Speedy Pantry Vegan Chili

 

I needed a quick meal for a busy evening and this chili really could not be simpler.  While I have many a good chili recipe chock full of ingredients and simmered slowly on the stove top for hours, this speedy version is actually full of flavor and protein and short on chopping and ingredients. 

I think the key is using the fresh salsa (I like Jack's Garden Fresh Brand usually found in the produce department alongside the hummus and dips because it contains all your fresh veggies, onions and herbs that add a lot of flavor to this dish with zero effort beyond opening the container.

Simply, open (and drain) a 19 oz can of black beans, a can of brown beans in tomato sauce, a 16 oz tub of Jack's Salsa (or other fresh variety) and stir into your pot.  Re-hydrate 3/4 of a cup TVP by covering it with hot water from the kettle and letting it sit for about 10 minutes; drain adding it to your pot with your beans and salsa.  Stir in 2 Tablespoons of chili powder and simmer for about 15 minutes.  That's it. 

Feel free to substitute the TVP for cooked, diced sweet potato, or veggie ground round, a leftover crumbled veggie burger or more beans.  

Keep it simple and serve as is or top with grated cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream/yogurt, avocados.  Whatever you fancy.  Open up Halloween size bags of crushed Doritos and spoon on top to make "walking tacos".  We kept it simple and ate with some toast.

This really was surprisingly flavorful for such a short ingredient list and minimal prep time.

Lemon Lavender Scones

The initial goal of this blog began as an experiment to see if I could take a few decent pictures, figure out how to upload them to my computer, and write something that was remotely interesting to even one other person besides myself.  

I attempted to improve both my writing 'skills' and my amateur photography 'skills' and to fuel my desire for some sort of creative outlet.

 Over 100 posts later and a very lengthy absence, I think the blog has morphed into more of a digital placeholder to collect my recipes somewhere other than my recipe file of random papers that are becoming difficult to read both because of the condition of the paper itself and because of my advancing need for visual magnification!

I think at this point I'm cool with the outcome of this project as it is with perhaps the ongoing hope that, at some point in time, my kids might refer here to find instructions to prepare their favourite things (for me) or for someone else they love and that I will be able to preserve any information I might forget over time and need to source myself!  

So today I am posting this lemon, lavender scone recipe because they are delicious, I make them a lot, and I want to secure their immortality in my recipe archive.

Gather: 

2 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

pinch of salt

1 lemon zested and juiced

3/4 cup of milk (soured with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice)

1/2 cup cold, grated butter

a pinch of culinary lavender

1/2 cup of fresh blueberries

a generous grating of lemon zest

Glaze:

icing sugar and reserved lemon juice

Do it:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Zest and juice one whole lemon and set both the lemon zest and juice aside (separately).

Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lemon juice to your 3/4 milk stir and set aside.

Mix the first five dry ingredients.  Sprinkle in your lemon zest and lavender.  Stir to combine.  Grate 1/2 cup of cold butter into your dry ingredients and stir with a fork or pastry cutter to combine.  The addition of cold butter is the key to fluffy scones.  Do not use room temperature or melted butter or the finished product will not rise nicely.

Add your soured milk to the above mixture and fold the ingredients to combine.  Gently stir in the blueberries.

Pat the dough into an 8 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges.  Transfer the wedges to a parchment-lined baking sheet an inch or 2 apart and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until starting to turn golden around the edges.  If you do not plan to glaze, you can brush the tops of the scones with milk or cream and sprinkle with course sugar before baking.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly.  

Mix enough reserved lemon juice with icing sugar to form a thick paste.  Spoon as generously as you like on the pastry when it is still warm.  

Share with your mom (who may have forgotten how to make these) or with a special someone you love who will undoubtedly feel very special after tasting your glazed, pastry offering.

These scones are actually pretty versatile.  Once you get the basic recipe down pat, you can experiment a bit and add other fruit - fresh, frozen or dry.  You can make a savoury version with some herbs and a handful of sharp cheese, and maybe some hot peppers or olives or sun-dried tomatoes.

Honey-Almond Energy Bars

Winter is finally here!  The sun is shining and snow is on the ground.  I have been looking for a good reason to both come out of my blog hibernation and to make these Honey Almond Energy bars, originally posted hereAfter some brisk shoveling, today is the day!

