Clean Out the Refrigerator Soup

One of my favorite things in the world is a bowl of steaming hot soup loaded full of veggies. It takes me back and ignites so many wonderful childhood memories. My Memere (French for grandmother) would make chicken and dumplings or rabbit stew. The whole family would gather around and be together, enjoying every drop of the delicious food that our beautiful matriarch prepared for us.

My Grammie Baker had her own version of chicken tomato rice soup and chicken and dumplings that I always looked forward to eating when I visited with her.

My parents both made a mean fricassee which consisted of cubed beef and pork slow cooked with potatoes and carrots - tasted like a bowl of pot roast soup.

My mom prepared a wonderful chicken tomato vegetable rice soup, as well as that soup diet soup that had lots of cabbage in it (I loved that stuff!).

Along with going back in time and revisiting my childhood, I am here and now, creating new recipes, new memories and traditions to share with my sweet family. There truly is nothing better than seeing them eat the food I prepare for them with delight and gratefulness.

There are times throughout the month that I get pretty busy and I don't make it to the grocery store often enough. Sometimes we just don't get around to eating everything that I had planned for the week and I end up with odds and ends in the fridge that need eating. This is when I take inventory and put together a lovely pot of soup.

This was a short week, so my kids didn't go through their whole bag of baby carrots. I bought some celery a couple weeks ago and forgot about it, so it was sitting there looking a little droopy. I had some kale and zucchini that we weren't going through fast enough, and about 2 cups of chickpeas that were on the brink. I also had a half quart of veggie broth looking at me every time I opened the fridge door. This great collaboration of misfit foods turned into an amazing bowl of nutritious goodness that satisfied the crew and helped the sick one feel better.

In this recipe, I'll tell you everything that I used. It was amazing. But as I always say, please, please, please make it yours! Use your own wilty droopy veggies that are loitering in your veggie crisper (HA!) or go buy some fresh ones, it's all up to you. This meal is budget friendly whether you use what you have or buy everything fresh.

 

Clean Out the Refrigerator Soup (aka Vegetable Tomato Rice Soup)

 

3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced or 1.5-2 c baby carrots, sliced

2 small-medium zucchini

2-3 ribs celery, sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2-3 large cloves garlic or 2 t garlic paste

1 T olive oil, omit if oil free

1/2 c white or brown rice (I used white this time due to procrastination. If I had more time, I would have used brown. Both good)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 quart vegetable broth plus 1 quart water

2 c drained and rinsed chickpeas or other beans (1 can will do)

1 bunch kale, ribbed and loosely chopped

salt and pepper to taste
fresh herbs, such as parsley (optional)

 

To prepare, heat olive oil in the bottom of a heavy bottomed soup pot. If you are oil free, skip this step and heat liquids and add everything the pot or sautee veggies in a small amount of water. Add onions, carrots, celery, and peppers to pot. Cook over medium high, stirring, till onions begin to go translucent. Add zucchini and garlic and rice. Add kale, broth and water, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and chickpeas. Continue to cook till rice is done, another 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like to season my personal bowl of soup with some Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning - it's MSG free and has a great spicy flavor that tickles my taste buds.

 

You can customize the flavor scheme of this soup in a variety of ways. For instance, you can season with chili powder and cumin, or even taco seasoning, garnish with a little cilantro and avocados and you have a Mexican inspired dish. You can throw in some green beans, use white cannellini beans instead of chickpeas, throw in some Italian seasoning, garnish with some parsley and you have a delicious Italian soup. Omit the rice and drop in some dumplings (I love Pamela's Gluten Free Baking mix - makes awesome dumplings), season with poultry seasoning and parsley. best ever vegetarian "chicken and dumplings."

 

Enjoy, have fun, and believe in yourself!

Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Soup

Again with a fall inspired recipe! We've had some nice crisp mornings (albeit warm afternoons) and I am motivated to provide you with even more soul warming, smile inspiring recipes!

One of my kids stayed home from school today with a terrible sore throat. I knew that a smooth soup would be just the ticket. The last butternut from my garden has been sitting on my countertop just begging to be made into soup so my thoughts immediately went to my favorite creamy concoction. With only 4 ingredients, this soup is versatile, easy and quick to prepare. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did today. In fact, there isn't a drop left - both of my daughters and I devoured it. Poor hubby didn't stand a chance to get some. Sorry, Honey!

Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Soup

you will need:
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices
1 15 oz can coconut milk
1 1/2" slice white onion
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Water, salt and pepper, and dried sage (optional)

After peeling and slicing your butternut squash, place in a medium or large saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer till butternut is tender. This takes about 10 minutes.

 



 

 Meanwhile, heat up a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Place the unpeeled garlic and onion slice on the hot, dry skillet. Keep an eye on this because the garlic is yucky when burned. Turn the garlic and onions frequently till golden, remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, remove skin from garlic - just give it a little smash with your knife and the skin will fall right off.

 

In a blender pitcher, add the onions and garlic and a ladle full of the cooking liquid from the butternut. Add the cooked butternut to the blender pitcher. Starting on low speed and working your way to high, blend until the mixture is nice and smooth.

 

 

Pour the contents of the blender back into the pan and add your can of coconut milk. This imparts a delicate creaminess that is absolutely sumptuous. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, serve with a little sprinkle of dry sage, which is a natural friend to butternut squash. Enjoy!

 

 

*Melanie notes - One of my favorite ways to prepare this soup is by seasoning it with curry. I sauté the onions, garlic and some ginger in 1 T coconut oil, add a t or so of curry powder or paste. I add this to the blender with the butternut and cooking liquid and finish with the coconut milk. Instead of sage, I sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top.

 

**my daughter that stayed home sick today commented on how soothing this was on her throat. It was delicious, nourishing, and comforting. Mommy's mission accomplished. 

Life is Better With Tacos

As a child growing up in Northern Maine, I never had even the slightest clue about tacos. I grew up on tons of potatoes, wild game, stews, plenty of comfort foods. Taco night was a great, rare thrill, and it consisted of the boxed kits from Old El Paso. You know, those crispy u-shaped taco shells that were fairly brittle and you had to bake them for a bit before eating, stuffed with taco-seasoned ground beef, cheese, and shredded lettuce.

When I first arrived in Texas, I was incessantly laughed at for never having heard of a breakfast taco. And on a flour tortilla? Didn't know those existed! (I hadn't heard of a Frito pie, either).

I've come a long way, baby.

Tacos have become my favorite food in the world.

I love how there are endless possibilities of fillings, garnishes, and sauces. Every taco is unique and special in it's own way! 

Back in my meat-eating days, one of my favorite tacos was the fish taco. Apparently there are some regional differences on how they are prepared - one being with fried fish with a creamy mayonnaise based sauce. The way I liked them, though, was grilled fish topped with crunchy, creamy, tangy coleslaw. I recently had a craving for that flavor, so went on to recreate a vegetarian version to satisfy my desire to have coleslaw in a taco.

 

Most slaw recipes have a mayonnaise based sauce. I prefer to have a vinegar based sauce, but didn't think that would go too well with the tacos I had in mind. That's how I came up with this recipe - and let me tell you, it was delicious!

 

Creamy Avocado Coleslaw

 

1/2 small head cabbage

1/2 c packed carrot shreds or 2 carrots

1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

1 T minced red onion

small handful cilantro

 

1 small avocado

juice of 1 lemon

1-2 t maple syrup or agave or honey

salt and pepper to taste

 

In the food processor, with the s-blade, process the avocado, lemon juice, maple syrup. Taste, then add s&p to your liking. Remove the s-blade and replace with your shredder. Shred the cabbage (and whole carrots if using) right into the dressing. Remove the lid and add onions and peppers. Pour into serving bowl and stir till dressing completely coats the slaw. I didn't have cilantro on hand for the picture, but it is off-the-hook.

Beans and sweet potatoes are the best combo ever. For this taco, I used pinto beans seasoned with a little chipotle powder and salt, sweet potatoes that I cooked in a large cast iron skillet with a touch of olive oil for that beautiful GBD that I love so much. Then I heaped on some of the Creamy Avocado Slaw and topped with some roasted tomatillo Serrano salsa. Oh, my my. YUM.

More taco pictures.....just ideas that you can take and adjust to your liking....here are some canned organic refried black beans, avocados and salsa. I love this so much I didn't even bother heating up the beans - they came straight from the can. LOL!

 

Some notes on tacos:

1. I urge you to (if you don't already) eat corn tortillas. One corn tortilla is HALF the calories of one flour tortilla. And there is so much info out there about the negative side effects that gluten has on your body.

