Three Bean Chili

Day 14, and the Vegan Mofo challenge is: Share something vegan (and delicious, duh!) with a non-vegan. I have found the the easiest thing to share with a non-vegan is chili. Sure, everyone has their own version of chili, some like beans, some think beans are of the devil. But I think most non-vegans rather expect vegans to offer them a beany chili. I won't disappoint them. But I will surprise them.

Three Bean Chili

One can of pinto beans, drained
One can of black beans, drained
One can of Great Northern beans, drained
One onion, diced
3 or more cloves of garlic, mined
3 c. vegetable broth
1 T. chili powder
1/2 T. chipotle chili powder
1/2 T. cumin
1/2 T. paprika
One can diced tomatoes
1/4 t. black pepper

Saute the onion and garlic until soft, in a large Dutch oven. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Let cook about 20 minutes. My family likes to eat chili with fritos.

Quick, Easy and Delicious: Nachos!

Day three of Vegan Mofo is to post about something quick, easy and delicious. What does my family like that fits that bill? Nachos!

We cut up a green pepper, a few green onions, a couple of tomatoes, and an avocado. We heat up a couple of cans of black beans, drain them, mix them with all the chopped veggies, then pile it on top of large corn chips.

Quick. Easy. Delicious!

Seasoned Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice

The other day I picked up some frozen vegan tamales at the grocery store, on a whim. Remembering how much I like the seasoned black beans and cilantro lime rice at our new favorite taco place, I decided to make some at home to accompany the tamales.

Seasoned Black Beans

2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. cumin
One can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-1/3 c. vegetable juice
1/2 t. salt
Handful of chopped cilantro

Saute the garlic and cumin in the olive oil. Add the beans, juice and salt and heat through. Remove from heat and toss in the cilantro. Mix gently.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 c. rice
1 t. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. lime juice
16 oz. vegetable broth
1 c. water
1 T. lime juice
Handful of chopped cilantro

Bring the rice, butter, garlic, lime juice, vegetable broth and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff the rice. Add the additional lime juice and cilantro and mix gently.

Serve. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It would be Texas without a salsa at a celebration. And I really love trying out new and different salsas!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
One can corn, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
One avocado, chopped
1/2 an onion, chopped
One handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
3 T. lime juice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to mix well. Cover and chill. Serve with tortilla chips or large corn chips. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Kale Soup

Two things my youngest never tires of - black beans and kale. I knew making this soup would be a huge hit, and it was.

Black Bean and Kale Soup

Olive oil
One onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c. rice (I used a brown and wild mix)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
One can diced tomatoes
1 t. cumin
1 t. thyme
1/2 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 handfuls of chopped kale
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onion, carrots and garlic until softened. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Southwestern Soup

Temps got down in the 50s recently, and I wanted to celebrate with soup. If I suggest soup for supper during the summer, I get the *look* from my family. The one suggesting I may be certifiable. So when the temps dip down to something not sweat inducing, I'm gonna make a pot of soup. And I did.

Southwestern Soup

One onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
One can diced tomatoes with mild chiles
One can corn
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
4 c. vegetable stock

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil in a Dutch oven until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. To serve, spoon the soup into a bowl and crunch tortilla chips on top.

I had no leftovers. Made me sad.

Black Bean and Veggie Burger

Cilantro is a common herb used where I live, but I went years before ever tasting it fresh. On a whim I had it added to a salad at a local restaurant known for its wonderful salads, and I've been sold on it ever since.

Black Bean and Veggie Burger

One can black beans, drained and rinsed
One can diced tomatoes with chiles, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. onion powder
3 green onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 c. fresh cilantro
2 c. quick (not rolled or old fashioned) oats

Into a food processer add the beans, tomatoes, garlic, onion powder, green onions, carrots and cilantro. Whir until well blended. Add the bean mixture to a large bowl and add the oats. Stir well. Make patties and place on an oiled or sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for about 8 minutes, then turn the heat up to broil for about 2 minutes, or until you see the patties starting to brown. Serve on buns with your toppings of choice.