Gather:
1 cup of rolled oats
1/4 cup each roasted sunflower seeds and chopped, roasted almonds





1 tablespoon each flax seeds and roasted sesame seeds ( I used black)
I cup whole-grain, puffed, unsweetened  cereal

1/3 cup each chopped apricots, raisins, and dried cranberries
1/4 cup of natural peanut butter or other natural nut butter
1/4 cup plus a tablespoon of honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of salt



Do it:

Toast oats on stove top until fragrant, but careful not to burn!  Set aside.
Chop nuts and dried fruit and add to a bowl with the oats, puffed cereal, and seeds.
In a small sauce pan, mix natural peanut butter, honey, vanilla, brown sugar, and salt over medium heat, stirring for about 4 minutes constantly so as not to burn (turn the heat down slightly if it is bubbling too rapidly).
Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing quickly before patting into an 8x8 square pan lined with parchment and greased with coconut oil.  Ensure bars are tightly pressed into the pan.
Refrigerate to harden.
Pull parchment edges to lift bars from pan, cut and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

I'm fairly certain any substitutions in equal amounts of nuts and or seeds and dried fruits would be just fine, the key being to chop well and keep the ratios the same in order that your bars will hold together and cut well.

Likely the honey could be replaced with brown rice syrup, maple syrup... possibly molasses, but I have not tested any of those ideas to be certain.  My bars held together very well and cut into neat squares that did not crumble.

These bars came together quite quickly and make a really good, cost-effective version of their store-bought counterparts.
I have tried many granola bar or energy bar recipes and this one from has one of the best results by far.  I will definitely make again.

Simple Stir-fry Sauce

A simple stir-fry sauce is handy to
have in your pocket for a quick meal using any combination of veggies, protein, and garnishes you have on hand.

I usually tackle stir-fry with a simple method:

1. cook the starch first--rice, soba noodles, rice or egg noodles, leaving it covered warm in the pot
2. saute and set aside your protein--chicken, pork, shrimp, beef, or tofu
3. saute your veggies and ...
4. reintroduce everything into your pan, adding your sauce and a splash of broth until thickened and heated through

Tonight I found some Lap Cheong in the freezer (affectionately known as "Meat Treasure" in our house as it is a sweet, salty, almost candied meat that can be found nestled inside traditional sticky rice, which is a family favourite at dim sum and a childhood comfort food for my husband; I decided to cook it for a treat.

I tucked the sausage into the pot of brown Basmati rice I made. Basically when your rice is tender, your sausage will be cooked, and you can slice it and garnish your stir-fry with whatever makes it past the cutting board!

I sauteed a bag of Man's Rainbow Salad with sliced onions, sweet peppers, and mushrooms, threw in some left-over roast chicken (but cubed tofu tastes great here too!), and when everything was heated through, I added my stir--fry sauce and a splash of veggie broth.

Stir-fry sauce:

4 Tablespoons of maple syrup
6 Tablespoons of soy sauce
6 teaspoons of sesame oil
3 cloves of minced or grated garlic
a generous tablespoon of grated ginger root
1 tablespoon of chili-garlic hot sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (depending on how thick you like your sauce)

Whisk all the ingredients and add to your pan once your veggies are tender-crisp.  I usually add a splash of veggie broth or water to increase the sauciness a bit.  Depending on how many veggies and how much protein you have in your pan, you may not need all of your sauce.

Dinner prep simplified by using pre-cut veggies and left-over roast meat; elevated by the sausage, green onions, and roasted black sesame seed garnishes.

Veggie Burgers: Don't Be Afraid To Catch Feels

Food often provides a restorative, creative outlet for me, and this morning, amidst a storm cloud of "stuff" mixed in with a busy night ahead and a beautiful sunny day that makes me feel like eating healthy, I am "cooking my feelings today" (#IloveyouRandalPearson andIcookmyfeelstoo).

My goal was not to create something that mimicks a hamburger (because let's face it, you don't eat veggie burgers because they taste like Big Macs!), but to create a patty that holds together, is crispy on the outside, is healthy, and tastes delicious.

I typically bake my veggie burgers in the oven, but tried these in the Actifry.  The result was a nicely-browned, firm patty.