2. If you still have meat eaters in the house, make them fajitas with some chicken breast - you can sautee green and red peppers, onions, mushrooms, squash, etc. etc, and make your own tacos with that. AND your family will have a nice heap of veggies for theirs.

3. Leftovers make good tacos, and they are easy to eat.

4. One of my most common meals on the go is a plain old avocado taco - it's quick, delicious, and healthy.

5. I strongly urge you to NOT heat your tortillas in the microwave. Heat up a pan (pref cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet) and warm your tortillas on there. If you are lucky and have a gas stove, get out some tongs, turn your burner on med heat, and heat them directly on the fire (my method). But don't walk away - keep a good eye on them! It doesn't take long and yields the best flavor. This may take a little practice but it's well worth it.

 

What are your favorite tacos? Ideas? Inspirations?

Vegan Pita Pizza

It's funny how most of my food ideas happen when I'm really hungry and on my way home from work at lunchtime. My job is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, so it really does give me time to imagine and plan the recipes that I will be creating.

 

Monday, I was craving pizza. I can't eat regular pizza because of the bread. I can, however, eat Ezekiel sprouted stuff. Sprouted stuff I can get at my favorite little local natural food store, Rita's. I stopped in, originally looking for a GF pizza crust, but decided on Ezekiel's pita bread because of cost effectiveness. Plus, with 6 in the package, I can use them for other recipes, too.

 

I've tried vegan "cheese" before (I forget the brand, but it wasn't Daiya) and didn't really care for it. It made my teeth feel funny! I thought I'd give vegan cheese another shot and went with Daiya. Glad I did! It was better than the other one I got, although I don't believe that I could eat it every day.

 

The really special part of this pizza was the creamy soaked cashew, basil, and garlic spread. Since this is a recipe that can be super easy and quick, you can use any kind of sauce - pizza sauce, prepared pesto, whatever you think you'll like. I'll give you the recipe for my tasty little concoction so you can try that, too.

Preheat the oven to 400*

 

For this two servings of pizza, you will need: 

 

2 Ezekiel Pita Breads

1 recipe creamy cashew basil garlic sauce *recipe follows

sliced veggies ie. mushrooms, peppers, and onions (my faves) use what you like

Daiya "mozzarella" vegan cheese shreds

crushed red pepper flakes

 

*Creamy Basil Garlic spread

1/4 c raw cashews, soaked*

1/2 c loosely packed basil

1/2 t crushed basil

salt and pepper

1 T olive oil

 

In a small personal size food processor (I used my nutribullet), grind soaked cashews* and all the other ingredients together. Add olive oil, a bit at a time. The spread will ball up and be the consistency of peanut butter.

 

Spread half of the cashew mixture onto each pita bread. Top with veggies. Top with cheese. Bake at 400* for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes as desired. Yum yum. Enjoy!

 

*a note about soaking cashews - when I don't prepare properly and forget to soak the cashews, I put them in a coffee cup and pour a little boiling water over them and let them sit for around 15-25 minutes. Then I proceed with the recipe. Voila!

 

*another note...one pizza is a good amount for a serving. I was super hungry so I ate both! Then I had a tummy ache and wasn't hungry for the rest of the day. Eating healthy is great, but I guess I still shouldn't overdo it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Creamy Almond Sesame Dressing

I was in the mood for something with noodles in it today. As I was driving home from my errands, my mind was scanning the contents of my pantry and fridge. I remembered this package of soba noodles that have been there for a while, just begging to be eaten, and since I am gluten free, they were a natural choice for this dish. I used soba today, but if it was brown rice noodles sitting there, I would have used those. Likewise for you, my reader, don't be stuck on specific ingredients. If you have different noodles on hand, go with those. Heck, even spaghetti would work!

The package of soba noodles I have is 8.8 oz. and has three perfect little bundles. I used only one of them because I wanted more veggies than noodles. You can add two or three bundles of cooked noodles, but I'd recommend adjusting your dressing by adding 50% more for each bundle.

Here is how I prepped the veggies. I cut the peppers and cucumbers into little strips. I used my convenient and inexpensive bag of carrot shreds. On the right of this photo, you can see that I have cabbage and frozen peas in a colander. When the noodles are cooked, I pour it over the cabbage to wilt and the peas to thaw. This is a handy little trick that I use often.

 

For the cabbage, I used the hearty outer leaves of a head of cabbage that I don't like to throw away. If you prefer, you can use the paler, more tender leaves or even napa cabbage, kale, or spinach (in which case you wouldn't put in the colander).

