Recipe: Green Chile Stew

Image from American Potager

I made my very first Green Chile Stew yesterday afternoon. I wrote all about the history of green chile stew on This, That, and the Other, but I wanted to post my recipe here for anyone and everyone interested in this fine New Mexican comfort food.

When Ian came home from work and tasted the stew, simmering on the stove, he walked into the bedroom where I was nursing Felicity, and told me the taste of it actually choked him up (and not, I think, because it was too spicy, though this soup is hella hot). I write this to a) show how awesome I am, and b) to exemplify that this is an authentic tasting New Mexican recipe, even though I'm super-pale and hail from Minnesota.

That said, I absolutely cannot tolerate the heat of this soup. I am a baby and load it down with vegan "sour cream" and tortilla chips, which is delicious. This revokes my status as an honorary New Mexican, and for that, I apologize.

Green Chile Stew

If you want the real deal, you need to use green chiles from Hatch, New Mexico. You can buy them online and get them shipped to you by the pound - raw, roasted and peeled, or frozen. Ian states that, "Under great duress you could use canned green chiles." You would need approximately 30-35 ounces to make this soup rock. For instructions on roasting green chiles at home, see this link. 

A meat substitute is completely optional - the stew will taste great without it - but it does add a little something and gives it a more authentic feeling. I used Beefless Tips from Gardein (found in the frozen section of our local Whole Foods), which I browned and sliced before adding towards the end of the cooking time, but vegan chorizo would be good (I strongly recommend Trader Joes), or even 1/2 cup of TVP/TSP.

Ingredients

Roughly 1.5-2 lbs New Mexican green chiles, roasted, peeled, and diced (seeds included, my lovelies!) (see note above)
3 Tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced/crushed garlic
4 large red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1-2 carrots, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (optional)
4 cups vegetable broth ("beef" flavored, if possible)
meat substitute of your choice (optional but recommended)

Directions

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom completely. Add the onions and a good pinch or two of salt, stirring them to evenly coat in the oil. Continue to cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and starting to caramelize. If they are browning too quickly, reduce the heat a bit. Add garlic, and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant.

Add the potatoes and carrots. Bring heat back to medium if you reduced it before. Cook for about five minutes, just to give the veggies a quick brown. Pour in the broth and add the green chiles, stirring everything. Keep over medium heat until the stew reaches a nice simmer. Then reduce heat to low, and cover.

Let the soup simmer for a good hour or two, stirring occasionally to avoid burning/sticking. The potatoes and carrots (if you're using them) should be falling apart and really thickening the stew. If you want, take a hand-held masher and give three or four good mashes to the pot. You want lots of potato chunks, but the stew should also be thick and lovely.

Towards the end of your cooking time, say 20 minutes before you want to serve, add your meat substitute, if you're using one. Stir to incorporate, and continue to simmer over low heat. If you feel the stew is a little too thick at this point, feel free to add a little more broth, or some water.

Five minutes before serving, take the stew off of the heat, and allow to rest. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with your favorite vegan sour cream (if you're wimpy like me), and some fine tortilla chips.


Serves 6-8, about 250-300 calories and 8 grams of protein before added meat replacement, sour cream, and chips. High in fiber, potassium, and Vitamins A and C.

Recipe: Mocha Java Cake

I requested and received a copy of Vegan Diner: Classic Comfort Food for the Body & Soul by Julie Hasson when we first returned to New York City a few weeks ago. This cookbook has some seriously yummy recipes, and we've had a whole lot of fun cooking out of it.

Ian's favorite recipe so far is the Mocha Java Cake. I made it for our breakfasts last week (it's technically in the 'Breakfast' section, so we felt justified eating this in the morning), and currently have another loaf in the oven for a potluck brunch we're attending today.

I didn't have french roast or espresso coffee, so I ground the darkest blend I had, as finely as I could. I also don't have canola or vegetable oil in the house, so both times I've made this, I've subbed 1/2 cup coconut oil, and 1/2 cup applesauce for the oil. 

Mocha Java Cake
From Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson

Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons soymilk, heated to steaming and kept warm
1/4 cup finely ground espresso or French Roast coffee
2 tablespoons instant coffee
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons soy flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper and grease well with vegetable shortening. This cake will have a tendency to stick if not greased and lined well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soymilk, espresso, and instant coffee until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, soy flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, mixing well.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar canola oil, and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the bowl, alternating with the milk mixture, stirring just until mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the top of cake is puffed with a crack down the center, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and remove to a rack to cool to room temperature.
 

Recipe: Coconut Banana Scones

I love scones. There is nothing quite like a scone on a cool, stormy morning. To sit and sip tea, while eating a flaky, slightly-sweet pastry is a little blissful.

I made my first batch of vegan scones about a week ago, based on a mostly-healthy blackberry scone recipe I enjoyed awhile back. They didn't turn out great. It was probably because I wanted to experiment with not using an egg replacer (EnerG), and so replaced my eggs with applesauce and almond yogurt. The scones were too moist, and the texture was all wrong. We still ate them, of course, but it wasn't a success. I will probably try again with EnerG (sigh), who knows.

