Slow Cooker Tailgate Chili

In the deep winter, it's still a great time for chili and slow-cooker chili! 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15-oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14-oz) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2-3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp (vegan) Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground ginger
dash ground cloves 

1 bay leaf
1 cup dry bulgur wheat

2 cups vegetable broth 
1½ cups corn
1 cup (9-oz) salsa
4-oz guacamole

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
2. Combine onions and garlic with all ingredients except guacamole in slow cooker. 
3. Cook on low approximately 8 hours.
4. Remove bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
5. Thin with water or veg broth if necessary.
6. Garnish with guacamole.

Notes:

• Serves 4
• Per serving: 397 calories, 8.1g fat, 73g carbs, 21g fiber, 9.9g sugars, 16.9g protein

Kelley's Quick Burrito Bowl

Wanting to skip the torilla but still want a quick and easy buritto-like meal? Try Kelley's Quick Burrito Bowl!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 bag (16-oz) cauliflower rice
1 bag (16-oz) frozen okra (or broccoli)
1 jar (24-oz) salsa
1 ½ cup roasted corn (or regular)
1 can (15-oz) (vegan) refried beans (or black beans)
4-oz guacamole

Directions:

1. Line a large skillet with ¼-cup broth.
2. Add cauliflower rice and okra (if using broccoli steam separately or microwave as directed) and cook until cauliflower rice is just soft and okra has thawed.
3. Stir in salsa, corn and beans, or serve over cooked cauliflower rice.
4. Top with guacamole before serving.

Notes:

• Serves 2
• Time: 15 minutes or less
• Per serving: 421 calories, 6.5g fat, 77.4g carbs, 16.4g fiber, 26.7g sugars, 22.9g protein 

Vegetable Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked brown rice 

2 zucchinis, diced 

10-oz cherry tomatoes, halved 

2 bell peppers, seeded and diced 

1 onion, diced 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 cup frozen corn, thawed 

½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup vegetable broth 

2 Tbsp flour 

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp nutritional yeast 

¼ cup breadcrumbs 

Directions: 

1. Cook rice if not pre-cooked. 
2. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. Place zucchini on baking sheet in a single layer. 
4. Sprinkle cherry tomatoes and bell peppers over zucchini. 
5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until zucchini is roasted and tomatoes are shriveled. 
6. While the vegetables bake, sauté onions and garlic until translucent. 
7. Turn off heat and add flour, stirring to evenly coat onions and garlic. 
8. Stir in cold milk and broth. Stirring until there are no lumps. 
9. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. 
10. Once it starts to thicken, turn off heat and stir in nutritional yeast, plus salt and pepper. Set aside. 
11. In a glass casserole dish, mix together cooked rice, roasted veggies, and corn. 
12. Add sauce and mix again. 
13. Sprinkle with basil and breadcrumbs. 
14. Bake 25 minutes or until sauce bubbles and the top is toasty. 

Notes:

• Total Time: 50 min  Active Time: 10 min
• Per serving: 404 calories, 5.6g fat, 78.2g carbs, 11.3g fiber, 10.4g sugars, 15.3g protein
• I do not suggest making this in the summer. This is too warm of a dish for that.

Grilled Yam Nachos

On August 15, in honor of the inventor of Nachos, Ignacio Anaya, I veganized a nachos recipe from Pinch of Yum. I believe my work had published this recipe in a series during 2018 about healthy eating. I had an alternate cheese sauce I planned to use (from my shells n'cheeze) because I knew it was an easy and slightly spicy cheese sauce. However, I ended up just altering the one given. It was a very nice nachos sauce.


Ingredients:
2 large red garnet or jewel yams
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin
1 14-ounce can vegetarian refried black beans
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 oz. multigrain tortilla chips
chopped cilantro for topping

crumbled vegan cheese of your choosing

For sauce:

1/2 teaspoon Earth Balance butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of your choosing)
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt – more to taste
1/2 cup shredded non-dairy cheese of choice (I used Daiya cheddar shreds)