Honestly, I thought the cilantro is what really made these burgers. Someone asked me if those were potato chips on the sandwich in the picture. No, it's iceberg lettuce. However, my daughter and daughter-in-law both like to add potato chips inside sandwiches and swear it is good eating. So maybe you can try that.

What Do You Do With Leftover Beans? Wraps!

Typically in my house, leftover beans and rice get gobbled up by the next day for lunch. IF there are any left over! I had a couple of servings left from the black beans and rice from the night before, and I decided to mix them with some other ingredients and roll them into wraps for dinner. They didn't look pretty, but they sure tasted good!

Black Beans and Friends Wraps

One onion, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
One package sliced mushrooms
One container roasted red pepper hummus
Large whole grain tortillas
Fresh organic spinach

Saute the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms until softened. Add the leftover black beans. We had mixed the black beans, corn, green onions, bell pepper and cilantro from the night before all together, and this is what we used. Spread the hummus on a tortilla. Layer the spinach on top, then add the black bean/mushroom mixture. Roll up and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes. Serve with guacamole and salsa, if desired. Enjoy!

Black Beans and Rice

You can never go wrong with beans and rice. They are such a staple at my house. I can always fall back on beans and rice and no one complains, they love it that much. I guess it is like a comfort food. Normally I do something simple like black eyed peas and yellow rice. But every now and then I like to change things up a bit. Since my son absolutely loves black beans, I know I can make them any time.

Black Beans and Rice

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
1-1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 T. Braggs aminos
1 t. chili powder
One can diced tomatoes
Green onions, chopped
One can corn, drained and rinsed
One green bell pepper, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
One avocado, diced
Cooked rice

Cook the beans with the broth, Braggs and chili powder. Add the diced tomatoes and heat through. Serve the beans over the rice with the green onions, corn, bell pepper, cilantro and avocado spooned on top. Enjoy!

This was simple and delicious, and the leftovers made it into wraps the next day.

Black Bean and Potato Hash

Skillet meals make life convenient. Like one pot meals, everything goes into one pot or pan and done. I like crockpots for the same reason. Plus, with the way my dishwasher sounds when it runs right now, the fewer dishes I use I figure the better.

Black Bean and Potato Hash

Potatoes - however many you want, probably about 2 per person, diced
One onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
One can black beans, drained

Add the potatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers in a frying pan with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, around 30 minutes. Add the spices and black beans, stir well and cook until beans are heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. You can add some chopped cilantro, if you want. Serve. Enjoy!

As it cools, the sauce created darkens. Don't be put off by it. Once reheated, it remains tasty!

Skillet Tacos

Before becoming vegan, the tacos we typically consumed were ground beef, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and shredded cheese. Simple. Ordinary. Cruelty in a taco shell.

Since becoming vegan, we have found we like to try variety in our taco making. Black beans. Sliced avocados. Rice. I don't think we've made a taco the same way twice since becoming vegan. When you don't make meat the main component, the selections become endless!

This is one we tried the other night. You can eat this as a rice dish, but honestly I discovered that the taste and crunch of the taco shell really pulled all the flavors together. We added nothing extra to the tacos other than the what was in the skillet. It didn't need anything else.

Skillet Tacos

1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. cumin
3 c. cooked brown rice
One can kidney beans, drained
One can black beans, drained
One can corn, drained
One green bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Several green onions, chopped
Several taco shells

Saute the garlic in the vinegar and oil until just cooked. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to mix and coat. Let it heat through on low to medium heat. Spoon rice mixture into taco shells. Serve. Enjoy!

Drunken Bean Stew

My ancestry is both Irish and German, with plenty of Viking thrown in for good measure. One would think that I could drink anyone under the table. Surprisingly, I'm not fond of the taste of strong liquor, and I've never actually acquired a taste for beer. Unbelievable with my ancestry, right? I like Belgian beer, because they are sweet, and my son concocted what my dad later told us is known as red beer. Beer mixed with tomato juice. I can drink that.

All of that aside, I really like cooking with alcohol. I'm not sure why I like the flavor it imparts food, but don't like drinking it straight. So when I come across a recipe that lists alcohol as an ingredient, I tend to want to try it.