When I woke up this morning, it seemed like a good time to try again. Ian was sleeping in, so I put Felicity in the kitchen with me (to play in a box, I'm not going to lie), and got to work. I'm pretty proud of what I came up with.

Coconut Banana Scones
These scones have a nice texture with small pieces of coconut throughout. If you would like a more consistent texture, you could mix the dry ingredients in a food processor, and process in the coconut oil, and the banana mixture. You would just need to be very careful to not overmix.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2  tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
1/4 cup sucanat (can be eliminated if you prefer more of lightly sweetened scone)
1/4 cup coconut oil, in solid form
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup coconut milk

Heat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper

Combine the flours, salt, baking powder, coconut flakes, and sugar (if using). Stir in coconut oil until mixture forms into small crumbs.

Whisk the mashed bananas and coconut milk until well blended. It is okay if your mixture has some banana chunks. Pour this into the dry mix, stirring until just blended.

Drop dough onto well-floured surface and shape into a disk about 1 inch high, 9 inches round. Slice into triangles (batter will be very loose, so this may be a little difficult), and slide them carefully onto your prepared pan.

Alternatively, you could just drop the dough onto your prepared sheet, I imagine about 1/3 cup of batter would be about right (?).

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!

Recipe: Eggplant & White Bean Soup with Garlicky Croutons

Can you tell we're on an eggplant kick? Summer is here, and there are gorgeous eggplants everywhere, just asking to be prepared in some delicious way or another. We see them at the farmers' market, at the co-op, and even winking at Meijer.

And, when my body is tired and achy, even if it's in the 80s outside, what I want is soup. Homey, wonderful soup with lots of heart, served with a substantial bread and some white wine.

When I have a little extra time when making a soup or a sauce, I like to cook my onions down in broth or stock to give more depth and richness to the base of the soup. I picked this technique up in college when looking at reviews for artichoke dip on epicurious.com. It seriously can make the difference between "good" and "this is a damned fine bowl of soup!" if you know what I mean.

Eggplant & White Bean Soup with Garlicky Croutons
 If you don't want the extra hassle or calories of the croutons, you could serve this soup with bread on the side, or even tear up a piece or two of bread into small chunks and mix into your bowl. If you do make the croutons (you know you want to!), I would prepare them in the ten minutes or so while your onions cook down. This soup can be served as is, with chunks of eggplant, onions, and beans, or it can be partially or completely pureed.

Ingredients
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
generous splash of white wine (about 1/4 cup)
3-4 cups of broth, separated
1 large eggplant (or 2 small eggplants), chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
28 oz. white beans, drained and rinsed
juice of one lemon (about 4 Tbsp)
chopped parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
Garlicky Croutons (see below)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the red onion and generously salt, stirring to coat onions. Cook over medium heat for five minutes or so, until onion begins to soften and brown slightly. Add a generous splash of white wine, and saute to burn off. 
2. Add about one cup of broth to onions. Turn the heat up, almost to high. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth is almost absorbed and has thickened considerably.
3. Reduce the heat back to medium and add all of the eggplant, tossing to coat in the onions and remaining broth. Add a little extra broth here, if you feel it's necessary. Cook eggplant for about 5-10 minutes, sauteing to avoid sticking. 
4. When eggplant is softened and beginning to cook down, add the beans and the rest of the broth. Stir to combine, and allow soup to come to a simmer. I would recommend letting your soup simmer on low for 20 minutes or so, to thicken and combine the flavors, but you could skip this step if you're in a hurry.
5.  Remove soup from heat and stir in lemon juice. If you desire a thicker soup but don't want to puree it, take a potato masher and spend a minute smashing some of the beans.
6. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with garlicky croutons and chopped parsley, and serve.

Makes 4 generous servings
About 275 Calories (before croutons) per bowl, 12.5 grams protein

Garlicky Croutons
Homemade croutons add such a nice touch to salads and soups. I would suggest a fresh sourdough or multigrain loaf, but really any freshly baked bread, preferably unsliced, will do. You can use as little or as much olive oil as you would like. General rule of thumb, of course, is that the more oil you use (up to a point, of course), the better these will taste. But a tablespoon or two will be quite nice as well.

Ingredients
Olive oil, for frying
2 cups of bread cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and pepper
garlic powder
optional: rosemary, thyme, or italian seasoning blend

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until glistening. Swirl to evenly coat the bottom, then add bread in a single layer (you may have to do 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your pan). 
2. Brown bread, tossing occasionally to avoid burning. Once all sides of the bread have made contact with olive oil, generously salt and pepper, and sprinkle with garlic powder. Toss bread so the seasonings are disbursed.
3. Continue to cook, tossing as needed, until cubes are well-browned, and add additional olive oil if you feel it is needed.

