The No-Longer Vegetarian Veggie Chili

Shiitake mushrooms add a unique flavor and lively texture. (photo by Brian D. Sabin)

Tonight’s recipe:

Veggie Chili, sort of.

Source:

A Natalie Original

Difficulty: Easy

The Quote:

“This one’s really simple – you just chop, plop, and wait. But sometimes simple is delicious.” - Natalie

The Process:

We’ve mentioned how we once tried (and failed) to go vegetarian, right? We have. But it wasn’t all for naught. During that period, Natalie developed a unique chili recipe. It’s a lot like your usual dish, only with a wider variety of beans, possibly some vegetarian soy crumbles, and – best of all – shiitake mushrooms.

But as has been well-established, our veggie period didn’t last more than a few months. So with the return of fall football season and Sunday cooking days, we went back to our roots and brought back ground beef. And mmm, it’s good to be a carnivore again.

So making this meal is very easy. Essentially, all you’re going to do is chop some stuff, open some cans, and then pour everything into a Crock Pot. Here’s what you’ll need:

*Tomato sauce, 1 large can

*Tomato paste, 1 regular (small) can

*Diced tomatoes, 1 can

*2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

*Shiitake mushrooms

*1 Red pepper

*1 Green pepper

*1 Yellow onion

*1 lb. ground beef (browned before mixing)

*1 can Garbanzo beans (drained)

*1 can Kidney beans (also drained)

*1 can Black beans (yup, you guessed it)

*1 tbsp. Cumin

*1 tbsp. Chili powder (or to taste)

*1 Jalapeno with seeds (optional)

*3 Bay leaves

*Veggie stock – add as necessary for preferred consistency.

Leave the mixture in the Crock Pot until the vegetables reach the consistency you desire. We cooked the mixture on low overnight, and they were perfect the following day.

Watch out: The mixture will look thick at first, but don’t be in a hurry to add stock. Water will come out of the vegetables over time, so the chili should thin out as it cooks. 

Accompaniment: Rice, Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinaigrette  

Bigger veggie chunks make a heartier meal. (photo by Brian D. Sabin)

Learning Tip: Don’t chop your vegetables into too small of pieces. You’ll want them to be a little on the big side so they retain some crunch, and form a hearty spoonful when served.

Deliciousness Rating: 8

Delicious Recipe Seeks Clever Name

Natalie made up this one all by herself. (photo by Brian D. Sabin)

Tonight’s recipe:

Asparagus Shiitake Cashew Couscous

Source:

A Natalie Original

Difficulty: Intermediate

The Quote:

“I forgot that this recipe kinda has a lot of things going on at once. It’s not hard, but you do have to juggle.” - Natalie

The Process:

After ordering pizza for Monday Night Football, we were ready to get back into the kitchen and cook up something on our own. Natalie’s Asparagus Shiitake Cashew Couscous (if you have any ideas for a shorter or more clever name, leave them below) is one of my favorite recipes. But it turns out that it’s a little complicated to make.

First, you need to chop garlic and grate ginger, then sauté them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil in medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add gently chopped cashews and sliced shiitakes, then stir occasionally for five minutes.

(photo by Natalie L. Sabin)

You may need to add a splash of oil here, as the mushrooms suck up a lot of it. You don’t want them to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, the asparagus should be cut into thirds, and then dropped into a pot of boiling water. Let them boil for a few minutes until they are slightly more than blanched - al dente is ideal.

(photo by Natalie L. Sabin)

While the asparagus is doing its thing, add fresh or frozen peas to the shiitake-cashew mixture. Turn the heat down a bit (we went from medium to medium low), and stir occasionally while the asparagus cooks.

(photo by Natalie L. Sabin)

When the asparagus has the right texture, strain and then add to the shiitake/cashew mixture.

(photo by Natalie L. Sabin)

Let that mixture sit, and let’s turn our attention to the couscous. Cook ¾ cup of plain, small grain couscous to package directions. This should take about five minutes.

Ok, now for a COMPLETE departure. We need to create the glaze that ties all of these great ingredients together. In a small bowl, combine cold soy sauce and corn starch. Mix until dissolved. Add a splash of OJ and honey to taste. Whisk together until all the ingredients combine.

