Holy Mole Chili!

I tend to get stuck in a chili rut ... always opting for the traditional version with chili powder and a tomato base. Nothing against plain ole chili, but when I saw the recipe for Emo Potato's Mole Black Bean & Winter Squash Chili, I was totally blown away:

This thick stew has a base of soaked and blended dried pasilla chilis mixed with cocoa powder, almond butter, tahini, and even brewed coffee! It sounds crazy, but all that stuff mixed together makes for one hell of a mole sauce. Check out the recipe at Emo Potato's blog.

The mole is simmered with a cubed Delicata squash (any winter squash would do) and black beans. Of course I topped mine with a glob of Tofutti sour cream and (not shown here) gads of hot sauce. And I alternated bites with Garden of Eatin' blue corn tortilla chips.

Eggless Frittata

When Vegan Brunch first came out out, every blogger and their mom made the Swiss Chard Frittata. But for some reason, it kept getting pushed down my to-make list, always losing out to the VB tofu omelet or tofu benedict. Well, I finally got around to making that frittata for this week's breakfast:

I'm not sure what I was waiting for! It only has a few simple ingredients and it includes super-healthy greens for a morning power boost. I've made a number of vegan frittatas in my day from various cookbooks, but this one has the most authentic texture and taste. I bet you could even fool an omni with this recipe.

This morning, I served myself a generous slice of frittata, a piece of whole grain toast slathered in Earth Balance and raspberry fruit spread, and a glass of iced green tea. Thankfully, the recipe made four servings so I'll be enjoying the same breakfast for three more days!

Vegan Dog Food

Meet Datsun, my loveable, energetic 80-pound mutt:

He's not vegan. He typically eats Pet's Promise Daily Health kibble, which is made without any animal by-products. All the information I've read leads me to believe that dogs can lead a healthy life as a vegan since they're natural omnivores (like humans). But honestly, vegan dog food is expensive. Considering that I also have six kitties to feed, packaged vegan dog food isn't really an option. Plus, I get nervous about messing with Datsun's nutrient intake ... even if it is completely safe to feed him a vegan diet.

Then, a few weeks ago, I was contacted by the Book Publishing Company (the publisher of many great vegan titles, like The Uncheese Cookbook, Tofu Cookery, the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook and more). They asked me to review a few of their titles, one of which was The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book by Michelle A. Rivera:

This cute little volume is loaded with information on what dogs can and cannot eat (no to onions and chocolate, yes to brown rice and pumpkin). And it's filled with recipes for creating delicious home-cooked vegan meals, treats, and special occasion cakes for your pooch.

I've decided that, rather than switch Datsun to a totally vegan diet, I'll feed him his Pet's Promise kibble in the mornings and a home-cooked vegan meal every evening. The recipes in Rivera's book make large quantities (and I'm even doubling those cause Datsun's a big guy), so you can freeze individual portions for quick weeknight meals.

So far, we've only tried one recipe — Snoopy's Great Pumpkin, Rice, and Beans:

It's simply canned pumpkin blended with red beans and brown rice. Since dogs don't need salt, it has no added seasoning. But I sampled the dish before passing it on to Datsun and it was pretty darn tasty. As you can see, Datsun agreed:

He licked his bowl clean and then begged for more. Even the cats (who are definitely not vegan) were totally jealous. They inspected his bowl after he finished eating, hoping for a crumb or two.

I'll be posting dog food dishes that I try from the book pretty regularly. Next on the agenda is a big batch of dog biscuits. Datsun and I will let you know how that goes.

Update: So one of my very observant commenters (thanks Susan!) noticed that my link to the Pet's Promise website pulls up a letter from the company stating that their products will no longer be available after January. Suck! Since I'd like to feed Datsun kibble at least once a day to supplement his vegan meals, anyone got any suggestions on a good natural dog food that doesn't cost a million bucks? And preferably is available at Whole Foods?

Get Stuffed!

When I was a kid, I loved my mom's stuffed bell peppers. She'd quarter a pepper, boil it, and top each quarter with a rice/beef/cheese combo. When I went vegetarian at age 14, she started making mine with rice and cheese only. It's been years since I've eaten that, and I don't even know if my mom makes that dish anymore. But I decided to re-create a vegan version for my cookbook — "Beefy" Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers:

I steamed the peppers, stuffed 'em with a mixture of quinoa, TVP, and tomatoes, and then roasted the whole thing in the oven for awhile. Dare I say it, but I think they're as good as my mom's were ... just a little different. I tried some without vegan cheeze (like the one above) and some with mozzarella Teese. In my recipe, cheeze will be optional. These were also tasty with a sprinkle of nooch.

On the side, I tried Happy Herbivore's African Kale & Yams Mash from Pudge-Free Holidays:

I've been eyeing this recipe since I bought Lindsay's e-cookbook last holiday season. It's a spicy mashed yam (mine were actually sweet potatoes because I've never even seen a real yam down here) mixed with pureed, seasoned kale. Topped with hot sauce, this was a delectable (and super-healthy) side dish.