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill with medium-high heat.
2. Wash yams and pierce with fork.
3. Wrap in a paper towel and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
4. When cool enough to handle, cut yams into wedges.
5. Toss wedges with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, and salt to taste.
6. Transfer yam wedges to the hot grill and grill for a few minutes on each side until roasted. Be careful because the wedges are likely to slide between the grates of the grill.
7. While grilling, make the cheese sauce.
8. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat.
9. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
10. Add 3/4 cup almond milk and heat until simmering.
11. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup milk with the flour until smooth.
12. Add to the saucepan and stir until smooth and thick.
13. Turn to low heat, and whisk in the salt and shredded cheese until melted.
14. Remove from heat.
15. Meanwhile, heat the refried beans in the microwave or on the stove per your preference until warmed through.
16. Warm the corn either in the microwave or in a non-stick skillet on the stove. 
17. On a large platter, arrange the chips in a single layer.
18. Top with the grilled yam wedges, black beans, and corn. Drizzle the cheese sauce over the stack and top with the cilantro and additional crumbled cheese.

Notes:

• Serves 4 as an entree, about 520 Calories per serving depending on your chips and how big your potatoes are.
• Serves 6+ as a side.

Sweet Corn Risotto

Such a yummy summer dish!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice 
1 small sweet onion, diced 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 cup corn (boiled and cut from cob or thawed if frozen)
1½ cups veg broth 
16-oz cauliflower rice 
1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
1 tbsp miso paste 
2 cups fresh spinach 
2 tbsp soy or almond milk

Directions:

1. Line a large pot with ¼-cup broth. 
2. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. 
3. Stir in cauliflower rice and cook 5 minutes, adding   splashes of broth to prevent sticking. 
4. Add remaining broth, nutritional yeast, and miso,    stirring to combine. 
5. Stir in cooked rice, cover, and simmer for a few minutes. 
6. Uncover and stir in corn and spinach. 
7. Continue to cook and stir until spinach turns bright   green, folds in, and excess liquid cooks off. (Risotto   should be soft.) 
8. Turn off heat and add milk to cream it up, adding   more as desired. 
9. Let rest a few minutes.

Notes

• Serves 2
• Per serving: 207 calories, 4.4g fat, 40.4g carbs, 6g fiber, 20.1g sugars, 4.3g protein 

Ryan's Painful Tacos

These tacos got this name from frying the taco shells crispy and getting splattered with frying oil in the process. These are a great addition for build your own taco bar, or taco night all put together.

Ingredients:
Filling: 
2 Tbsp vegetable oil or corn oil                        
2 tsp vinegar (preferably apple cider vinegar)    
1 small onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)            
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (~1 Tb) 
2 Tbsp chili powder 
1 tsp  ground cumin            
1 tsp ground coriander 
½ tsp dried oregano 
¼ tsp cayenne pepper 
table salt 
ground black pepper 
1 pound 90% lean beef (or leaner) 
½ cup tomato sauce 
½ cup chicken broth 
1 tsp brown sugar

Shells: 
3/4 cup vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil 
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)

Toppings:
shredded cheese: Colby Jack; Mexican mix; Cheddar
diced tomatoes
chopped lettuce
corn
black beans
refried beans
salsa
guacamole
your choice

Directions:
Filling: 

1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. 
2. Add garlic, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
3. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up with wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. 
4. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer. 
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking meat up so that no chunks remain, until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. 
6. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. 
7. Using wide, shallow spoon, divide filling evenly among taco shells.  

Shells: 

1. Heat oil in 8-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees, about 5 minutes (oil should bubble when small piece of tortilla is dropped in; tortilla piece should rise to surface in 2 seconds and be light golden brown in about 1 1/2 minutes). 
2. Meanwhile, line rimmed baking sheet with double thickness of paper towels. 
3. Using tongs to hold tortilla, slip half of tortilla into hot oil. With metal spatula in other hand, keep half of tortilla submerged in oil. Fry until just set, but not brown, about 30 seconds. 
4. Flip tortilla; hold tortilla open about 2 inches while keeping bottom submerged in oil. Fry until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. 
5. Flip again and fry other side until golden brown, about 30 seconds. 
6. Transfer shell upside down to prepared baking sheet to drain. 
7. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adjusting heat as necessary to keep oil between 350 and 375 degrees.

Notes:

• Serves 4 
• Per serving: 330 Cal + shell 
• Serve immediately, passing toppings separately.