Gather:
1/2 cup TVP
1/2 cup veggie broth
TBSP each soy sauce, olive oil and maple syrup
Large minced onion
5 cloves of garlic grated,
2 cups of Mann's rainbow salad, pulsed course
1 16 oz can black beans drained, dry and pulsed course



1 large egg
A handful each of sharp cheese and green onion
A tsp each, Italian seasoning blend, garlic powder, onion powder and a generous grind of sriracha salt and/or any others seasonings you like
1/4  to 1/2 cup of almond flour, ground oats or leftover cooked grains

Do It:
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil and add the tvp, broth, soy sauce, maple syrup, and spices, blending until reconstituted; dump into a big mixing bowl.
Pulse the Mann's; toss into the mixing bowl.
Pulse the beans and toss them into the bowl with a handful of sharp cheese, the almond flour, green onion, and egg.
Form the mixture into patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet; chilling/freezing before baking can be helpful to obtain a patty that holds together well.
Brush the patties with oil and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (flipping half way) or until nicely browned OR for 20 minutes in the Actifry (remove paddle), flipping gently after 15 minutes and cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the desired doneness has been reached.

Pile high with whatever toppings you love -- fresh lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, red onion caramalized mushrooms or onions, roasted veggies, goat cheese-- whatever!  Serve on traditional hamburger buns, or grilled portobello mushrooms or crumble in a grain bowls with some greens and roasted vegetables.

Dress and plate that burger and "storm cloud be gone!" (or at the very least, a little less stormy) with the delicious and comforting distraction of food cooked with purpose!  Even better if cooked for or shared with someone you love!  For any fellow curious-information-nerds, a brief read here provides abundant inspiration to cook it out in case this recipe did not inspire you to do that already.

Falafel Collides with Potato Latkes!

It has been awhile since I have made the time to record any of the delicious food we are eating.

These days I find myself looking for things I can freeze and send home with the oldest, grown-and-flown member of the family at university that does not require too much effort for her to prepare and provides even marginally more nutrition than a bowl of Ramen noodles or a box of KD!

 This recipe fits the bill and is too good not to share!

I came across a post for something called "Kartoffelpuffer-Crispy Potato Tahini Patties" here and was intrigued.

I have since learned it is a delicious fusion between German, Morrocan, Arab, and Israeli cooking, vegan, gluten-free and delicious mounds of potatoey goodness!

We ate the patties alongside a fresh salad but I think they would taste great wrapped in pita with lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, and a drizzle of tahini, or drizzled with some tzatziki sauce or garlic yogurt sauce.

I also intend to try these for breakfast topped with a poached egg, avocado, and tomato!

The patties are baked, not fried, and have a nice, crispy exterior without deep frying.  I changed the recipe a fair bit to suit our tastes and ingredients, as follows:

Gather:
A generous 6 cups of grated russet potatoes (next time I'll throw in some sweet potato, too) rinsed and squeezed of all excess moisture
A generous cup of grated carrot
A large handful of chopped green onion
A 1/4 cup of chopped, fresh parsley
6 large cloves of garlic, grated
1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, tumeric, and onion powder
2 teaspoons of cumin
A generous sprinkle of dried chili peppers
Course, ground black pepper
3/4 of a cup of tahini paste (or more if needed to hold it all together)

Do it:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Place 1/2 cup portions of the mixture, flattened and evenly spaced on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Flip the patties and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more until golden and crispy.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Beef Slaw Bowl

We have been eating a lot of
"dinner-in-a-bowl"-type meals lately.

Tonight I had some ground beef and a meal that needed preparing, but not a lot of inspiration.  My Google search led me down a rabbit hole of recipe ideas for something called "crack slaw."  Interest peeked!

This is my version of what appears to be a protein-rich, delicious slaw of beef, cabbage, and garlicky-ginger goodness that we served over spinach and alongside some roasted sweet potatoes.

This was so delicious and quick to make. Sadly, no leftovers, but I'm guessing it reheats well and might even taste good cold.

Gather:
1lb ground beef
Medium red onion, sliced thinly
2-4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
A generous knob of ginger root, grated
1 tablespoon each of chili-garlic hot sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder
2 tablespoons each of maple syrup and sesame oil
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 (397g bag) of coleslaw
(this saved some prep-time chopping--feel free to sub in an equal amount of chopped cabbage and shredded carrot)

Do It:
Brown the beef, onions, and garlic together in a skillet.  I had just enough fat from the beef to saute the onion and garlic and did not need to add or drain any fat from the pan.

