Tag Archives: veggies

Spicy Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

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vegetarian chili

Yum! Spicy vegetarian chili with three beans

I have several different versions of vegetarian chili and I can’t believe I never posted any of those recipes on this site! Vegetarian chili is a staple during the Fall/Winter for me. I like to switch up the recipe and use whatever I have on hand. Sometimes I use a grain like farro or bulgar, and vegetables like red/orange/yellow peppers, corn and green beans or edamame. It’s starting to get slightly cooler here in Brooklyn…it’s also rainy and grey and I wanted something warm, spicy and comforting for dinner. Plus, now that college football season has begun, I really enjoy “College Football Saturdays” (Go Blue!!) in my house where I’ll have a beer and a bowl of veg chili, so, it’s a win-win. More importantly, the chili freezes well and I can enjoy it later on.

In this version of chili, I use black, white and garbanzo beans. I like using Muir Glen’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes, regular and with green chilies. These tomatoes add an extra kick and level of flavor to the chili that I really like. I also used Penzey’s crushed jalapeños and for a smokier flavor, I use a little bit of smoked Spanish paprika. A little paprika goes a long way, so, you can just add it and the other spices by dashes (and not teaspoons/tablespoons) and adjust accordingly.

Spicy Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

  • 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced/minced
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 can each: black, cannelini, garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained
  • 1 28oz can Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 14oz can Muir Glen diced tomatoes with green chilis
  • 1 14oz can Muir Glen tomato sauce
  • 2tsp cumin
  • 1TB chili powder
  • 1-2tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
  • 1-2tsp dried jalapeños
  • 1-2TB olive oil

In a Dutch Oven or large soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil and let it heat up, add onions, carrots and garlic and sauté until soft. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir, then add beans and spices. Let chili simmer for 30-45 minutes. Spoon into bowls, add shredded cheese, raw onions or even small cooked pasta (this might be a Wisconsin thing because I used to have really good veg chili at the Fuel Cafe in Milwaukee back when I was in grad school, and they topped it with all three. It was delicious). Enjoy!

Kale, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

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Kale, black bean, onion, sweet potato salad with spicy avocado dressing!

Kale, black bean, onion, sweet potato salad with spicy avocado dressing!

I was going to make guacamole, but decided to make a creamy and spicy avocado dressing for a kale salad. (I’m trying to be good and eat lighter dinners. We’ll see how long that will last. wink). I also added a can of black beans and half of a diced sweet potato. I think this salad would also be good with some corn and roasted pumpkin seeds, but I didn’t have either on hand.

For the salad:

  • 1 head of lactino kale
  • 1/2 of a roasted sweet potato
  • 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4C. minced white onion
  • 1/2 of a red/orange/yellow bell pepper, chopped

For the Dressing:

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • juice of one lemon
  • handful of chopped cilantro
  • 1/2tsp chili powder
  • 1/4tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4C olive oil (eyeball it, you may want to use more to have a thinner dressing, or use water to have a thinner dressing
  • 2TB water

Make the dressing: I used my mini food processor (which is an awesome addition to my kitchen). Add avocado, oil, lemon juice and spices and blend until creamy. You may have to add a little bit more oil (or water) to thin out the dressing. Adjust spices to your taste.

Thoroughly rinse and pat dry kale leaves. Fold leaves in half, then cut into strips a few times so the kale is in bite-sized pieces. Add chopped kale to large bowl, drizzle with dressing and massage into the kale until it’s well coated. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Add some crumbled Bulgarian feta too…that might be good. I wish I had thought of that when I made the salad!

Another take on raw kale salad

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I entered a local online bake sale via Instagram yesterday. I baked my mom’s Toffee Bars recipe. Fingers crossed! In order to counter the amount of sugar I consumed yesterday, I needed something savory and, a bit more nutritious (hey, I had to sample the bars!). Enter, my go-to lunch when working from home: raw kale salad with random raw vegetables and toasted spicy hazelnuts (these are the DuChilly variety which don’t have that bitter taste and are quite addictive. I got them in Seattle at Pike Place Market last Fall when I was there with Mary). The key is after chopping the dino kale, massage the olive oil into the mix so you can evenly coat the kale and not use so much oil.

A Few Notes

In this instance, I used a orange pepper. Previously, I used red and yellow, just because I’ve been hooked on the sweetness of peppers lately and, for color. (Yea, I’m weird like that). I’ve also used the florets of the broccoli before, but tend to like using the stalks instead because I like their crispness. Lately, I’ve used roasted, spicy hazelnuts in this salad, but, raw ones or almonds work too. Overall, I want a crisp, light, and colorful salad to remind me of warmer days. As for the olive oil and red wine vinegar, use your best judgment. I tend to like a lighter, not heavy dressing on the salad.

Raw Kale Salad

  • 1 bunch of Lactino Kale, washed, chopped
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 broccoli stalk, trimmed, sliced
  • 4-5 radishes, chopped
  • 1/2 of a orange pepper (or red or yellow for color), diced
  • 1 Half of an avocado, diced
  • 1/4 C. toasted hazelnuts (or almonds), chopped
  • 1/3 C garbanzo beans
  • 1 TB, plus a splash of extra virgin olive oil
  • A few dashes of red wine vinegar

Rinse the kale and then finely chop it, add to your bowl. At this point I add a few dashes of olive oil and then massage it into the kale leaves so they are coated. Add remaining ingredients, toss with more olive oil if needed and another dash or so of red wine vinegar.

Baked Kale Chips

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baked kale chips

baked kale chips—pretty good for my first try.

I’m not sure exactly how healthy these are…but hey, you gotta live a little, right? All things in moderation!

I used pre-packaged (washed) organic/local mixed kale. (Yes, I realize that I sound like a Brooklyn stereotype). I didn’t even bother to de-vein it or tear it up either.

  • 1 packaged kale, or 1 bunch of de-veined kale, torn into pieces
  • 1 1/2-2 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • Sprinkling of sea salt
  • 1 tsp of crushed red pepper

Put kale in appropriate sized bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and crushed red pepper. (If you want spicier chips, use a mixture of chili powder and maybe some cumin). Massage oil and spices into kale until it’s well-coated. Evenly spread kale on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (hello? easier clean up) and bake at 275 degrees for about 20-25 min. About halfway through, turn kale over using tongs. It should be pretty crispy after 20 minutes, but keep an eye on it. What did I have for dinner? Um, possibly baked kale chips and beer. I’m not ashamed…it’s college football Saturday!