the microwave until they are soft and warm but not overly hot, or I get them from the salad bar section of the grocery store. The moisture from the steam will help the breading stick to the peas when you cook them. However, if you do use oil it will not come out as crunchy.

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled edamame

1 tbsp flax seed mill

1/4 tsp garlic salt*

1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°
2. Pour the dry ingredients onto a plate or into a bowl.
3. Measure out the edamame and add it to the plate or bowl, and mix by hand or with a fork until all the peas are coated in flax seed and garlic salt. If necessary use the olive oil to make the “breading” stick.
4. Place on a lined baking sheet on the top rack and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, and then use a spatula or fork to turn them over.
5. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the peas are dry and crunchy. They will have a slightly wrinkled texture if you are making them without olive oil. If you use the oil you just have to watch closely and check on them to make sure they do not burn.  

*I use garlic powder not garlic salt and I like a LOT of garlic on my food. I noticed that the garlic salt cannot be used the same way without over-salting the dish. If you want lots of garlic and a pinch of salt try using garlic powder and sea salt or garlic powder and garlic salt. 

"Popcorn" Mixed Veggies (Vegan)

I found the recipe for popcorn broccoli on Pinterest, and decided to try and make a vegan version for myself. I love broccoli but it can be a bit plain alone. After following the directions in the original a few times, I figured out a better method for preparing the broccoli and was very happy with the results. You can eat this as a side dish, a snack, or you can eat it like a warm "salad" before a meal.

Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli, washed and chopped.
1/4 cup chopped cauliflower
Carrot chips, snap peas, garbanzos, etc. (feel free to choose your own veggies)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp vegan parmesan cheese. My dairy-eating friends can use real cheese if they like
1 tsp garlic powder or garlic salt
ground pepper to taste (optional)


Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400, and line a baking sheet with tinfoil. I have a convection oven and no stove, so I put the tinfoil right on the rack.
2.Pour the olive oil into a small bowl or cup and dunk your veggies in it to get a light drizzle on each piece.
3. Mix your spices and the cheese on a plate. Pick up each vegetable and dip them into the cheese/spice blend. You want all your veggies to have a very light coat of this "breading."
4. Place your vegetables on the cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Flip all your veggies over so they can cook evenly on all sides, and pop back into the oven for another five or ten minutes.

Spaghetti Squash Mac ‘n Cheese (vegan)

Ingredients:

1. 1 to 1 ½ cup prepared spaghetti squash[1]
2. ¼ cup almond (or soy, or coconut) milk. I use the unsweetened original flavor but I guess you could make it work with the vanilla or sweetened original flavors. Also, if you drink cow (or goat’s) milk that will work too.
3. ½ Tbsp rice or coconut flour (white or whole wheat flour will work too but then this recipe wouldn’t be gluten free and I’m trying to work GF items into my cook book these days.
4. ¼ cup shredded vegan cheese (I used Daiya variety Jack Cheddar but there are others out there. Make sure you get a cheese which will melt).
5. ¼ cup diced broccoli, carrots, peas, and/or bell peppers
6. 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Grease (or line with tinfoil and put the squash strands in the shell) a small baking dish, add the squash and put it aside for later.
2. Heat the milk in a small pan (or a microwave safe baking dish) over a medium heat and mix in the garlic.
3. Whisk the flour into the milk/garlic mixture
4. Turn off the heat but leave pan on the burner and add the majority of your cheese to the mixture.[2]
5. Stir thoroughly until the sauce is nice and creamy.
6. Mix the cheese sauce with your squash.
7. Add the veggies, mix, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of your dish to create a nice crust.
8. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Watch the shredded cheese to make sure it doesn’t burn or harden. The heat from the oven and the moisture from the sauce will cook your vegetables and make the squash soft but not mushy.

I took a picture of the dish before baking it so you could see how realistic the cheese shreds look, and because when I first tried this recipe, there was too much cheese (I used half a cup) and it came out looking like a bowl of nacho cheese dip. Here’s a picture of it. 

I have been making loads of spaghetti squash dishes lately, and will be posting a recipe for spaghetti squash with Thai peanut sauce in a week or so. I am absolutely in love with this squash. It’s got fiber and vitamins, is super low calorie, and it only has ¼ the carbs of regular pasta. Lastly, most, f not all, the recipes I will be posting from here on out will be vegan. I am now egg-free, mostly dairy free, and going for the full vegan ASAP. If you are a big dairy person, you can replace whatever I suggest with cows milk or whatever.

---

[1] If you don't know how to prepare spaghetti squash, I’ve been using this website they have great instructions. One additional tip, pop it in the microwave for one minute before cutting the squash, to soften it up. http://www.kitchentreaty.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-two-different-ways-in-the-microwave-or-in-the-oven/

[2] If you can’t find melting vegan cheese just pour the milk/flour mixture onto your squash and add all of the cheese to it.

Leftover Autumn Stew

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup to 1 cup squash bisque
2. 1/4-1/2 a leftover vegetarian meatloaf, veggie dog, tofurkey loaf, or any other meat substitute
3. optional onion strings
4. 1 scoop of raw broccoli, carrots, and/or green beans
5. 1 tbsp cranberries, craisins, raisins, or dried figs or cherries
6. Leftover rolls, bread, muffins, or crescents for a side

Directions:
1. Pour the soup into a pan or bowl and start to heat in microwave or on a low flame
2. Add the diced carrots and other veggies. The heat of the soup will cook them. Stir occasionally.
3. Heat the meat substitute on it's own, but only cook it about halfway
4. Add the meat substitute to the pot or bowl and heat the rest of the way.
5. Sprinkle the optional onion strings and/or cranberries (or figs, cherries, raisins, or craisins).


PICTURES TO FOLLOW