Once the beef is starting to brown, add everything else to the skillet and saute until the cabbage is soft and the mixture is fragrant.

Line a bowl with a handful of fresh, chopped spinach, spoon your meat on top, and surround with roasted sweet potatoes.  The greens start to wilt a bit underneath the warm slaw.

Other similar recipes subbed in ground pork or leftover shredded pork for the beef and added green onion for more of an "egg roll-in-a-bowl"-type of a dish, which also sounds delicious. (Perhaps served with a handful of thin rice noodles and greens?)

Grain-free Waffles

We bought a mini waffle-maker for Mabel for her birthday because she loves to eat and make waffles.  We picked up this version by Dash, in Aqua, for 10 bucks at Winners, and it is quite the gem!  It makes fluffy, perfect waffles fast!  It works better than our stainless steel Cuisinart!

Today I experimented with a grain-free waffle that was packed with protein and healthy fats.  It is not the cake-like version of your typical buttermilk variety, but it tasted really good, was quite filling, and didn't make you feel quite so guilty!

I played with this recipe and came up with the following:

Gather:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
a scant 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of each baking soda and cinnamon
1 small ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup almond milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 Tablespoon of maple syrup
1 Tablespoon of coconut oil melted



Do:
Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, almond milk, mashed banana, and maple syrup and add them to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
Add the melted coconut oil (if you add it to the cold, wet ingredients, it will solidify and clump up) and stir.

Add the batter to your waffle-maker and cook to your individual appliance specifications.

Serve warm with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Check out here and right here for oodles more waffle experiments to try.

15 Minute Coconut-Curry Noodle Bowl

This was ridiculously easy to make, but it tasted amazing!

I pretty much followed the recipe found here.

With a few simple ingredients and some chopped peanuts and green onion to garnish, this noodle bowl is next-level eats fast.

I rehydrated some dried shiitake mushrooms, had my noodles cooked and ready to add to the broth, along with peeled, raw shrimp and some thinly sliced sweet peppers.

I made the broth according to the recipe directions, added the mushrooms, peppers and shrimp, stirring until the shrimp were just pink.

Bowls were assembled with a handful of noodles covered in broth and topped with chopped peanuts and green onions.

I will definitely make this again with firm tofu or leftover roast chicken if I don't have shrimp on hand.
This was so satisfying, and it tasted as good, if not better, than any Thai soup I have eaten at a restaurant.

Pizza Pasta Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad made a quick, fresh dinner that was perfect on a night of multiple activities requiring a grab-and-go meal.

This really can be as simple or as boosted as you choose.  Use what you have or what you love, toss with your favourite homemade or readymade Italian dressing, and serve with some giant homemade garlic croutons or garlic bread.

Gather:

Pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green pepper
Pepperonchi rings
Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
Pepperoni, sliced
Bocconcini
Grated parmigano regiano
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Italian dressing

Do it:

Toss everything together and serve on some arugula, if you want to get fancy.

Add roasted red pepper, olives, or marinated artichokes.

Sub in pancetta for the pepperoni or leave the meat out all together.  This dish is completely customizable and is perfect for serving a big crowd as you you can just add more of everything to accommodate the number of people you are feeding.

Stewed Rhubarb with Ginger

The first of my rhubarb this season has shot up with all the rain.

Today seemed as good a day as any to harvest the largest stalks and chop them up for stewed rhubarb.

No real recipe or amounts here, so to speak.

I simply chopped up what I had, added a splash of orange juice and a generous knob of grated ginger root, sugar to taste, and simmered everything until it was soft, but chunky.  Added a splash of vanilla and spooned into glass jars to cool.

My favourite way to enjoy stewed rhubarb is spooned over balkan yogurt and sprinkled with chopped nuts or granola.

It tastes delicious over vanilla ice-cream or spooned on top of pound cake, swirled into warm oatmeal or eaten from a spoon directly from the jar.

The ginger gave it a nice spiciness, but some grated orange or lemon zest or culinary lavender all taste lovely as well.

Granola in the T-fal Actifry

 I do not own a lot of kitchen appliances.

 I have a small kitchen with limited storage space and do not have room on my counter or in my cupboards for larger items that take up a lot of valuable real estate, so the purchase of an air fryer is a bit out of character for me.

