Vegetable Bean Chili

(recipe adapted from May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World by John Robbins)

2 cups cooked kidney beans
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, with leaves, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
1 16-oz. can unsweetened tomato sauce
2 medium tomatoes or one 14-oz. can unsweetened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and stir for 30 seconds.  Stir in the cooked beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and vegetable stock.  Cook, partially covered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the corn and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.  Remove the bay leaves and serve.

Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas

• (recipe from dryman.com)

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. baby spinach or baby kale
Two 15 oz. cans chickpeas
1 red onion, diced
2 yellow bell peppers, diced
2 sweet potatoes, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
2 heaping Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
30 oz. can crushed tomatoes
15 oz. can light coconut milk

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and bell peppers. Sauté for 8 minutes, stirring often until the onions are translucent.

Add in the rest of your ingredients.

Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.

(OMG!  So delicious!)

Okra, Corn, and Tofu Gumbo

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay)

1/4 cup unbleached flour
3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (or brown rice)
Pinch plus 3/4 tsp. salt.
1 lb. fresh okra
2 cans (4oz. each) whole green chiles (or use several (5-6) small fresh chiles)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium white onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 lb. firm tofu, diced
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. filé powder (I omitted this)
2 medium fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Place the flour in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and brown for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  You must keep the flour moving to prevent it from burning.  If the flour begins to blacken (not brown), turn down the heat a little and begin again with fresh flour.  When the flour is uniformly dark tan in color, remove it from the pan and set aside.

Cook the rice according to the package directions

Meanwhile, trim off the stem ends of the okra and slice the pods crosswise into 1-inch pieces.  Set aside in a bowl.  Remove the stems and seeds of the chiles and slice them into long, thin strips.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a stockpot.  Saute the onions, carrots, bell pepper, and celery for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown.

Add the tofu, corn kernels, okra, green chiles, chili powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and cayenne to the browned vegetable mixture.  Lower the heat to medium.  Stir and saute for 10 minutes, then distribute the browned flour evenly over the vegetables and tofu and stir it in.  Add 3 1/2 cups of hot water, the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, the filé powder, and the tomatoes.  Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve hot over hot rice.

Santa Fe Corn Salad

(recipe from Yoga Living magazine)

3 cups fresh corn, cooked (I used frozen corn)
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 can kidney beans, drained
1/2 can black beans, drained (I used one can of pinto beans instead of two types of beans)
1/2 cup celery, sliced (I omitted this)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp. chili powder

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together.  Chill for at least half an hour before serving.

Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Corn

(recipe from Bon Appetit magazine)

1 1/2 cups wild rice
2 tsp. coarse salt
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (from 1 1/2 lb. squash)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
6 Tbsp. butter, divided (I used coconut oil)
1 1/2 cups leeks, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen white corn kernels, thawed
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Rinse rice in strainer under cold water; drain.  Bring 6 cups water and 2 tsp. coarse salt to boil in a large saucepan.  Add rice; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until rice grains begin to split and are tender but still slightly chewy, about 45 minutes.  Drain.  Spread on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.  Transfer to bowl.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Oil a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss squash cubes and 3 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl.  Spread squash in a single layer on prepared sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast just until tender but firm enough to hold shape, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.  Transfer squash to bowl.  Cool.

Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add leeks and 3/4 cup water; simmer until leeks are tender, about 7 minutes.  Add corn; simmer 2 minutes longer.  Add rice and butternut squash; simmer until heated through and liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes.  Stir in 2 Tbsp. butter and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Stir-Fried Corn and Tempeh

(recipe from christinacooks.com)

Olive oil
5-6 thin slices fresh ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 small leek, halved lengthwise, rinsed free of dirt, sliced thinly diagonally
soy sauce (to taste)
8-oz. package tempeh, cut into small cubes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup watercress, rinsed well, hand broken into bite-size pieces

Place a generous amount of oil in a skillet or wok along with ginger, garlic and leek, over medium heat.  When the leek begins to sizzle, add a splash of soy sauce and sauté for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in tempeh cubes, season lightly with soy sauce and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, allowing the tempeh to brown on the edges.  Stir in corn, season to taste with soy sauce and stir fry until the corn is just heated through.  Remove from heat and stir in watercress.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot.

Tempeh And Vegetable Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Marinade:
1 tsp. ginger juice (I used minced ginger)
1 Tbsp. brown rice syrup (I used honey)
3 Tbsp. tamari
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

8 oz. tempeh, cubed

Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. miso
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. tamari
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. warm water, or more (depending on how thin you prefer the dressing to be)

2 tsp. oil
1 ear corn, kernels removed (I used frozen corn kernels)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups sunflower sprouts, roughly chopped
2 green onions, minced

Whisk together marinade ingredients until well combined.

In a medium pot with a steamer basket, steam tempeh cubes for 20 minutes and cool slightly.  Marinate tempeh in marinade for two hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, and drain.

In a food processor, blender, or with a whisk, mix together all dressing ingredients until well combined.

Heat oil in medium skillet on medium-high heat.  Add tempeh and sauté first side until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.  Flip to second side and repeat.  Transfer tempeh to a paper towel to drain and cool.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, dry roast corn kernels until light brown, about 5 minutes, and remove from heat to cool.  In the same skillet over medium-high heat, dry roast pumpkin seeds until they are golden and begin to puff and pop, about 2-4 minutes.  Combine tempeh, corn, pumpkin seeds, spinach, bell pepper, and sunflower sprouts in a large bowl.  Mix in miso tahini dressing.  Garnish with green onions and serve.

(This salad takes a lot of work, but is really delicious.  The dressing is nice, even to just make alone and use for other salads, etc.)

Roasted Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

(recipe from The New Vegan Cookbook by Lorna Sass)

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 lb.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 Tbsp. oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. frozen (rinsed and defrosted) or fresh corn kernels (about 4 cups)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups finely diced celery
1 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced shallots
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
3 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 russet potato (about 8 oz.)
2 Tbsp. minced parsley
1/2 to 1 cup unflavored soy milk (optional)

Set the oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 425F.  Oil a large roasting pan.

Scatter the sweet potatoes in one layer in the roasting pan and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the oil.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Roast until tender, tossing once or twice, 15 to 20 minutes.  If you'd like to brown the sweet potatoes more deeply, set them about 5 inches below the broiling element for a minute or two.  Set aside.

Reserve 1 cup of corn kernels.  In a blender, puree the remaining corn with the water until very smooth, about 2 minutes.  Set aside.

In a heavy soup pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Cook the celery, onion, and shallots over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are slightly softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and thyme and cook another minute, stirring frequently.  Add the both, pureed corn, bay leaf, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste.

While bringing the chowder to a boil, peel the potato, cut it into 1/2 -inch dice, and add it to the pot.  Cover the pot and simmer until the potato is tender, 25 to 35 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf.  Add the reserved corn kernels, roasted sweet potatoes, and parsley.  Thin with soymilk, if desired.  Adjust the seasonings.  Cook (but do not boil after adding soy milk) until heated throughout.

(Delicious!)

Black Bean Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 ripe avocado, mashed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (I used chopped red kale)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed if frozen
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

In a large bowl, whisk together avocado, cilantro, and lime juice until blended.  Add beans, lettuce, tomatoes, corn, pepper, pumpkin seeds and toss until evenly coated.

(This comes together quick and is quite tasty.  Perhaps it's because I used kale in place of the lettuce, but I was surprised that this kept well in the fridge for several days.  Good way to use up a very ripe avocado.)