cincinnati chili 5-way

the omnivore version of this dish is a classic for my family. we make this a lot for family reunions, especially with the cincinnati relatives. i used beans, carrots, and potatoes to make this really filling, even heartier than the original. you can make the chili in a crock pot, or in a big pot with a lid on the stove over low heat. it's best to let this simmer for several hours with just a little attention.

chili:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
16 oz fire roasted diced stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt 
your favorite hot sauce (this is mine.)
2 medium-sized potatoes, diced
2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
16 oz rehydrated (or 1 can, drained) garbanzo beans, black eyed peas, and kidney beans
32 oz low sodium vegetable stock

5 way:
1 box whole wheat spaghetti, cooked
1 vidalia onion, chopped
10 oz vegan cheddar cheese, shredded
more hot sauce


add the oil to a large pot on the stove over medium heat. add garlic and onion, stir to coat. let the onion soften a bit, and then add chili powder and cinnamon and stir until it is evenly mixed. add the stewed tomatoes, sea salt, and as much hot sauce as you like. i used about an ounce. stir in the potatoes carrots, and beans. you might need to add a little vegetable stock here, otherwise cover, turn heat to low, and let simmer. stir occasionally and add stock as necessary. i let it simmer for about 6 hours, and used an entire carton of stock.

this chili is great on its own, or you can serve it over spaghetti with cheese, onion, and hot sauce for the 5-way experience. (does the hot sauce make it 6-way?)

next time i'm going to change up the recipe a little to try and emulate the texture and consistency of skyline chili. (you should follow that link just to hear "at last it's skyline time," the most inspiring song ever written about chili.) i think i will make it with mostly lentils, cook the potatoes and carrots separately in the veg stock, then puree them with garbanzo and kidney beans and then add it to everything else.

a picture is coming soon! until then, meet my new friend esteban:

he's a bamboo shrimp.

VDAT sandwich

vegan thanksgiving was easy! (thanks ellwoods.) tofurkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, rolls, sweet potatoes with apples, corn, peas, apple pie, and oatmeal sweet potato bars (recipe coming soon). this was my first tofurkey, and it turned out well. i used the leftovers to make a quick dinner with a fresh roll from 8 1/2. (if you live in/near richmond, and you haven't been there yet, go go go!) while i was there, i also confirmed the rumor that they make an off-menu vegan pizza with broccoletti and cannellini beans. they have the best pizza on the planet... this is good news.

anyway, this is my traditional Day-After-Thanksgiving sandwich, vegan style. cranberries, tofurkey, stuffing, gravy, and lettuce. normally i'd throw some mashed potatoes on there, too, but they were gone like the wind yesterday. this was the best DAT sandwich ever, probably due to the 8 1/2 roll. you could put anything on those and it would taste great.

coming up: cincinnati chili 5-way, oatmeal sweet potato bars, and something with smoked tofu... it'll be a surprise.

xoxo

spiced persimmon apple salad

i threw this salad together when i got some sweet fuyu persimmons in my box and wasn't sure what to do with them. it came out great, it has a nice balance between sweet and spice. i've made it a few times since with persimmons from trader joe's (5 for $2.99, but hurry! persimmon season is ending.) this makes a great breakfast or dessert, and would also be a quick and refreshing addition to the thanksgiving table. it's really good to make ahead and refrigerate - the fruit will really absorb the flavor of the spices.

 

oh, this recipe calls for honey, which some vegans don't eat. strict vegans can substitute agave syrup. i'd like to support beekeepers, who are trying to help collapsing bee populations to thrive. bob stapleton raises his bees in glen allen, he sells his honey here.

3 sweet fuyu persimmons
2-3 apples, your favorite kind
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pecans (or candied pecans)

slice the persimmons and apples, and toss them with the honey in a large bowl. you could also dice them for a different texture. add the spices, cranberries, and pecans, and mix. cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (preferably longer) before serving to let the apples and persimmons really soak up the flavors.

baja tempeh tacos

this is another one from the veganomicon that even an omnivore will devour. plus, tempeh is a complete protein, which is great for vegetarians and vegans. add extra pickled jalapeno and make these as spicy as you want. you can even make the slaw and crema and marinate the tempeh in the fridge the night before, so all you'll have to do is grill and slice the tempeh, assemble, and serve. i served these with kashi firey fiesta pilaf and trader joe's cuban style black beans with a little smoked sea salt and fresh lime juice. i'm going to try the leftovers with sliced avocado when it ripens.

serves 4 to 6

8 ounce package of tempeh
12-16 soft corn tortillas

taco slaw:
3 heaping cups finely shredded cabbage (10-12 ounces)
1 carrot, shredded finely (i used a few radishes, too)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 pickled jalapenos, diced finely
1 teaspoon salt
a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

lime crema:
3/4 cup plain soy yogurt (one container)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil
1/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt

chile-beer marinade:
3/4 cup mexican style beer, pilsner or ale
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

garnishes (use one or more)
red radishes, grated
fresh tomato, diced
picked jalapenos, sliced
your favorite hot sauce
avocado, sliced or diced

prepare the slaw first:
mix all ingredients well in a large glass or plastic bowl, don't use metal. cover with plastic wrap and weight it down with something heavy, like a can of beans or a smaller bowl. allow the slaw to press for at least an hour. slaw improves the longer it's allowed to mellow, so it's best to make this early.