Drunken Bean Stew

One can green beans
One can black beans
One can kidney beans
One can lima beans
One can pinto beans
One can corn
One quart of V8 juice
One can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 bags frozen mixed vegetables
One small cabbage, diced
2 T. barley
3 cloves garlic, diced
One bottle of dark beer

Combine all the ingredients except for the beer in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Add the beer and simmer another 45 minutes to an hour. Season to taste. Serve. Enjoy!

What I like about this stew is how adaptable it is. You can add or subtract the veggies to suit your taste. It is one of those recipes for a cold day and you don't want to go to the store, so you raid your pantry and freezer. Kind of like add a rock and you have stone soup.

Serve it up with some cornbread or a crusty bread that invites you to tear hunks off and slather with some vegan butter, and you've got a great filling meal.

Black Bean and Vegetable Soup

We've had a cold snap where I live, and nothing warms better than soup. In fact, for a period of about one week, I think I made a different soup every night!

Black Bean and Vegetable Soup

One onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c. dry red wine
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 c. vegetable stock
One green bell pepper, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, sliced
One bag of frozen sliced okra
2 t. grated fresh ginger
1 t. oregano
1 t. thyme
1 t. paprika
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
One zucchini, peeled and chopped
One can black beans, drained
1 T. soy sauce

Saute onion and garlic in the wine. Add remaining ingredients, except for the zucchini and black beans, simmer for about 15 minutes. Add zucchini and beans and continue simmering for an additional 10 minutes. Add soy sauce and serve over brown rice. Enjoy!

Dips and Savories

I have a fondness for delectable finger foods. Especially at Yule. Christmas Eve. New Year's Eve. Any day that ends in y. We refer to them as fun food. Sometimes we buy up a bunch of several different prepackaged kinds, but after awhile they become boring. Making my own ups the fun ante and the plus side is I get to experiment with new recipes.

Tiny Taco Tarts

30 individual frozen mini phyllo shells, thawed
1/4 c. vegan mayonnaise
6 T. vegan sour cream
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 T. lime juice
Toppings of choice (we used cilantro)

Bake the phyllo shells at 375 for 10 minutes. Let cool. Mix the remaining ingredients (except for toppings) and spoon into the cooled shells. Top with chosen toppings and serve.

These were very tasty, but don't use too much of the mixture in the shells, or you'll taste more mayonnaise than anything else. Use a smaller amount and the mix of creamy ingredients with phyllo crunch is perfect.

Black Bean Dip

Half a red onion, cut in quarters
1 c. cilantro leaves
2 cand black beans, rinsed and drained
4 t. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
1/8 t. ground red pepper
1/2 c. orange juice

Add onion and cilantro to a food processor and whirl until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients except for orange juice and whirl again until well mixed. Place in a bowl, add orange juice and mix well. Serve with tortilla chips.

I would have liked the beans to be more mashed than they were, so would whirl it all a little longer. This, however, did not stop it from being devoured. Also, more than half an onion overwhelms all other flavors. Add more if you like that.

Cilantro Pesto

2 c. cilantro
2 T. walnuts
1 T. lime juice
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T. water

Combine everything in a food processor and whirl until well mixed. Serve with raw veggies. We used cucumber and celery.

I initially left out the sugar, but discovered it really was needed to tone down the tartness. While it went well with the raw veggies, I found out the next day it went even better over pasta.

I woke up the next day really expecting leftovers. I should have known better serving these to a house full of twenty somethings. Everything was gone but for just over a tablespoon of the cilantro pesto.

Celebrate with Black and Orange!

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.
~Author Unknown

Something wonderful happens when I see the colors black and orange together. I get excited because I know Hallowe'en is near. For some, the celebration continues over the course of three days, as Catholics honor the saints on November 1 and all souls on November 2. But the fun really begins on All Hallows Eve, October 31.

This year we only had five little trick or treaters. Several friends of mine reported the same. Kind of sad, since I have such happy memories of my own trick or treating as a child, and then taking my kids around the neighborhood for their trick or treating adventures.

In the spirit of the holiday, however, I made all black and orange dishes. Of course, at least one of those dishes contained pumpkin.