 

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Creamy Almond Sesame Dressing

 

For the salad you need

3 oz dry soba or other noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water (see above note about draining with veggies in the colander)

1 small cucumber, cut in half and sliced into thin strips

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 c packed carrot matchsticks or two carrots julienned

1 c frozen peas

4 leaves of cabbage, ribs removed, cut in half, stacked, rolled and sliced into 1/2" ribbons (this is called chiffonade)

1/4 c chopped cilantro and sesame seeds for garnish

 

For the dressing

1 T almond butter (you can use peanut butter)

1 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos, tamari, or soy sauce

1 T water

1/2 t toasted sesame oil

1 t maple syrup

1/4 t pressed garlic or garlic paste

red pepper flakes, if desired

 

Cook noodles according to package directions. Place cabbage and frozen peas into your colander and drain noodles at the same time. Rinse with cold water and shake all the excess liquid out. Add noodles, cabbage and peas, and all the rest of the veggies to a large bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients, whisking till smooth, and pour over top. This dressing is rather thin, so if you prefer it to be thicker, omit half of the water and add a little more almond butter. I like it thinner because you need less of it to coat more salad. Toss all ingredients together and garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and cilantro.

 

You can sub or add vegetables to the mix - try broccoli, cauliflower, snap or snow peas, thinly sliced celery, water chestnuts, green onions, zucchini, etc...make it yours and use what you have in the fridge!

 

Enjoy!

 

Quinoa Salad with Beans and Veggies

Yesterday we had a birthday party for my oldest child. While my heart's desire would be to serve a great big spread of delicious plant based foods, I am afraid that most people would have left hungry. Instead, I bought a bunch of hot dogs, made fresh at our local highly respected butcher shop, and served those. Knowing this wouldn't be a meal I would eat, and that I would be extremely hungry from slaving over the hot BBQ grill all afternoon, I decided to whip up this little salad. While our friends are mostly carnivores, everyone is intrigued by the healthy foods that I prepare and always look forward to sampling what I make. After sampling, they all served up a heaping pile of this on their plates and truly enjoyed! The hot dogs turned out to be a side dish for the adults. My hubby ate some leftovers for breakfast and lunch, and I polished them off today. I wish there was more leftover!

 

 

OK, so this recipe will serve as a guide for you to use foods that you might have on hand. I didn't work the farmer's market Saturday so I had to make do with a variety of vegetable "ends" I had in my fridge. The original plan was also to use black beans, but when I looked into the pantry, I found a bag of chickpeas, or garbanzos, instead. This shows that what you have on hand will suffice in this recipe, as long as you have some sort of beans and some quinoa.

 

**On a little side note here, quinoa is an exceptionally nutritious food that is a perfect protein. I could go into all the amazing benefits and information on quinoa, but there is a great article here where you can read all about it.

 

You may recognize some similarities between this recipe and one I previously shared called Marinated Chickpea Salad. I try to provide you with recipes that are versatile and can be served in different ways, creating new recipes along the way.

 

I started working on this on Saturday night. That was totally my choice, and an option for you, as well, but there are short cuts that I will share with you to make it quick to prepare. The preparations I made were to soak my dried chickpeas and quinoa in glass bowls overnight. This makes cooking times the next morning a little shorter and increases the digestibility and nutrition of the food. You can read about sprouting your beans and grains here. I find that if you don't at least give quinoa a good rinsing, it will taste a little bitter. Soaking and then rinsing it solved that issue for me.

 

Quinoa Salad with Beans and Veggies

 

1/2 lb chickpeas, soaked, drained and rinsed, and cooked (crock pot, stove top, or pressure cooker)

     (alternately, you can use 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)

1 1/2 c quinoa (dry) cooked according to package directions

1/4 red onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 small cucumbers, diced (or use 1 larger one)

3/4 c carrot shreds (one convenient item I purchase) or 2 carrots finely chopped

1 lb frozen sweet corn (add it frozen and it will keep your dish cool till serving time!)

handful cilantro, chopped

 

for the dressing:

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

3 t maple syrup

2 t brown mustard

1 t garlic paste or very finely minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 T olive oil, omit if you are oil free

 

Combine dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add chickpeas to dressing and let it sit while you prepare everything else. In another large bowl, toss together quinoa and all of your vegetables.* Add chickpeas in dressing to quinoa veggie mixture and gently stir to combine.