Fajita-topped Baked Potato

Honestly, this could be served on a tortilla, but a baked potato is a fun base. 

Ingredients:
4 potatoes
16-oz frozen peppers & onions 
1 fajita seasoning packet 
2 cups prepared black beans (1 can)
1 cup corn 
8-oz guacamole

Directions:

1. Bake potatoes.
2. Place frozen peppers and onions in a skillet and start cooking, stirring constantly to defrost the vegetables. 
3. After a few minutes of stirring, whisk seasoning packet with 1 cup water (or as directed) and pour over vegetables. 
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring every so often, until peppers and onions are warm (but still crisp) and liquid has thickened.  (Stir in water to thin if it gets too thick.) 
5. Mix in beans and corn. 
6. Top with fajita mixture and guacamole.

Notes:

• Per serving: 432 calories, 11.2g fat, 71.9g carbs, 14g fiber, 12.1g sugars, 11.1g protein
• Serves 4 

Slow Cooker Corn Tortilla Soup

It's that time of year, to get out our slow cookers and enjoy some soup as the weather cools. The original recipe came from Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor program. 

Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas  
1 onion, diced 
4 cloves garlic, minced 
1 tsp chili powder 
1 tsp dried oregano 
2 tsp ground cumin 
2 cups (16-oz) vegetable broth 
14-oz diced tomatoes 
2-oz diced green chiles, drained 
¼ cup tomato paste 
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 
1.5 cups prepared black beans (1-15 oz can, drained and rinsed) 
1 avocado 
hot sauce, cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine onion, garlic, spices, broth, tomatoes (with juices), chiles, tomato paste and soy sauce in a slow cooker. 
2. Tear or chop 4 corn tortillas and stir into slow cooker to combine. 
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours (high 3-5 hours). 
4. Optional: Once done, transfer half to a blender and whiz until smooth OR use an immersion blender to partially blend. 
5. Add beans, stirring to combine.
6. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350F. 
7. Place 4 corn tortillas directly on the wrack and until crispy, about 5 minutes.
8. Crumble cooked tortillas into separate bowl.
9. Spoon soup into serving bowls and top with crumbled crisped tortillas and avocado. 
10. Garnish with hot sauce and cilantro. (optional)

Notes:

• Serves 4.
• Per serving: 394 calories, 13.2g fat, 57.1g carbs, 13.7g fiber, 9.8g sugars, 14.7g protein
• You could add corn to the soup as well.

Sweet Tomatoes Bowl

This was amazing. I really like lentils, and there is a fabulous flavor combination here. I got the original recipe from Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor. 

Ingredients:
water
1 zucchini, sliced in half moons 
1-2 tbsp Taco Seasoning 
5-oz cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes, or combo of small tomatoes, sliced 
⅓ cup corn 
¾ cup cooked lentils 
¼ cup salsa 

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet, and add ¼-cup water. 
2. Add zucchini and Taco Seasoning. 
3. Cook for a few minutes, until zucchini is just becoming tender. 
4. Add tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes start to soften. 
5. Add corn and cooked lentils. 
6. Continue to cook until vegetables reach desired tenderness, stirring constantly and adding water as needed. 
7. Top with salsa and serve. 

Notes:

• Serves 1
• Per serving: 386 calories, 1.7g fat, 72.2g carbs, 27.1g fiber, 11.6g sugars, 24.6g protein
• You can add hot sauce if you like. 

Firefly Sweet Potato Chowder

I love potato soups, so I was excited to give this a try from Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor. I've adapted it a bit. Great as a side or an entree.

Ingredients:
oil
1 onion, diced 
2 sweet potatoes, baked
water 
1 quart vegetable broth 
1-15 oz can corn  
½ cup (lite) coconut milk 
2 cups prepared chickpeas 
8-oz guacamole 
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Directions:

1. After baking potatoes, dice one and puree the other with some water in a blender.
2. Sauté onions in oil until translucent. 
3. Add pureed sweet potato, 3 cups broth, and corn. 
4. Cover and bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. 
6. Stir in coconut milk and  chickpeas. 
7. Use and immersion blender to make creamy.
8. Stir in diced sweet potatoes. 
9. Add remaining broth to thin as desired.  
10. Cover and heat over low until fully warm. 
11. Ladle into bowls. 
12. Top with guacamole and green onions.

