Chili (is Better Without Meat)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Butternut-Chorizo Mexisagna

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Squash Filling:

• 1.5 lbs butternut squash
• 2 tsp olive oil
• .5 lbs red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Tomato Sauce:

• 1 lb fresh tomatoes, diced
• (or 1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes)
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Lime-Cashew Cream
• 1/4 c cashew pieces, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
• 1/2 package of silken tofu (6 oz)
• 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

• 6 corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch wide strips
• 1 package of Upton's Chorizo Seitan!

Garnishes:

• 6 Tbsp Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Avocado slices

Roast The Squash:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut your butternut squash in half and wrap each half in foil. Put them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 50-60 minutes, until super tender when poked with a fork. Remove from oven when done. Unwrap, and once cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove the skin. (This step can also be done the day before.) If doing on the same day, turn the oven down to 375 F.

While the squash is baking, you can make the tomato sauce and the lime-cashew creme:

Tomato Sauce:

In a medium pot, add the diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium for a simmer and cook for about 7-8 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and set aside.

Cashew-Lime Cream:
Drain the cashews and the tofu. Add the cashews, tofu, lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic into a blender and blend until super smooth. You may need to shove the cashew bits back down the side of the blender jar once or twice.

Once your squash is out of the oven, and the oven is heated to 375 F, you can make your squash filling.

Squash Filling:
In a large pot or skillet, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the diced onions, and saute for about 7-8 minutes until golden and even a bit browned. Add the garlic and chipotle and saute one minute more. Add in the squash, and cook another 2 minutes or so. Use a potato masher if you need to, in order to get a mushy texture. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice and pepper.

To assemble:
Lightly spray or rub some olive oil into an 8x8" baking dish. Put down 2-3 Tbsp tomato sauce in the bottom... and spread it thin around the bottom. It's just a tiny bit, that's okay. Now, add a layer of your corn tortilla "noodles." On top of that evenly spread out 1/2 of the squash mix. Then crumble on half of the Chorizo Seitan. Then add *almost* half of the remaining tomato sauce, and on top of that about 1/4 cup of the lime creme. Now, repeat: tortilla strips, the rest of the squash, the rest of the seitan, & most (but not all) of the tomato sauce. Then a final layer of tortilla strips, the rest of the tomato sauce spread over them, and then drizzle on some more lime-cashew creme all over the top. Tightly cover your baking dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Then, carefully remove the foil, and bake for another 15 minutes & remove from the oven. Serve garnished with a tablespoon of pepitas on top of each slice, and some avocado slices on the side.

Italian Wedding Soup

Friday, September 2, 2011

Another delicious recipe from Vegan Miss!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients (for meatballs):

• 1 package (8 oz.) Upton's Naturals Italian-style seitan, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 "eggs", made as directed by box instructions
• 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Ingredients (for soup base):

• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan
• pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Recipe (for meatballs):

1. Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Form into small to medium shaped balls.

Recipe (for soup):

1. Over medium heat in a pot, add the olive oil. Brown each side of the meatballs for about 10 minutes.
2. Remove the meatballs and set aside.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
4. When done cooking, place some broth in a bowl and add several meatballs.

Rombi con Salsiccia

Friday, August 5, 2011

Here's another tasty recipe from one of our Chicago Vegan Chef Showdown contestants, Sarah McGowan! Rombi con Salsiccia, otherwise known as Rombi Pasta with Upton’s Naturals Italian Sausage-Style Seitan.

Ingredients

• 1 package Upton’s Italian Sausage-Style Seitan, diced
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil, divided
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh oregano
• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, or two cups diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (or to taste)
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1-pound package rombi pasta (or any wide, flat pasta shape)

Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy pot. Sauté seitan over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer seitan to a bowl and add 2 more tablespoons oil to the pot. Add onions and sauté until tender and brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chopped basil, oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Momentarily turn off heat; stir in wine, turn heat back on and cook until almost absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add seitan and crushed tomatoes (including liquid). Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 25 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, crushed red peppers (if using) and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; cover and simmer another 15 minutes.

(Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. If doing so, chill uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well; return to pot. (You can pre-heat your serving dish by placing it under the strainer when you drain the pasta.) Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add remaining 1/2 cup chopped basil; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to serving dish. Serves 8 to 10 as an entree.

Award-Winning “Cheese” and “Sausage” Ravioli

Thursday, July 28, 2011