 

** Melanie note - you can make many different substitutions. For instance, you can sub red or black beans for the garbanzos. You can add different veggies such as cherry tomatoes, zucchini, frozen peas, celery, cauliflower, green or other color peppers, you can add jalapenos for heat. You can sub parsley for the cilantro. You can sub part of the apple cider vinegar with a little lemon or lime juice, sub the maple syrup with honey or agave. Green onions instead of red ones, the list goes on.

 

As always, have fun, make it yours, and enjoy!

 

 

 

Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin Oatmeal

Good morning, good morning, good morning!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! I usually have Rockin' Wellness smoothies for breakfast, along with a rice cake with peanut butter and banana, but I've been on a mission to usher in the fall weather and so far, I've had good luck! With today's breakfast, our sunny South Texas weather isn't predicted to surpass a blustery 90 degrees today! How about that? It's a big difference from 100, let me tell you.

I love to read food blogs and peruse Pinterest for ideas. Seems like everyone has fall on the mind because I've been seeing a lot of nice pumpkin recipes. I didn't dig too far for plant based pumpkin recipes (I'm not much of a recipe follower, I just get my inspiration from them) but today I woke up craving something with pumpkin in it.

It was a little cool when I walked my son to the bus stop this morning, so I came home thinking about oatmeal. Hmmm....oatmeal and pumpkin? Oh, yeah! Immediately I came up with this delectable, healthy breakfast treat. I enjoyed it so much, I took small blissful bites, savoring every moment, rather than scarfing it down in my usual fashion.

Here is the recipe:

 

Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin Oatmeal

 

For one serving you will need

 

1/2 c old fashioned oats

1/2 water

1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other dairy free milk of your choice - and if you aren't plant based, use regular milk...no problem!)

2 t maple syrup

1/4 t cinnamon (you can use pumpkin pie spice, if desired)

2 T canned or pureed pumpkin

dash of salt

tiny drop of vanilla extract

1 T crunchy topping such as granola or chopped pecans or walnuts (I used Nature's Path Pumpkin and Flax Granola), optional

 

In a small saucepan, combine oats, water, almond milk, cinnamon, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, till creamy and thick. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin and stir to combine.  Optional - serve with crunchy topping of your choice. You can even sprinkle a little more cinnamon and drizzle some additional maple syrup over top, if desired, for added yumminess.

 

Enjoy!

 

** Melanie notes - If you prefer, combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar the night before and let sit in fridge overnight, omitting the cooking process.

Beans and Greens, Mexican Style

My favorite chef of all time, Rick Bayless, has been an endless source of inspiration for me over the last 10 or more years. I have a few of his cookbooks and I used to religiously watch his PBS show entitled "Mexico, One Plate at a Time." I even had the pleasure of meeting him at a cooking demo/book signing at Central Market a few years ago. He truly is my culinary hero.

I love how when he presents recipes, he always offers an alternative. He may suggest a vegetarian option or an updated version of a traditional and rustic dish. He also discusses regional foods and totally gives the reader/home cook the permission to take any dish and make it their own. (Sound familiar?) Yes, he is my hero and the one who played a part in giving me confidence in the kitchen.

One of my all time favorite recipes of his is Mexican Beans with Chorizo and Greens. Rick's version is made with chorizo, a very flavorful loose Mexican sausage. I still cook the chorizo like before, but now I cook it on the side for the meat eaters of the family to use as a garnish.

I modified the recipe to make it my own vegetarian version. My sweet husband, an inherent meat eater, happens to be fully satisfied with a nice plate of these beans, He barely uses any of the chorizo and is still content.

 

Before I give you the recipe, I will tell you a secret. I bought some kale last Monday and it was still sitting in my fridge! I know, it's a shame. It was fairly wilted, even lost a bit of that dark green color. But it wasn't slimy and was still edible, so I used it in this dish, and it worked out perfectly. I use this method in a lot of my cooking - if the food is a little limp but not out right spoiled, I use it in a dish so as not to let it go to waste.

 

Beans and Greens, Mexican Style

 

1/2 pound dry pinto beans (can use black beans but I prefer pintos. One of my girlfriends prefers black), cooked.