Notes:

• Serves 4
• Per serving: 410 calories, 14.9g fat, 57.1g carbs, 12.2g fiber, 4.9g sugars, 17.4g protein
• Great served with crackers or baked tortilla chips.

Green Bean-Potato Salad

If you do Meatless Mondays, how about Salad Mondays? I am such a fan of Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor salads. I put salads as sides, because that's how many folks think of them, but this could be eaten as an entree, which is what I did.

Ingredients:
½ cup corn 
1½ cups fresh green beans, cut into 1” pieces 
½ cup dry couscous or 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cooked potatoes, diced 
1 tomato, diced 
½ cup fresh basil, chopped 
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped 

Lemon Dressing 
2 tbsp vegetable broth 
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 
1 tbsp red wine vinegar 
garlic powder 
½ tsp agave nectar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Make Dressing: Whisk ingredients together. Taste, adding more garlic as desired plus salt and black pepper.
2. Warm or thaw corn if frozen. Set aside. 
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook 5 minutes or until tender but still crisp. 
4. Pour ⅔-cup of the hot water over couscous in a mixing bowl and set aside. 
5. Drain green beans and immediately rinse under cold water, until they're cool.
6. After 5 minutes of soaking couscous in hot water, fluff couscous. 
7. In a large bowl, toss fluffed couscous with potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, corn, basil, and oregano. Toss with dressing until well mixed.

Notes:

• If serving as entree, serves 2.
• Per serving: 380 calories, 1.4g fat, 81.9g carbs, 11.3g fiber, 6.3g sugars, 12.8g protein
• Can add white beans or chickpeas. 

Tomale Pie

If you know me and my family, you might be as surprised as I am for something called "Tomale Pie" to make it onto the Codex. It was one of the meals from the Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor. I changed some of the measurements to be less spicy.

Ingredients:
oil
6 tbsp fine cornmeal
1/2 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup corn
1 tbsp diced green chilies
7-oz diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Make polenta: Bring 3/4-cup water to a boil. Reduce to low. Slowly whisk in cornmeal, stirring to break down clumps. Add more hot water (about 1/4-cup) to thin out. Salt to taste.
2. Preheat oven to 375F and set aside a square 8 or 9-inch glass casserole dish.
3. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil and saute onion and garlic until translucent.
4. Add spices, stirring to coat well, and cook another minute.
5. Add beans, corn, green chilies, and tomatoes.
6. Mix well and cook for a minute or so, then transfer to the casserole dish. 
7. Spread polenta mixture on top and bake 30 minutes, or until polenta is firm.
8. Allow to cool for 15 minutes while the polenta firms. 

Notes:

• Serves 2.
• Per serving: 387 calories, 3.8g fat, 70.1g carbs, 15.6g fiber, 6.7g sugar, 19.5g protein.
• If you like spice, double the chili powder to 1/2 tsp, and add as much as 2-oz of diced green chilies. You can pour hot sauce on top, too.
• Top with guacamole or sliced olives for more flavor.

Vegan 5 Can Chili

This is the vegan version of the 5 Can Chili Enhanced posted last year. This is an easy, 10 minutes to make recipe. The key is to find components you like. I ended up with a slightly spicier than I prefer chili because I didn't realize the components were that spicy. The ingredients are straight forward. 

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) vegetarian chili 
1 can (15 oz) mixed veggies, drained
1 can (11 oz) whole kernal corn, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients, heat through, about 5-10 minutes.

Other Details:

• Makes about 4 -1 cup servings.
• We like Rotel's diced tomatoes and green chilies, but I couldn't confirm they are vegan.
• Because this is vegan, obviously check that all the components are vegan. The chili and the tomato soup are the two items you need to be most careful.

Side dish: Baked Corn II

Years ago the husband found this recipe to dress up having corn. We make it a few times a year. 

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) pkg frozen corn, thawed and drained
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^o.  
2. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish (8” square.)  
3. In a large bowl combine corn, milk, egg, butter, sugar, flour, salt and pepper.  Mix well and transfer to dish.  
4. Bake, uncovered, 1 hr.

Other Details:

• Serves 4  
• Prep: 10 min  
• Cook 1 hr
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