vegetarian chili

Pardon me, I just can’t stop! I already have so many good vegetarian chili recipes (like this one and this one) but really, can there ever be too many? Today I wanted to make a chili that balanced fast and delicious, so I used fire-roasted tomatoes for smokiness, vegetarian chipotle sausages for texture, canned beans for convenience, and cilantro for extra flavor. And I’ve gotta say, this is a great addition to my chili collection.

It might seem odd to include molasses in chili. But the fire-roasted tomatoes can be quite tart and acidic, so it really helps balance things out.

To ensure that your chili is as healthful as possible, be sure to use organic bell peppers and celery (known to be some of the vegetables highest in pesticide residues) and BPA-free canned beans.

That’s it. Over & out, short & sweet!

Another Vegetarian Chili

4 cloves garlic
1 large handful cilantro (leaves and stems ok)
1 cup beer, any kind
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 fresh jalapeño peppers, minced
3 Field Roast chipotle sausages, crumbled
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if you want a milder chili)
2 28-ounce cans fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons molasses
2 cans pinto beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toppings (optional): shredded cheese, avocado, nonfat or soy yogurt, chopped onions

Place the garlic, cilantro, beer and oregano in a food processor and process until smooth.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the onions, bell pepper, jalapeños and sausages. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft and starting to brown.

Reduce the heat and add the chili powder, cumin and cayenne, cooking for 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly.

Add the tomatoes, molasses, beans, salt, pepper and pureed mixture. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with your toppings of choice.

vegan strawberry rhubarb crisp

In an attempt to eat less sugar, I recently swore off baking. See how well that worked? But it’s strawberry rhubarb season, people! I did use coconut sugar, which is supposedly lower on the glycemic index…so slightly less bad than regular sugar. And I used olive oil rather than butter or “vegan butter” (which I really try to avoid, because of the palm oil and other questionable ingredients.)

But let’s get real – this crisp is a treat, not a health food. And what a treat it is. The fruit is just bursting with flavor, especially if you use super fresh strawberries and rhubarb. I got mine from a new farm-to-front door delivery service called Good Eggs. Pricey, but awesome produce and a major convenience.

The crisp topping is nice and nutty. I left it on the less-sweet side since the tart rhubarb requires quite a bit of sugar in the filling. I’m sure you could make the topping gluten-free by using more almond flour in place of the whole wheat flour.

Go ahead and make this indulgent dessert while the fruit’s in season. I hereby absolve you of any guilt you might feel!

Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

1 pound rhubarb, sliced (3-4 cups)
2 pints strawberries, hulled and quartered
¾ cup coconut sugar, divided
1 cup oats
½ cup almond meal
½ cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Good pinch of salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cold water

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the fruit in a large bowl. Add ½ cup coconut sugar and let sit for 20 minutes.

In another bowl, combine the oats, almond meal, flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle on the olive oil and mix with your hands. Add the water and pinch the mixture until crumbly.

Place the fruit in an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with the topping.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned. Cool to room temperature and serve.

asparagus-mushroom-fava-stew
I have been sadly negligent about taking advantage of the amazing produce of spring this year. So when I saw beautiful asparagus and fresh fava beans yesterday, I grabbed them. After all, spring is almost over.

A recipe for Lemon Garlic Fava Beans and Mushrooms was my starting point for this vegan and gluten-free vegetable stew. I added wine, vegetable broth, asparagus and leeks for a lighter, more veg-centric dish. You can serve it as is, but it’s also great with barley, polenta or a smallish pasta such as orecchiette (obviously not gluten-free if you serve on barley or pasta.)

Admittedly, preparing fresh fava beans is a bit of a pain, because you not only have to take them out of the large pods, you must then blanch them and remove each inner bean from its skin. But once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty fast. Think of it as meditation.

So if you’ve been walking straight past the fava beans at the farmer’s market, stop and reconsider. This delicious stew will make you feel spring-y all over.

Mushroom, Asparagus and Fava Bean Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white and light green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
3-4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups vegetable broth (I recommend Imagine No-Chicken Broth)
2 to 2.5 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled, blanched and peeled
1 pound thin asparagus (woody ends broken off), cut into 1-inch pieces
Zest of 1 organic lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms, raise the heat and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the thyme, parsley, broth, asparagus and fava beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, plus more lemon if desired, and serve.

Serves four