Easy Crockpot Chili

This is a recipe I have been using for a couple year now and it has become my go-to for an effortless meal.

MAKES: 16 Servings (1 cup each)

INGREDIENTS:
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 1 can (28 oz) organic diced tomatoes undrained (if you can find chili seasoned diced, get those)
- 2 cans (15.5 oz each) organic kidney beans, undrained
- 2 cans (15 oz each) organic spicy chili beans, undrained
- 1 can (15 oz) organic black beans, undrained
- 2 Tbsp vegan cane sugar
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder

DIRECTIONS:
1) cook onions over medium heat until softened.
2) pour onions, tomatoes, all beans, sugar, cumin, and chili powder into the crock pot. Stir until combined.
3) cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Oven-Roasted Spicy Chickpeas

MAKES: 3 cups

INGREDIENTS:
- 2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried with a paper towel
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Heat oven to 400F
2) Mix the oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.
3) Place chickpeas into a large bowl and pour the oil/spice mix to over the chickpeas. Mix until all chickpeas are coated with spices.
4) Spread chickpeas onto a large baking sheet (rimmed so they don't roll off), and bake on the center rack in the over for 30 minutes.
5) Remove from the over, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then place back into the over and bake for 15 minutes more. Cool before serving.

Note: the 2nd bake time ensures crispy chickpeas. If any are still soft, just pop them back in the oven.

Aloo Gobi

MAKES: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 C water, divided
- 2 Tbsp peanut oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
- 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups white basmati rice, cooked according to package
- 1 cup lentils, cooked according to package

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Combine the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a small bowl. Mash and mix together with a fork to form a paste.
2 - Mix into the ginger paste: the coriander, turmeric and 1/2 cup of water. Set aside - this will be the wet masala.
3 - In a dutch oven or large pot, heat the peanut oil over med-high heat. Once heated, add the cumin seeds. Let sit for about 30 seconds then add the masala mix, carefully. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. The mix will darken and get a bit thicker. Oil will start to separate from the mix.
4 - Add the cauliflower and potatoes, stirring constantly to coat the veggies. Season with the salt and add the last 1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 12-15 mins. Stir, add the cooked lentils, and increase cook time until the veggies are cooked thru. About 5 mins.
5 - Spoon rice onto a plate and top with aloo gobi. Serve immediately.


Recipe inspired by a Food Network recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/cauliflower-and-potatoes-aloo-gobi-recipe/index.html

Hummus and Veggie Sandwich

MAKES: 1 sandwich

INGREDIENTS:
- 2-3 T of creamy hummus - http://foodiebylaurynbyrdy.blogspot.com/2012/08/creamy-and-super-amazing-hummus.html?m=1
- a handful of spinach
- a few roasted red peppers or sweet pimentos
- 1/4 avocado, sliced
- red onion - cut off as much as you'd like
- English cucumber - 4-6 thin slices
- sprouts - small handful
- bread of your choice - I used a hearty multigrain

DIRECTIONS:
1) spread hummus on both slices of bread then layer all ingredients shown above in any order.
2) optional: grill your sandwich in a panini press.
3) cut in half and serve immediately

Creamy and Super Amazing Hummus

This recipe is just so SO great that I don't want to change anything in sharing it with you. So here is a direct copy/paste from Jonah Lisa Land blog

MAKES: about 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS:
- one 15 oz can organic chickpeas
- 1/4 cup organic tahini
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp water

DIRECTIONS:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.  You can spend the time taking the little skins off each chickpea but it's pretty time consuming and not so much creamier that I think it's worth it.  This recipe gets pretty creamy even without that step.

Combine the tahini and the lemon juice and blend until smooth and frothy.  This is the key to getting it creamy, by the way.  You have to combine these 2 ingredients first, essentially cream the tahini, or it just won't blend perfectly with the chickpeas.

*Note: I use a blender because I have a rockin' good one and only a little mini prep food processor.  The down side is there's always a little of the good stuff down at the bottom that's impossible to get out.  You should use whichever appliance you have that you feel is best suited for this.

Add the garlic and salt and blend again.

Now add in the chickpeas about 1/3 of the can at a time and blend until smooth.  Try to get as few skins as possible, this will also help with the texture.  Scrap down the sides of the blender and push the chickpeas down to the bottom as needed.  Once you've got all the chickpeas blended in, add the olive oil and turn on the blender and just leave it for a few minutes.  I like to add in a little water too, to get the consistency just how I like it.

Basic Veggie Tomato Barley

I love this recipe, which came from my love for pasta with a hearty sauce. In an attempt to pull more grains into my diet, I decided to swap the barley in place of the penne noodles. The result was fantastic!


MAKES: roughy 4-6 servings of about 1+ cup each

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup barley prepared according to directions on the bag, except remove from heat about 2 mins before its done.
- 2T olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 small-medium zucchinis, sliced round and cubed
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped. I used a mandolin to julianne my carrots, shredding from the bottom fat end of the carrot to get short pieces.
- Salt to taste - maybe 1-2 tsp. This really depends on the type of pasta sauce you're using.
- 1 small bunch of your favorite herb(s). Try and use one that compliments your sauce the best.
- 15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained.
- 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce - I used a merlot sauce.

DIRECTIONS:
1 - sauté garlic and onions in oil until soft
2 - add chopped zucchini an carrot and simmer, covered, until they have reached your desired crispness. I cooked about 6-8 mins.
3 - add pasta sauce, beans, barley, salt, and herb of your choice. Stir. Bring to a boil and cover and simmer for 10-12 mins.
4 - serve immediately with an herb garnish of your choice.

Chunky Broccoli (and more!) Soup

MAKES: 6 bowls

INGREDIENTS:
- 6 cups vegetable stock or broth (i used a combo of both since that's what I had on hand)
- 1 rounded cup raw cashews
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium unpeeled potatoes, cubed
- 1 large head broccoli, including stem, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon course sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper


DIRECTIONS:
1 - Puree 1 cup of the vegetable stock with the cashews in a blender until smooth. Set aside. 
2 - In a large pot, cook the onion, celery, and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup of the veggie stock/broth for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable stock and the broccoli, thyme, salt, and black pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat (stirring frequently so it doesn't burn on the bottom). Cover and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. 
3 - Add the cashew mixture to the soup and stir until mixed. Remove the pot from the heat and puree about half of the soup in the blender. We pureed a little less to keep it extra chunky. Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat, stirring well. Serve. 

Southwest Vegan "Mac & Cheese"

MAKES: 7 servings when used as a side

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 small box whole wheat or similar macaroni, dry
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup spelt flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 15 oz canned kidney beans
- 28 oz canned tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen sweet yellow corn
- 1 tsp sirracha sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro



DIRECTIONS:
1 - Cook macaroni according to package. Set aside
2 - Combine yeast, flour, salt, garlic, mustard, and water and whisk until smooth. Add the olive old and heat over medium heat. Whisk until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat. 
3 - Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, macaroni. Put back over leow head and add in cornstarch and spices and continue to cook until thick and heated through. 


**Recipe only slightly adapted from Calorie Count site: http://caloriecount.about.com/vegan-southwest-mac-cheese-recipe-r30888