make the lime crema:
blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until creamy and smooth. add more lime juice to taste, if desired. pour into an airtight container and chill for an hour.

prepare the tempeh:
whisk all marinade ingredients together and pour into a glass pie plate or casserole dish.

bring a 2 quart pot of water to boil. slice the tempeh into three strips lenghwise, slice each horizontally through the middle, then cut the strips in half. add tempeh to boiling water, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. use tongs to place tempeh in marinade dish. marinate for an hour, flipping occasionally to cover every surface.

prepare a heavy skillet with enough peanut oil to lightly coat its surface, and preheat it. fry each side of the tempeh pieces for 5 minutes. when each side is almost done, spoon some of the marinade over the tempeh and let it cook for another 30 seconds.

use the hot skillet to heat the tortillas - 30 seconds on each side. spread a little lime crema down the center of the tortillas and pile on tempeh, slaw, and garnishes. i used cholula hot sauce and pickled jalapenos.

full disclosure

i'm not 100% strict vegan. well, i have been up to this point... but i plan to eat the goat's milk cranberry 'rappahannock fromage' from lovers retreat that unexpectedly came in my dominion harvest box this week. i might eat eggs that my cousin jenny's chickens laid, if they were cooked in a really tasty way. but i can't in good conscience buy or eat anything that came from a factory "farm." (i don't think a warehouse can really be called a farm...)

there is so little non-factory food - so many small farms have been put out of business - that it is impossible for everyone to eat ethically raised meat, dairy, or eggs on a daily basis. there aren't enough pasture-raised chickens to feed staten island.

i never really ate much meat, but i ate a metric ton of seafood. really, there is nothing tastier than hamachi sashimi. but the way they are caught can be really destructive. if myself or someone i know were to go fishing and catch a few, i will eat that fish. i'll eat crabs next summer, caught off my parents' dock on queen's creek.

i didn't really need a book or film or other book to tell me any of this, and i'm sure you already know, too. (that film really seared it into my brain forever, though, yikes.) but i realized that the changes i need to make to ease my conscience were really pretty small. i've found it to be remarkably easy to make filling meals without fish, dairy, or eggs.

although all of the recipes i post here can be unveganized for omnivores, they're hopefully just really tasty recipes as they are - not recipes just for vegans.

xoxo

red pepper garlic roasted broccoli

this surprisingly delicious recipe comes from howard brown and the awesome people of dominion harvest, who not only email me great recipes every week, but deliver to my doorstep the local, fresh produce to make them with. the best broccoli ever - roasting is the way to go!

serves 4 to 6 (or just one if it's me)

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

preheat oven to 450°F.

toss broccoli with 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl to coat, then sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

stir the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. drizzle the garlic mixture over broccoli and toss to coat. roast another 8 minutes, or until broccoli is beginning to brown. i like a little extra heat, so i sprinkle some more red pepper flakes on before i dig in.

pumpkin cranberry scones with vanilla orange icing

this delicious scone recipe is from the veganomicon, by the lovely ladies over at the post punk kitchen. i've made a few tweaks and added some homemade icing. you can make these with fresh pumpkin puree or canned, just make sure it's 100% pumpkin, and not 'pumpkin mix.' i like these spicy, but you can scale back on the spices if you'd like a milder flavor. you can also substitute almond or soy milk for the rice milk.

makes 12 large scones

scones:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup earth balance vegan buttery sticks, cold
3/4 cup soy creamer or rice milk
4 teaspoons ground flaxseeds
1 1/2 cups (1 can) pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

icing:
2 tablespoons earth balance vegan buttery sticks, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (spring for the real stuff!)
the juice from 1 orange
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 teaspoons arrowroot powder or corn starch

preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease two baking sheets.

in a large bowl, sift together all purpose flour, pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. chop the margarine into chunks, toss in the flour mixture, and cut into the flour with a pastry cutter (or you can use your hands!) until the mixture looks slightly crumbly.

in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseeds and soy creamer/rice milk. add the pumpkin puree, molasses, and orange zest, and stir until completely incorporated.

make a well in the center of the flour mixture. fold in the pumpkin mixture, then add the cranberries. stir until a soft dough forms; take care not to overmix.

divide the dough into two portions. place each on a seperate baking sheet and flatten into a large circle just over 1 inch thick. i use a spatula to get a nice round circle. with a large, sharp knife (or spatula), cut each round into six wedges. brush the tops with soy creamer and sprinkle pepitas onto each scone.

bake for 30 to 34 minutes until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are lightly browned. let cool for 10 minutes before reslicing into wedges. transfer from the baking sheet to wire racks to complete cooling.

add icing ingredients to the bowl that was used to mix the pumpkin - i like a little pumpkin flavor to the icing - and whisk together. if the icing is too runny, add more arrowroot powder. use the whisk to drizzle icing over the cooled scones.

these scones are great with espresso!

hello

this is the three-week mark of my new found veganism, inspired largely by this book, this film, and this system of beliefs. i love to try new recipes, so i wanted to keep a record of my more successful cruelty-free culinary accomplishments - from cookbooks, the intertubes, or made up by me.

coming soon: tempeh tacos with lime crema, roasted broccoli, and some type of scone, tbd.

xoxo