Black and Orange Salad

3 navel oranges, peeled and cut in half
1/4 of a red onion, chopped
1/4 c. slivered almonds
One can of small black olives
4 mint leaves, chopped
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1 t. sugar

Mix everything together. Serve.

Black and Orange Stew

One butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
Olive oil
One onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
One orange bell pepper, chopped
One can diced tomatoes
2 T. tomato paste
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
One chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
1 c. apple juice
3 T. chili powder
1/2 t. allspice
1/2 t. sugar

In a Dutch oven in the olive oil, cook the squash, onion, carrots and bell pepper, covered, for about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beans and chipotle chile. Stir in the apple juice and seasonings. Stir until well mixed and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about 3o minutes, or until squash is tender.

Black and Orange Muffins

1-1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1-1/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. plain nondairy milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil (not olive)
One can diced green chiles
1/4 c. pumpkin seeds, chopped
Black sesame seeds

Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in one large bowl. Mix the pumpkin, brown sugar, milk and oil in a separate bowl. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture, and stir in the green chiles and pumpkin seeds. Mix well. Pour this into paper muffin liners in a muffin tin. Sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top. Bake at 375 for 18 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure they are done. I got about 18 muffins from this.

I really loved the salad and the muffins. The stew was spicy, so be prepared and have tissues nearby!

And because cutting through tough squash can be difficult, I'm including this tip to make your life easier!

Enjoy!

After eating this healthy, it's okay now to indulge in a little - just a little! - of the leftover candy! You're welcome!

Mexican Food, Two Ways

Call me a snob, but the best Mexican food is in Texas. I've traveled around the country, but nowhere do I enjoy eating Mexican food as much as the places in Texas. We call it Tex Mex - a blend of Mexican food with a dash of Texas cuisine.

So when I come across a recipe that uses the word *burrito* or *taco*, naturally I expect it will be something similar to what I find locally. It usually turns out to be anything but. However, that doesn't stop me from trying those recipes. That's what happened here.

Mexican Food, Two Ways

One can pinto beans, drained
One can black beans, drained
One can garbanzo beans, drained
Olive oil
One onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, diced
One jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 carrots, diced
One green bell pepper, chopped
One zucchini, chopped
2 t. oregano
1/2 c. salsa
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
One can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
Flour tortillas
Phyllo dough sheets
Daiya shreds - I used both cheddar and pepperjack

In a skillet with the olive oil, saute the onion, garlic, jalapeno, carrots, and bell pepper until tender. Add the zucchini and oregano until heated through. Mix in the beans, salsa, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, corn and cilantro.

Here comes the two ways. Add a spoonful of the bean mixture with a sprinkle of the cheese to:

- the middle of a flour tortilla. Fold it like an envelope, sides first, then top and bottom. Place seam side down in a casserole dish. Pour over some extra salsa.

- lay a sheet of phyllo on a flat surface and brush with olive oil. Add a second sheet and brush with olive oil. Add a third sheet on top of the first two sheets and once again brush with olive oil. Place the bean mixture and cheese in the corner of the three sheets and fold up in a triangle. Place triangles in a separate casserole dish.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, until nicely browned. Serve the burritos with some vegan sour cream and the phyllo triangles as is.

No, I did not make these on the same day. When I made the bean mixture I had some left over after using the entire package of flour tortillas. The next day I pulled out the phyllo to make a version of an empanada.

Both are tasty, but my family said they preferred the phyllo empanadas to the burritos. Try it both ways and see which way you like it best.

No, this does not taste like the Mexican food I know, but it was good nonetheless.

Black Beans and Soyrizo

When my family took off for a day long outing, I prepared breakfast burritos the night before. Cooked up some potatoes and bell peppers and sauteed it with some soyrizo. I'd never had soyrizo before. I'd originally bought it with the idea to slice it and grill it, only to discover that just wasn't going to be possible. Soyrizo is already ground up and you squeeze it out of the casing to cook it. So, the idea of breakfast burritos came to mind. It was good!

So when I came across a recipe in an old magazine calling for soyrizo, I thought, cool! I can try it again in a different way!

