DIY Vegetarian Chili

Once in a while, I pull out a 'recipe' that's no-fail, nourishing and guest-worthy, and whose only requirement is to get creative.  Do you have some of those?  They are golden on stressful days or when your head's not in the game.  You don't have to dig deep...they're right there within you and for you...waiting for these very moments.

This is such a simple recipe.  For one, much of the time it is cooking away in a large covered pot, dutch oven, or even a slow cooker.  Secondly, it needs ingredients that you likely have hanging around.  And it's okay that those same ingredients have seen better days (head nod to the limp and blanched-out celery and dried-out carrots in your refrig crisper) or have yet to make an appearance in your culinary adventures (always wondered what I was going to do with that can of Little Pink Beans I got at Shoprite's Can Can Sale).

Spotlight your imaginative side as you put this recipe together.  After gathering your vegetable medley, showcase your knife skills as you chop!  Then it's everything-into-the-pot: veggies, spices, beans, tomatoes, and broth.  In less than an hour you will have a splendidly thickened stew we call chili. Yes!  Topped with sour cream, sliced avocado, or shredded cheese, this is one riffed recipe that you can repeat again and again and it will never be quite the same.  Yay! That's your good news for today :)

Notes

1.  I used a Dutch oven but any large pot with a lid will do.

2.  Use what you have around for the vegetable medley:  Fennel, zucchini, yellow squash, frying peppers, on-their-way-out-tomatoes, etc.  Throw some chopped spinach in at the end!

3.  The blend of spices and herbs is your decision.  Hot and spicy demands more smoked paprika or maybe some chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes.  Are you a cilantro fan?  Go ahead, add a bit :)  If your taste profile is more bland, dial down the spice amounts.

4.  I used a can of Black beans and a can of Little Pink beans.  Use what you have.

DIY Vegetarian Chili
(mentor recipe here)
Yield: 4 substantial servings

Ingredients and Directions

One or two carrots
One or two celery ribs,
One bell pepper (your color)
One onion (any kind or color; or a couple scallions, shallots, big bunch of chives)

Set the burner heat to medium.  Chop above ingredients into small pieces and with a swirl of olive oil (or coconut oil) in a dutch oven or large pot (with a lid), add these pieces.  Stir to combine, adding a bit of salt to taste, if you'd like.  Continue cooking with an occasional stir until the vegetables are fragrant and slightly softened, about 10 minutes.  Turn down heat if ingredients are charring.

Add in the following herbs and spices and stir until well combined:

a couple cloves of garlic (or use garlic powder)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

Add in the following:

1 large can (28 ounces) of diced tomatoes with juices
1 can (15 oz.) of black beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) of another type of bean (red, kidney, cannellini, etc.), rinsed
1 bay leaf or two
2 cups or vegetable broth or water

Cook your chili over medium heat, covered, for approximately 30 minutes.  Adjust the heat, if necessary, so that the chili is simmering to allow the vegetables to soften and flavors to blend.
Remove chili from the heat.  Uncover and take out a heaping cup or so of the chili and transfer to a blender.  Blend until smooth and then return it to the pot.  This step gives the chili the texture you expect...that this recipe has been cooking all day long!  (Alternatively, use a potato masher right in the pot to achieve the same results.)  Add extra broth if necessary.

Serve garnished with cilantro, lime juice, or place over rice, or in my case, alongside roasted sweet potato rounds and avocado.

Voila!

Split Pea Soup with a bit of Chia

What's not to love about a soup that has been around for ages, commanding attention during the winter when there's not enough daylight and the temperature plunges?  Split Pea soup is notorious for its undeniable earthy aroma, its fab color, and the ease with which it can be modified to accommodate many dietary profiles. Because I left out the expected ham hock (ummm...not so very difficult for me), this version is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free!  Wow!  And, with the addition of chia seeds, the fiber content, level of omega 3's and 6's, and low glycemic index work to enhance the nutrition of an already pretty healthy soup.  And I'm willing to wager that those of you who prefer the meat-y version would still give a happy nod of approval of this entrée on a Meatless Monday.

The use of my slow cooker made this recipe hands-off for about 6 hours, and that allowed me to concentrate on dessert (hurray!).  How does a melt-in-your-mouth tray of Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars sound?  Sooo yummy!  But that's for another post.

Notes

1.  Though I used a slow cooker, this recipe could be made in a dutch oven or other large pot with a lid.  Follow the mentor recipe for timing.

