Vegetarian Chili

I recently ventured into the world of homemade vegetarian chili. To start, I based my recipe off of the whole foods website recipe for vegetarian chili, but I changed some things (I forgot garlic, and as much as I like the stuff, it was fine) and made it more general.

As a side note, I've been trying to make basic things from scratch (recipes for bread and stuff coming soon). I don't usually measure things out when I cook, I just sort of eyeball it with the idea that good ingredients with thoughtful preparation will yield a good enough product, or at least a good and edible learning experience. Things have turned out well, so I guess it's a decent approach. Without further ado . . .

TOTAL COST: about $25
MAKES: enough servings to feed you and a few roommates or guests for a couple days at least, plus you'll have leftover fresh veggies.
TIME: 1-2 hours, but you will be able to check facebook while shit's cookin'.


INGREDIENTS
About 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
About 2 qt. crunchy veggies. I use:
    2 Stalks Celery
    1 Carrot
    1 Onion
    1/2 Green Pepper
    1/2 Red Pepper
2 x 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
Spices. If in doubt, buy a new, full container. I use half of a McClanahan's container of cumin in a single batch. I use:
    Cumin (Sort of essential)
    Oregano
    Chili Powder (Again, sort of essential)
    Sea Salt
    Red/Cayenne Pepper (some like it hot)
Beans, etc. I use:
    1 x 15 oz. can kidney beans
    1 x 15 oz. can black beans
    1 x 15 oz. can corn
    1 x 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)


PROCEDURE (sorry, I was a chemistry major)

Combine olive oil and crunchy veggies (chopped finely or to your desired chunkiness) in a big pot. Mix well and apply low to medium heat until veggies are somewhat softened but nowhere near brown. Add canned tomatoes (include juice) and spices (munch on some of the mix as you're adding them to make sure you like it that way). Heat a little more (low to medium) until it's bubbling just a bit and starts to look like chili. Add beans and stuff. Cook until beans are soft enough that you're happy (I usually eat a few chickpeas . . . once they're not crunchy anymore, you're probably good).

Serve, share, refridgerate or freeze leftovers. Add some cheese (I'm a die-hard mozzarella guy) if you're not vegan and so inclined. Freshly baked bread (recipe coming soon, I swear) goes well also. Drink some milk if you overdid the cayenne pepper. Leftovers are probably good for burritos and stuff, though I've yet to muster the energy to do anything but scarf them down cold.

Greek Spinach Bake

the term "Bake" is very loosely defined in my kitchen. If I don't feel like cooking, I'll throw eggs, milk, cheese, and some random stuff in a pot and put it in the oven. Last night's result was pretty great, though, so I'll share:

5 eggs, beaten
1 c milk (Again, I used Soy. Doesn't really matter)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
tbsp Parmesan cheese
a few Feta cheese crumbles
1/4 c breadcrumbs (optional)
1/2 c chopped spinach
a few black olives (optional)
a few mushrooms (optional)
red onion (optional)
zucchini (optional)

preheat the oven to approx 375 degrees F
get a large baking dish and mix the eggs, milk and butter. Chop the spinach and vegetables until you can mix them into the egg dish. Add HALF the cheddar cheese and the other cheeses. Once you have a pretty well-mixed dish, level off the top and sprinkle the remaining cheddar. Top with breadcrumbs.

Cook for 45-60 minutes. When the bake is brown on top, it is done.

Again, this is pretty experimental. You can substitute basically anything for the vegetables. If you guys have your own glorious bakes, you should post them.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 45-60 minutes

Servings: 3-4

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

The food processor never fails. This one is easy, as long as you've got one. Although, I'm sure any form of mashing, shredding, chopping, etc will work.

-4 washed potatoes (I prefer red, and I keep the skins off, though you can skin them as well)
-1/2 c milk (I used Soy Milk, but I'm sure cream or whole milk would work. Your preference)
-1 tbsp salt
-1 tbsp butter

Boil potatoes in large pot for about 10-15 minutes. When they begin to fall apart, they should be ready to go.

Cut potatoes into small enough chunks for food processor (or whatever you're using). Once you have the potato mixture ready, add the milk, butter, and salt. Whip until you get the desired consistency. You can add a bit of cheese at this point as well, if you like.

Total Time: About 25 minutes
Servings: 3-4

Wacky Cake

Easiest (and tastiest) homemade dessert:

In a 9x9 pan mix:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3 T cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Make holes in mixture and add:
1 T vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
6 T salad oil

Pour 1 cup cold water over mixture and mix well. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

For the Icing:
3 T flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt

Mix until smooth. Cook over low heat until thick. Remove from heat and let cool. In another bowl cream together: 1/2 cup shortening, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar. Add to cooled flour mixture and beat until fluffy.

Bean Salad

The perfect side dish to any summer meal, not to mention a picnic favorite:

1 can green beans
1 can wax beans (yellow)
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced

Dressing (mix separately)--
2/3 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (NOT olive oil-I use canola, or vegetable works, too)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Drain Beans and mix in onions and peppers. Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir throughly. Refrigerate overnight (or for at least ~5 hours).

Fettuccine Alfredo

This Alfredo sauce is really easy to make and really tasty.  A friend actually found it on the Food Network's website, and sent it to me.  

18 ounces fresh fettuccine (store bought works just as well as fresh)

2.5 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups grated Parmesan

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

a "pinch" of nutmeg (surprisingly this really adds to the sauce)

salt and freshly ground white pepper (I typically use black pepper)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain

Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend.  Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet.  Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens SLIGHTLY. This should take about a minute.

Hummus Factory

Upon acquisition of a food processor earlier this year, I've been experimenting with different kinds of homemade hummus. If anyone would like to add to this post, feel free. I'm always looking for new hummus recipes. I'm going to list the basic ingredients, then tack on the ones that have made each batch unique:

2 cans chick peas (drained)
about 1/4 c olive oil
about 1/8 c lemon juice
2 garlic cloves (1 per can of chick peas)

Directions: throw everything into food processor. Turn on. If too dry, add olive oil or lemon juice to make creamy.

So the above is necessary (also tahini, if you can track it down. We've managed to get by without it. Pretty sure it's at Wegman's), but here are a few ideas to make your hummus different every time:

banana peppers (probably the best)
black olives (the green olive batch was a bit odd, I don't recommend it)
artichoke hearts
salsa
roasted red peppers
sun dried tomatoes
hot sauce
sautéed mushrooms

This is the most creative recipe I have. Basically, we see what's in the fridge and make it different every time. Homemade hummus is more of a dip than a spread, since you can't really replicate that consistency with a food processor. If you run it through a few times, it will help, but don't expect to mimic store-bought hummus. This one is way better anyway.

I recommend toasting the pita bread and maybe sprinkling it with garlic powder before eating. Bon appetit.