vegan mofo: chili infused vodka

simple, but awesome.  we just popped some chili peppers in a decanter of high quality vodka... and two weeks later, we had some kick-ass bloody marys.


status: good drinkin'! 

why i'm including it: again, i wasn't sure if this was real recipe, or just more of fun experiment.

would i make it again: we're still working through the first decanter.  (we also made black pepper vodka - so good)!

colourful crockpot chili

ah, chili. i only make chili a few times a year, but whenever i do, i kick myself for not making it more often. i loved this combination of black and white beans, sprinkled with some yummy yellow corn. while it was stewing, i was in awe with how awesomely colourful all the ingredients looked together. it was a bright culinary uplift in the drab and dreary winter.

• 3 cups cooked black beans
• 2 cups whole corn
• 1 cup navy beans
• 3 cups diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 4 oz. can green chilies
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

toss all ingredients into a crock pot and let stew for 4-6 hours on medium. stir occasionally. the heat level of this chili is a mild medium, so add jalapenos or crushed red pepper for more kick.

frito pie

so it's not the healthiest dish in the book, but when i made soyrizo breakfast burritos i was reminded of this childhood dish. frito pie: a simple culinary concept the likes of which make every child to college student coo with delight. is it just me, or does it seem like after our early twenties this dish disappears from our conscious? maybe because it's full of processed foods, but i say that even the healthiest of adults has to indulge their inner child every once in a while. go buy a bag of fritos, and you too could be enjoying the satisfying crunch of corn chips, loaded with nice warm chili beans, and topped with cool vegan sour cream.

• 1 bag original fritos
• 1 can chili beans
• 1 soyrizo link
  
• 1 can (15 oz.) fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can (11 oz.) southwest style corn
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
• vegan sour cream

to make your soyrizo chili, crumble your soyrizo and place a large nonstick skilled on medium heat. drain the chili beans and add to the skillet along with the garlic, cumin, and onion powder. use a spatula to sauté for approximately 2-3 minutes. drain corn completely and slightly drain fire roasted tomatoes and pour both into skillet. (to slightly drain the tomatoes, open the can but keep the lid on. turn over in the sink one time, but don't compress the lid to force liquid out.) continue simmering chili mixture for approximately for about 5 minutes, or until liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated.

sometimes i buy tofutti vegan sour cream, but i found this recipe for tofu sour cream on vegweb.com. with a couple extra dashes of lemon juice, it really makes a nice cheap substitute for mexican dishes.

even though my pictures shows a plate, take my word for it - use a bowl. place a nice thick layer of fritos (original and bbq are vegan) on the bottom and spoon several scoops of the chili mixture on top. top with a few dollops of sour cream and chow down on some yummy nostalgia.

spicy ambercup squash soup

a friend at work gave me a ginormous ambercup squash. the first half was devoured in a mash, but for the second half, i decided to challenge myself to make a savory dish yet still let the natural sweetness shine through. the result is a creamy spicy soup with surprise bites of chili beans. a great fall recipe.

• 1/2 large ambercup squash (~4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1¼ cups veggie broth
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon bragg's aminos
• 1/4 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/8 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 can chili beans in sauce

preheat oven to 400°f. scoop out the seeds and peel the skin. the skin is edible, but i don't prefer it in this recipe. dice squash up into large cubes and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. drizzle olive oil on top and use a basting brush or clean hands to coat each piece evenly. bake for 45 minutes, flipping once halfway.

after squash has cooled considerably, chop into several smaller pieces and put in a food processor with the vegetable broth. pulse until the squash becomes thick and creamy, much like the consistency of mashed potatoes. be sure there aren't any large pieces remaining. use a spatula and pour mixture in to a 2-quart sauce pan. add in all the spices, aminos and soymilk, and turn heat to medium temperature. stir often. drain your chili beans, reserving the liquid. after 2-3 minutes, add in 1½ cups of chili beans and 3/4 cup of the reserved chili sauce. continue stirring until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface. serve warm. for presentation, drizzle a little of remaining chili sauce on the surface.

makes 3-4 hearty bowls.

smokey white bean chili

winter definitely gets me in the mood for crock pot cooking. this year i decided to switch up my typical chili recipe, and went for a smokey white bean flavour. it turned out rather good, i thought, for an ad-libbed recipe.

• 2 ½ cups cooked great northern beans
• 3 cans (14 oz/ea) stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup yellow carrots, chopped
• 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons hickory bacon salt
  
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
• salt & pepper to taste

cook white beans according to directions on bag. put everything in a large crock pot. turn temperature to high and let stew for 6-8 hours. be sure to stir every once in a while so nothing burns, especially when you are closer to the 6 hour mark.

serve with cornbread. yum!