1 T olive oil, water if you are oil free

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale - washed, stemmed, and torn into bite sized pieces or other green such as chard

1 T finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce, more or less to taste. 1 T is not too hot, not too mild

1 t salt

 

for garnish: sliced avocado, finely chopped diced onions, and cilantro

 

Cook your beans. I love love love my pressure cooker so I use that. (I do the quick soak method given on the bean package, let sit for an hour then cook for 10 minutes once pressure is on). I also cook the whole pound of beans and use half now, set aside the other half for later in the week. Beans also freeze well, so you can do that if you don't think you'll eat them in a few days.

 

In a heavy bottomed pan, add your tablespoon of olive oil (or a layer of water) along with onions. Cook over medium heat till onions become translucent, add garlic and cook till it is fragrant. Ladle in your beans. You don't have to be exact if you cooked the whole pound of beans. Just throw in what you think is half of that, or all if you only cooked half the pound. Add chipotle and salt, give it a good stir to combine and taste the liquid, adjusting to taste if necessary. Add your greens, bring mixture to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes till greens* are tender.

 

While you are cooking down the greens, slice your avocado, dice onions, and chop cilantro. Heat up some corn tortillas and wrap in a towel or keep in a tortilla warmer.

 

To serve, ladle your beans and greens into a bowl and top with your garnishes. Serve with tortillas.

 

*Melanie notes - my favorite greens in the world to use in this dish is Swiss Chard or Rainbow Chard (the red looks pretty in the dish). I've used collards and mustard greens as well, all with good results. Collards and kale take a little longer to cook. Chard - all you have to do is cook down till it wilts, usually no more than 5 minutes. Mustard greens are in between. If you garden and have an abundance of any of the above, just use what you have and adjust your cooking time accordingly. I actually grew extra chard this year for this particular meal!

 

Enjoy!

 

Black Bean Chipotle Chili With Lazy Cornbread Waffles

Fall is coming and I've been thinking up some ways to invite the cool weather. It's still really hot here in Texas, and there doesn't seem to be any real reprieve soon, so I made chili. You know, kinda like washing your car and it rains later? A girl can hope! Maybe we'll get a cold front.

I love some black beans, but my family, well, the beans need to be doctored up nicely for them to enjoy. Everyone here likes chili, and I use chipotle a lot, so my beans became chili today.

My farmers are still producing tons of beautiful sweet bell peppers and onions. I get garlic from this old farmer down the way for the same price that the local grocer sells it for. Poblanos lend the most amazing flavor, especially when roasted.

 In a previous post, Roasted Poblano Soup, I discussed different ways to roast peppers. If my recipe uses only a couple peppers, I love to roast them over the fire on my gas stove. The fragrance that fills the air is mouthwatering!

See how the pepper is all blackened and blistered? As you roast it, keep turning it and repositioning until the whole thing looks like this. Next, put it into a bowl that you can cover (I usually set a plate on top) and let it sit there for a few minutes while you do something else.

After a few minutes, you can use your knife to scrape off some of the really charred parts of skin. I don't like to remove too much of it because it imparts so much unique flavor. Remove the stem and seeds and chop into bite sized pieces.

You want your onions and peppers diced and your garlic minced.

From left to right: cumin, chipotle powder, chili powder.

 

And now for the recipe. I know you want it. :)

Black Bean Chipotle Chili

 

1 lb black beans, cooked or three 15 oz cans black beans, drained

2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 poblano, roasted and diced

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T olive oil (omit if you are oil free and sautee veggies in water instead)

1 t chili powder

1/2 t chipotle powder

1/2 t cumin

salt and pepper

1 avocado, sliced

3 green onions. thinly sliced

 

Heat olive oil (or water) in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add your onions and peppers and sautee till the onions become translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook till some browning starts. Add your two cans of tomatoes along with the spices. Add beans without their liquid and stir to combine. Once your chili starts bubbling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes. stir frequently to prevent scorching.

 

I believe in tasting as I go. Start tasting after 15 minutes. If everyone in your household is withering away because they are just so hungry, give your chili a taste and if it tastes good to you, serve it up and don't wait! It's all up to you. Nothing is set in stone!

 

You may notice that there is a waffle in my bowl. This is my lazy girl cornbread! I refuse to run my oven when it's a 100 degrees outside. It simply heats up the house too much. The only thing is, you can't eat chili without cornbread! I just whip up any ol' cornbread recipe (whichever is your favorite), fire up the waffle iron, scoop heaping tablespoons of batter into it and let it rip. They come out GBD (golden brown delicious) and they are fun to eat!

 

Have fun with your food, and as always, make it yours by customizing it to your family's taste buds.

 

Enjoy!