By the way, the awesome Jessy of Happy Vegan Face found the recipe online for the Live Un-Stirfry with Cauliflower Rice recipe that I posted about on Tuesday. Here's the link, but ya'll still outta buy 30 Minute Vegan because it's amazing! Also, check out Chocolate Covered Katie's charity page drive — Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness. When you view her page, she'll receive money from FoodBuzz, and she's sending all the money to The Enough Project (a group working to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity).

Raw Food: The Good and the Bleh

It's raw food day again! This time, my uncooked meals ranged from "so-so" to "over-the-top amazing." I'll start with the "so-so." I began today's monthly one-day raw food cleanse with this Galactic Green Smoothie from 30 Minute Vegan:

Dates, fresh apple juice, banana, papaya, and kale — sounds like a great combo, huh? Well, only if you like papaya, which I apparently do not. When I cut into the papaya last night, it smelled like butt and it tasted icky. I vaguely remember trying papaya before and not liking it. But at the time, I assumed I'd gotten a bad one. Guess I just don't like it. But I drank this smoothie down anyway ... can't let those greens go to waste.

Around 11 a.m., I snacked on some carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, and cauliflower at my desk. And then at noon, I gorged on this Giant Garden Salad with Brazil Nut Cheese:

The salad — romaine, radishes, fresh corn, tomato, cucumber, and cauliflower — was just a salad. But this nut cheese was really something special. It's made by Journey to Bliss, a local raw food company in Smryna, Tennessee. They sell their products — delicious nut cheeses and raw desserts — at Whole Foods stores in Memphis, Nashville, and a few other regional locales.

Ya'll, this is definitely THE best raw cheese I've ever had. It's flecked with onion and garlic, and the taste reminds me of that French onion dip in the plastic tub that I loved as a kid. It wasn't cheap at $12.99 a package, and I was hesitant to shell out the big bucks for it. But it is soooo worth it. I'll be buying this again.


Dinner was equally amazing! I made this Live Un-Stirfry with Cauliflower Rice and Spicy Cashews from 30 Minute Vegan:

The authors of 30 Minute Vegan — Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray — sponsored a recipe contest last year, and this un-stirfry was the winner. Its creator, Felix Schoener of Germany, won a trip to Kaua'i, Hawaii for his winning contribution.

Spicy sesame-flavored naba cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, and shitake mushrooms rest atop a fluffy bed of garlicky cauliflower "rice." The dish is sprinkled with a few raw sesame-chili cashews. Wow! I know I always say "this was the best dish ever!" But um, this may have been the best dish ever. This recipe prep took me far longer than the 30 minutes advertised in the book's title, but it was worth every minute.

Mornin' Fruit Bowl

For some reason, when I get new cookbooks, I always make the ridiculously easy recipes first. You know, the recipes that are so simple, you kinda wonder why you even need a recipe. Even though those sorts of easy meals are common sense, I'm always intrigued by simple recipe ideas that I couldn't have thought up on my own. Take for example, this Walnut Fruit Bowl from 30 Minute Vegan:

It's just mango, banana, a few frozen blackberries, walnuts, and soymilk. That's it. The recipe actually called for fresh figs, but I subbed blackberries when I couldn't find any figs. The thing is, I would never think to throw fruit in a bowl with milk unless that bowl also contained cereal. But this bowl was pretty filling without carbs. And I felt super-healthy starting my day with lots of fruit, a food group I don't really eat from often enough.

The book, 30 Minute Vegan, was a birthday gift from my boyfriend. It's by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray (also the authors of the awesome full-color book Vegan Fusion). Though most of the meals — like this fruit bowl — take far less than 30 minutes, a few are more complicated and take longer than a half hour to prepare. The book features a great mix of healthy cooked and raw meals, which is perfect for an occasional raw foodie like me. In fact, I'm making another recipe from the book for Raw Food Day tomorrow. But you'll have to wait and see what it is...

Samhain Stew

Sometimes recipes are so tasty that you feel inclined to save them for special occasions ... perhaps to only make them once a year so you'll savor every delicious bite when the time finally rolls around to make the dish again.

That's the case with this Smoky South American Seitan Stew from Grub: Ideas for the Urban Organic Kitchen:

I only make this stew once a year — around Samhain-time (a.k.a. Halloween). Traditionally, Samhain is the night when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead are the thinnest. So I make this stew and eat it while I think about my dead friends and family. Sounds morbid, I guess. But I feel like it's a fitting way for a foodie to honor their memories.

The tomato and chipotle pepper based stew is loaded with chunks of tender seitan, cubed potatoes, and fried plantains. The recipe comes from Memphis native and vegan soul chef Bryant Terry's first cookbook, Grub. Though the front half of Grub is mostly text about the importance of eating organically, the back half of the book contains seasonal and themed vegetarian (mostly vegan) dinner party menus. This stew is listed in one of the menus for fall.

Though I only make it once a year, I make a huge pot. So I've got a few bowls leftover. I'll be enjoying a bowl tomorrow for lunch with a hearty slice of whole wheat beer bread.