Black Beans and Soyrizo

Olive oil
One green bell pepper, diced
One onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1-1/2 c. vegetable stock
One can diced tomatoes
One package soyrizo
Limes, cut into wedges

Saute the bell pepper, onion, garlic, cumin and salt in the olive oil until softened. Add the beans, stock, tomatoes and soyrizo and simmer about 10 minutes over medium heat. Serve over rice and squeeze a lime wedge over it. Enjoy!

My family is a fan of beans and rice, but this was a new twist on it for us. We particularly like yellow rice, so it is the variety I most often make when serving up beans.

Pete's Nacho Awesomeness

I have to say it - my youngest is pretty awesome. He will often come home from work and offer to cook. How many kids do that? And the beauty of it is, he's really pretty good! Not only is he gorgeous, but he can cook, too!

One of his specialties is a very simple nacho dish. We eat it a few times a year, and he decided to make it the other day. I can't explain it, but for some reason, this time he made it it just seemed exceptionally good! I told him we were officially changing the name of the recipe to Pete's Nacho Awesomeness!

One bag of corn chips
One green bell pepper, diced
One bunch of green onions, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
One can of sliced black olives
2 avocados, diced

Lay the corn chips on a baking sheet and top with the green pepper, green onions, tomatoes and black beans. Broil about 7-10 minutes, but watch closely to make sure the corn chips don't burn. Top with olives and avocados and serve.

You can sprinkle some Daiya shreds on it you like, or add some vegan sour cream. You can do this, of course, but honestly these nachos are so good without them you might decide not to.

Have extra chips on hand, because you won't want to lose a bit of the tasty veggies.

Enjoy!

National Junk Food Day

July 21 is National Junk Food Day. Because the next day was my son's birthday, and he loves the occasional night of snack food dining, I decided to wait. Okay, so we didn't celebrate Junk Food Day on Junk Food Day, but doesn't every day hold the honor of being a junk food day? Well, at least in some form? ;)

The good news is my birthday boy loved the snacks, and that's the most important thing!

I can't count how many potlucks or get togethers I've gone to where someone brought tortilla rollups. Such a simple and pretty thing, but I've never made them before. This offered me the perfect opportunity to correct that.

Tortilla Rollups

One container vegan cream cheese
5 green onions, chopped
2 small cans of chopped black olives
1/4 fake bacon bits
2 T. black bean salsa (see below)
1 t. cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
Flour tortillas

Soften the cream cheese in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the flour tortillas, and blend well. Spoon some of the mixture on a flour tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down on a plate, and stack them on top of each other. Cover and chill. Before serving, slice into rounds.

Black Bean Salsa

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. red onion, diced
One green pepper, chopped
1/2 a jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Handful of cilantro, chopped
3 T. lime juice
2 T. vegetable oil
1-1/2 t. hot pepper sauce
1/2 t. salt

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

Don't buy the canned stuff. This bean dip rocks!

Tex Mex Dip

3 green onions, chopped
One can vegetarian refried beans
One can corn, drained
One package Daiya Pepperjack
1/2 c. beer
One package taco seasoning mix

Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Stir occasionally until everything is mixed well and heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spicy Cheese Crisps

1/2 c. vegan butter, softened
One package Daiya Pepperjack
2 c. whole wheat flour
Pecan halves

Beat butter, cheese and flour together until well mixed. Cover and chill overnight. Shape into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Use a glass to smash the balls into flat rounds. Top with a pecan half. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until browned slightly. Let cool. Enjoy!

Black Bean Burritos

We all have them, those days where we wind up being much busier than we had planned or expected, but still have to feed everyone. We're tired, but fast food just does not appeal. That's when these burritos come in oh-so-handy.

Black Bean Burritos

2 cans of black beans
Salsa
Flour tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Cooked brown rice

Heat the black beans in a pot. Add beans and remaining ingredients to a flour tortilla, roll up and eat. Really, can it be any simpler or quicker?

Feel free to add anything else you've got around you like in your burritos: vegan sour cream, vegan shredded cheese, sliced or chopped avocados, sliced or chopped black olives. These burritos are so versatile and you can do what you want with the ingredients you have on hand.

Enjoy!