2.  It seems that I never have marjoram.  So I used the same amount of oregano.

3.  I added a tablespoon of chia seeds to the soup when it was done (but still in the slow cooker).  After stirring them in, I waited a couple minutes because this is when the magic happens.  The seeds became gel-like since they are able to absorb many times their weight in water.  And the bonus?  This thickened the soup.  Thank you soluble fiber!

4.  I did not process the soup at all.  I liked the textural appeal... thick and chunky!  But feel free to 'whir away' to a delightfully whipped soup if that's your thing.

Split Pea Soup with a bit of Chia

(yield: 6-8 substantial servings)

For the soup:

2 cups dried green split peas, looked over, rinsed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

2 celery ribs with leaves (or not), chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch of pepper

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon chia seeds

For the garnish:

peppadew slivers

kalamata olive slivers

Directions

1.  Into the slow cooker, place the split peas, onion and carrot pieces, celery, garlic, oregano, basil, cumin, and pepper.  (You may be wondering where the split peas are in the photo above, but they are at the bottom of the pot as I placed them in first.  Look closely at the right and left edges to see them.)

2.  Slowly add the vegetable broth to the pot.

3.  Cover and set the slow cooker on high for 5-6 hours, checking and stirring as needed.

4.  Towards the end, add in the chia seeds and give the soup a stir and few minutes for the seeds to absorb fluid.

5.  Serve adorned with a garnish blend like slivered peppadews and olives and enjoy with some hearty bread.

6.  Bring on the Polar Vortex!

7.  Leftovers should be refrigerated and eaten within a week.

Easy Polenta Pizza

A few posts ago, I was excited to share a pretty easy pizza crust recipe that was no-fuss and made for outdoor grilling.  I would like to offer an even easier crust that requires no proofing and offers a completely different taste base for pizza toppings.  Another plus is that this crust is gluten free. Thumbs up!

Cooking polenta is a quick process.  Heating water (or stock), whisking in the cornmeal, and stirring until it begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan takes all of about 5-8 minutes. The cooked polenta crust is placed into a pie pan and smoothed to accommodate toppings of your choice. Then it's popped into the oven to finish off.  You probably already know that when warm polenta cools, it firms nicely, taking the shape of the receptacle into which it was placed.  So moving forward, any leftover pizza will showcase a crust that has a very stable personality.

Recently I happened to be reading USA Today (Tuesday, September 30), and in the Life section there was a snapshot on the state of vegetarians.  A survey conducted by the North American Vegetarian Society shared that there has been a 300% increase in the number of vegetarian adults in the past 18 years.  Additionally, in the past 21 years, there has nearly been an 800% increase in the number of vegetarian restaurants.  Want more?  Did you know that nearly half of adults consume one or more vegetarian meals per week?  I feel a segway coming on...

This recipe comes from a cookbook I've owned for decades called Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin.  The cookbook includes over 100 meatless entrées that use simple ingredients and are quick and easy to prepare.  Vegetarian main courses have come a long way; however, the recipes in this cookbook focus on 30-minute preparation and a relaxed approach to cooking with vegetables, grains, and legumes.  In her book, Lemlin calls this recipe Quick Polenta and Gorgonzola "Pizza".

Happy Belated Vegetarian Day! (October 1 is World Vegetarian Day.)

Notes:

I added the nutmeg to the cornmeal and placed both into salted water.  I used one large Roma tomato and sliced pepperocini for heat and color.  Pushing the cooling polenta up the sides of the pie pan allowed it to resemble a crust.  Eating right out of the oven, the pizza will be softer.  Cooling down to room temperature or chilling overnight will produce more sharp-edged slices.  I am hard-pressed to recommend one over the other.

Nutmeg sprinkled over cornmeal

Easy Polenta Pizza
recipe modified from Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin

3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt (feel free to omit the salt if using salted butter)
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
1 medium tomato, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1)  Preheat the oven to 400º F and grease a 9-inch pie plate.
2)  Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan.  Reduce the heat to low.
3)  Drizzle in the cornmeal and nutmeg, whisking constantly to prevent clumping and splashing.
4)  While whisking, cook about 5 minutes or until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan.

5)  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and Parmesan cheese until incorporated.
6)  Using a spatula, scrape the polenta into the pie plate, smoothing the top.
7)  Let sit for 10 minutes or cover and chill for a few hours.  Bring to room temperature before beginning the next step.

Push the polenta up the sides to resemble a crust

8)  Cover the top of the polenta crust with the grated mozzarella.  Lay the tomato slices over the cheese.  Sprinkle the Gorgonzola over the tomatoes.  Top with pepperoncini slices and season with ground pepper.

9)  Bake for 20 minutes, until hot and sizzling, and the crust has golden brown flecks.