Recipe: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Energy Bites [Energy Bite Attempt #1]

You've heard that pregnant women are ravenous and eat all the time, right? Crave weird things? Always eating? Sounds familiar. It's true that your body burns about an 300-400 calories a day while you're pregnant, building that baby and all that. What you probably don't know (unless you've been through it yourself) is that you burn 500-600 extra calories a day nursing. And you are freaking hungry all the time. Especially when you make the transition to a plant-based diet and are eating lower-calorie meals, even if you are cramming your face at mealtimes.

In fact, in a recent study, 100% of Ians polled about their wives' hunger complaints were, to quote "fed up." One annoyed source said, "We ate like two hours ago. Seriously!"

The latest scientific data on Ians and their wives' hunger.

After spending admittedly way too much time on Pinterest lately, I've come across dozens of recipes for vegan energy balls. Apparently, there are a million ways to make these. What a great solution to my nearly-always gnawing sense of hunger!

Today was the first attempt, and I give it a B on the success scale. Easy? Super. Delicious? Yup. But the texture isn't quite right; they're a little crumbly and it was difficult to roll them into balls. I also think I would toast my wheat germ next time as there is a bit of a grainy aftertaste. They firmed up nicely though, so maybe I needed to chill them for more than 30 minutes.

But, and I can say this confidently as I was "helping" my mix as I was making it, these fit the bill, at least for now. Ian is also a little obsessed.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Energy Bites [Energy Bite Attempt #1]
These should make around 24 bites. Or a little less if you happen to sample the dough a few times while you're mixing it to make sure it's absolutely delicious.

Ingredients
 - 1 cup oatmeal
 - 2/3 cup unsweetened, raw coconut flakes
 - 1/2 cup ground wheat germ (I would like to try ground flax seeds next time, or toast and then chill the wheat germ in advance)
 - 1/2 to 2/3 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter (I used a 1/2 cup and I think it needs more)
 - 1/3 cup agave nectar
 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
 - 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the oatmeal, coconut, and wheat germ/ground flax together.
2. Add the peanut butter, agave nectar, and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the chocolate chips.
3. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.
4. Shape dough into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter by grabbing a large spoonful of dough, compressing in your palms a few times, and then rolling between your palms to smooth.
5. Keep the energy bites refrigerated; most of the recipes I looked at said they should keep for about one week (as if they'll last that long!).

The Energy Bites are around 85 calories each with 3 grams of protein.

Variation #1: For the nut-lover, omit chocolate chips and add chopped walnuts instead. About 90 calories per Energy Bite, protein increases to 5.5 grams.

Variation #2: Omit chocolate chips and add 1/2 chopped craisins. About 85 calories per Energy Bite with 3.5g protein.

Recipe: Creamy Eggplant Stew

It's been so long since Ian and I have cooked a meal together! It was much easier when Felicity would sit in her bouncer seat on the kitchen table and happily watch us work, but now that she's quite mobile and wants lots of input, we typically have to delegate - one person on dinner, one person on baby watch.

Tonight, we improvised and put her Pack 'n Play in a corner of the kitchen, and were careful to avoid the usual dangers, such as knife-throwing, and flinging of hot vegetables.

This was a really lovely soup; very thick, creamy, and had wonderful depth. We added leeks to this stew because we had one that needed to be used. I'm not sure that it added anything, but it certainly didn't detract from the stew. We also used dried chickpeas (they're cheaper!), cooking them while we did the food prep and started the vegetables.

In addition, this delicious soup is pretty low-cal at about 230 calories per serving, has lots of protein, and is high in iron, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. What's not to love?

Creamy Eggplant Stew
Adapted from The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions

Ingredients
 2 Tbsp. oil (separated)
1/2 onion, diced
1 leek, chopped and rinsed well (optional)
1 lb eggplant (about two small), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced/crushed
6 oz. tomato paste
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (slightly more if desired)
1-2 Tbsp. garam masala (to taste)
2 1/2 cups water (supplement chickpea water if you cooked them yourself)
16 oz canned chickpeas or 1/2 dry chickpeas, fully cooked
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions 

1. Heat dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp. oil. Add diced onion, and cook until softened. Add leek and eggplant and the rest of the oil. Toss well to coat vegetables and add salt. Cook, stirring often, to soften the egpplant (about eight minutes).
2. Add garlic, tomato paste, peanut butter, and garam masala. Stir to coat vegetables and cook for one minute until fragrant. Slowly add water (or cooking liquid) and stir to incorporate (veggie mixture will be thick), then add the chickpeas.
3. Bring stew to a simmer, than reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Take off of the heat and let soup rest for a few minutes.
5. Serve with chopped parsley.

Six Servings.
About 230 calories per bowl, 20 grams of protein

Excellent Morning Edition Story: A Nation of Meat Eaters

It amazes me how blind I was to the environmental destruction caused by my diet. This story by Morning Edition  highlights why the habits of the world's elite countries is unsustainable and unhealthy for the earth and our bodies.

So, think about your own bathtub. You'd have to fill it 140,000 times. I mean, that's far more than you'd fill it in a lifetime, right? That's how much water it takes to produce one ton of beef. And if you break this down to an individual quarter-pound hamburger, it works out to be about 53 gallons of water for one burger.