"The Wreath" (photo by Natalie L. Sabin)

Here’s where everything comes together. Push the shiitake mixture into a wreath inside the pan, so that there’s an open space in the middle.

(photo by Natalie L. Sabin)

Turn the heat up to a higher setting (we used level 8), then pour the glaze into the center of the wreath. STAY WITH YOUR FOOD AS BUBBLES START TO FORM. This part is key. When the bubbles look even (this will happen quickly), turn the heat down to low, then mix all of the ingredients in the pan together. 

Once combined, add in the couscous, mix and serve. Voila!

(photo by Brian D. Sabin)

Watch out: The glaze is really the trickiest part. You have to have the confidence to let the heat stay up long enough to bubble through, but not so long that it burns.

Accompaniment: Siracha, Sauvignon Blanc. 

Learning Tip: Corn Starch requires being combined with a cold liquid, so make sure to refrigerate the soy sauce ahead of time. Otherwise, you’ll get lumps in the mixture, and that’s just not cool. 

Deliciousness Rating: 9.5

Taco Taco Man

Meatless tacos still have all the flavor of regular tacos. (photo by Natalie L. Sabin)

Tonight’s recipe:

Vegetarian Tacos

Source:

Do you really need a source to make tacos?

Difficulty: Easy

The Quote:

“Brian, you are a really messy taco eater. It is like a taco disaster” - Natalie

The Process:

Mmm, tacos. Holy sh*t we love tacos. We have a secret: Like pretty much everybody else, when making tacos we just buy the ol’ taco kit. (Old El Paso, to be exact.)

Our big change - to the extent that there is any change - is to use Smart Ground, a soy version of ground meat, rather than beef or turkey. During a short spurt with vegetarianism we decided to give soy burger a try, and while the texture is slightly different, over time we actually found that that we like the non-meat version better. 

Our dirty little secret. (photo by Brian D. Sabin)

We don’t ordinarily use Smart Ground’s “Mexican Style” flavor (we opt for the original), but for some reason our local Giant grocery store is only stocking the Mexi-version lately.

Anyway, to prepare: Chop all of your vegetables (tomatoes, avocado, lettuce) up first. Then cook the Smart Ground according to the package directions. Warm your shells in the oven (Five or six minutes at 325 degrees should do it), and then serve with your favorite toppings.

Watch out: “Mexican” Smart Ground isn’t nearly Mexican enough. You’ll still need to add seasoning. (Which is another reason to buy original Smart Ground, and avoid the extra additives.)

Accompaniment: Skinny Girl Margarita, Landshark Beer, Salt.

Learning Tip: Use Old El Paso’s “Stand and Stuff” taco shells. They stay upright as you fill them. Seriously, they’ll change your life.

Deliciousness Rating: 8

The "disaster" Natalie mentioned: Brian's plate after dinner. (photo by Brian D. Sabin)

Forgetting the Peas

This meal is packed with flavor and color. (photo by: Brian D. Sabin)

Tonight’s recipe:

Spiced Cauliflower with Red Bell Pepper and Peas (or in our case, Edamame)

Source:

Market Vegetarian by Ross Dobson

p. 79

Difficulty: Easy

The Quote:

“This didn’t take a long time to make, but it did require a lot of chopping.” - Natalie

The Process:

This recipe is very straightforward – you chop your vegetables, you season the cauliflower, and then you combine other ingredients over time until you have a big batch of tumeric-yellow deliciousness.

It requires some spices – cumin, turmeric, mustard seeds and curry leaves – but once you have them, you’ll be amazed at how often you use them.

When we started cooking (or rather, when Natalie started cooking and I started typing on this keyboard), we discovered we were out of peas. We swapped in frozen edamame instead. The edamame gave the recipe more of a crispy texture than the peas would, but it worked.

Watch out: Turmeric turns EVERYTHING yellow.

Accompaniment: Jasmine Rice

Learning Tip: Recipe probably could’ve used a pinch more salt.

Deliciousness Rating: 7.5

The final product served with two warm mugs of apple cider to bring in the fall. (Photo by: Brian D. Sabin)