very veggie three-bean chili

this is the chili that dreams are made of. when fall arrives and the weather cools, the crockpot comes out. there are many things that can be made in a slow cooker, but chili was destined for it. this recipe has many of the usual suspects, however, i kicked pinto beans out of the club. no hate, i just don't like them in my chili. i find that they don't hold their form and "dissolve" too easily in chili, especially when slow cooking. inevitably, i went with my favorite legume ever: the chickpea. this versatile bean takes on flavor like a champ, so it is no surprise that it is delicious in chili. this recipe made enough to feed three people for dinner, two for lunch the next day, and one for later (i froze a serving for eating in the not so distant fuh-fuh-fuh-ture). these servings, btw, are hearty. go hard or go home.

very veggie three-bean chili

ingredients:

1 onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 anaheim chili peppers, diced and seeded

1 large zucchini, diced

4 carrots, sliced and/or diced (i'm sassy, so i did both)

1 – 15-oz can of light red kidney beans

1 – 15-oz can of black beans

1 – 15-oz can of garbanzo beans

1 – 15.25-oz. can of whole kernel corn

1 – 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes (i used ≈ 2 pint jars of home canned diced tomatoes)

1 – 14.5-oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes

3 tbsp chili powder

1½ tsp cumin

½ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ - ½ tsp cayenne (depending how hot you like it)

instructions:

1.) combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

[note: i've taken it to 10 hours before, no big whoop.]

Serves: 6

per serving | calories 345 | total fat 3g | saturated fat 0.4g | sodium 649mg | potassium 1,049mg | total carbohydrate 70g | dietary fiber 14g | sugars 7g | protein 17g | vitamin A 128% | manganese 58% | vitamin C 54% | folate 48%| vitamin B-6 42% | iron 30% |calcium 13% |

wheat germ & garlic dog treats.

it's a known fact that my dog eats better than most humans do, hell, even better than myself at times (no late night taco bell fresco-style bean burrito runs for holly, that's for sure). she gets a home cooked meal everyday and enjoys eating a variety of grains, legumes, nuts and veggies. never boring. if you are considering switching your dog or cat over to a vegan diet you need to read up! find out what foods are toxic to your beloved little ones and understand how much they need to be fed for optimal health. i would suggest starting where i did and read the book Cats & Dogs Go Vegetarian. Being that my copy is very old and this is the 21st century, it's available as a DVD-ROM. Oh, fancy. comes loaded with information and recipes to help you on your way.

whether you decide to switch fully over or not these treats can be enjoyed by any pup!seems kinda silly to spend loads of money on dog treats, especially when they are made from by-products of by-products of who knows what. you can make these treats thinner/crispy by splitting up the dough and rolling it out on two cookie sheets, but by using a single cookie sheet will produce a thicker more biscuit-y result (i used one).

wheat germ & garlic dog biscuits.
ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp garlic, minced

instructions:
1.) preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.) in a large bowl, combine flours and wheat germ. in a separate bowl, combine water, oil, and garlic. now, stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
3.) knead and roll out on a greased cookie sheet and then cut in to squares to desired size.
4.) bake for 30 minutes, flip on to a cooling rack and let cool. let sit out longer so they harden up a bit, store in airtight container and feed as a treat.

Holly, professional dog treat taste tester, waiting for the treats to cool.

crockpot vindaloo & chocolate brownies

Two delicious recipes in this post, vegetable vindaloo and chocolate brownies. mmmm. the vindaloo is ridiculously easy to throw together, very forgiving with substitutions (makes good use of what you have on-hand in your pantry) and is ready in 3 hours with no attention needed from you. score. These brownies are oh so sweet and chewy. the recipe comes from The Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook. My only regrets are how awful the pitures are.
vegetable vindaloo.
ingredients:
6 cups cauliflower florets (or sub 3 cups potatoes, cubed for 3 c cauliflower)
4 cups cooked chickpeas, (or 2 15.5oz canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
2 large leeks, white and light green parts sliced into 1" pieces (1 1/2 cups) (or sub 1/4 - 1/2 onion, chopped)
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp ground ginger2 tbsp curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
garnish/for serving:
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
3 cups cooked basmati rice
instructions:
1.) combine everything in the crockpot (except rice and cilantro) and mix together thoroughly. add 1/4 cup water. season with salt and pepper. Stir again and cook on high 3 hours.
2.) transfer vindaloo to large bowl, and let cool, approx 10 - 15 minutes. stir in cilantro, and serve over basmati rice.
serves: 8

chocolate brownies.

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp water
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup non-dairy semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
instructions:
1.) preheat oven to 350F. grease an 8x8 baking pan with canola oil.
2.) in a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, applesauce and 2 tbsp of water.
3.) in a small bowl, combine ground flaxseed with 1/2 cup water and add this to applesauce mixture, along with the vanilla, and stir to combine.
4.) in a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips and walnuts. Add this to the applesauce mixture and stir to combine.
5.) pour into a prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. remove from the oven and let cool before cutting. store leftovers in the refridgerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

makes: 8 brownies

everybody loves a quickie!

short on time? stomach grumbling and you want a tasty meal without the wait? here is your answer. you'll be able to throw this together in less time than it would take to get a pizza delivered! this is a wonderful recipe to make during summer months to help keep the temperature in the kitchen down and is way easier than pie to make. if you can boil water ... you can make this magnificent meal.

couscous, chickpea & soy feta salad.
ingredients:
1 cup couscous, uncooked
1 cup water
10 oz. cooked chickpeas, rinsed [weighed after rinsing]
3-4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 oz soy feta, crumbled [i used sunergia soyfoods mediterranean herb, but feel free to try this ingenious recipe by bryanna clark grogan]

instructions:
1.) in a small saucepan, bring one cup of water to boil. remove from heat, add in dry couscous, stir and cover. let sit while preparing the other ingredients (at least 10 minutes, in case you're quick food prep like me.)
2.) combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl with the exception of the soy feta.
3.) when the couscous is done, give it a bit of a fluff with a fork and add in with the other ingredients until well combined.
4.) sprinkle crumbled soy feta on top and serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve cold.

serves: 4 as an entree or 6 as a side.

black bean hummus sandwich.

i am a total chickpea-aholic and there are times when i feel i overuse it and neglect the other legumes. so with this latest meal i tried to give the chickpea a break and go another direction, a southwestern take on the old middle eastern favorite. hummus is wonderfully easy to make and keeps well in the fridge so you can throw together a sandwich anytime. also makes a great dish to transport to a potluck!

black bean hummus.
ingredients:
2 cups black beans, drained & rinsed
1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp salsa
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste

instructions:
1.) place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. process until blended and creamy.