I'm still not quite sure where I'm going to store it, but until that time I will likely leave it on my counter and continue experimenting with this fascinating litttle large gadget that, in short, cooks foods by circulating hot air around it while requiring only a very small amount of oil.

This afternoon I made granola which, when done in the oven, usually takes about 45 minutes on low heat and a lot of stirring to avoid the burning of your delicate oats, nuts, and seeds.

I made a batch of granola in the air fryer in 10 minutes with no stirring-- it stirs itself!  I think I'm sold.








Gather:

2 cups of quick cooking (but not instant) rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped nuts ( I used walnuts and almonds )
1/2 cup large flake coconut
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon ( or any combination of spices you like-- pumpkin or chai spice might be tasty )
a pinch or two of salt
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup hemp seeds
handful of dried fruit ( I used raisins and chopped apricots)

Do It:

I simply mixed everything in the basket of the air fryer except the hemp and dried fruit, set the timer for 9 minutes, and turned it on.

Add your dried fruit and cook 1 minute more.

Dump in your hemp seeds and pour everything on a large plate or tray to cool.

Store in a sealed container.  I like to use a large, glass mason jar because it looks delicious and why not look at the delicious granola you just made in 10 minutes? It will detract from the giant new appliance sitting out on your counter that needs to find a less visible home!

Vegetarian TVP Tacos

Tonight I needed something really quick for dinner that would satisfy the family with minimal prep work or complaints since a cold has zapped me of energy and any real inspiration to cook or to eat much.

I went with TVP (textured vegetable protein) Tacos.  I forgot how amazingly these turn out.

This recipe found here comes together fast and is full of protein and flavour with very minimal prep time or the forethought to take out ground beef.

I had not planned on eating at all, but after a taste test before serving, I changed my mind.

Whether you are vegetarian/vegan or meatavore, these will not disappoint you.

If you have never cooked with TVP, you might be pretty skeptical, but give these a try.
They likely will surprise you.

I added a handful of very finely-chopped mushroom, which gives great texture and flavour to the mixture, but the addition is completely optional








Gather:

1 Large, finely chopped onion
6 cloves of garlic grated
2 cups of TVP
2 cups boiled water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/4 cup of finely chopped pickled jalapenos
1/2 cup of salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning mix ( I make this DIY version)
Handful of finely chopped mushrooms if you are using

Do It:

Saute your onion, garlic, and mushrooms, if you are using them, in the olive oil until soft.  Be careful not to let your garlic burn.  Add a wee bit of water to the pan if you need to.

Add the TVP and water and stir for about 2-3 minutes until your TVP fluffs up.

Add your soy sauce, jalapenos, salsa, and taco seasoning and warm everything up for about five minutes more.  Turn off the heat and keep warm with a lid on top until ready to serve.

Serve in hard or soft taco shells (tostadas pictured above) with shredded cheese, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, diced tomatoes, avocados, more pickled jalapenos or whatever other toppings you like.

This mixture also works well on tortilla chips with some cheese, diced tomatoes, jalapenos, and green onions under the broiler for nachos, or on a bed of lettuce with your toppings for taco salad.

Spa Sundae

I needed a small, little something for a teenage girl's birthday and put together this "spa sundae".

It turned out pretty cute.  I gathered a waffle cone sundae cup and bath poof for the ice-cream from the dollar store.

I picked out some nail polish, purse-sized EOS hand cream and single packets of foot soak and scrub, a red EOS lipbalm for a cherry to top the sundae and two emery boards for my spoons.

I sunk the polish and hand cream in the bottom of the cup, topped  it with the poof and EOS, stuck in my spoons, wrapped everything up in some cellophane tucking the remaining scrub, foot balm and toe separators in the bottom of the cello bag.

Voila!

You could change this up however you like with various other beauty items in your cup.  Shoppers had some adorable gel filled cucumber eye pads and lots of single packets of face and hair masks.

Perhaps a bath bomb or an essential oil roller or some handmade soap or salts?

The poof could be replaced with a rolled up pair of socks or a wash cloth but I think the poof works really well.

Might make a nice party favour for a shower or birthday party... end of year teacher appreciation gift or
Mother's day treat.

Everything was pretty easy to come by and even if you want to splurg a bit on your polish or other items, it is a very affordable little gift.

Poached Egg Hack

 

I'm going to Tell You Something Good this morning... this is how to poach an egg (or several for that matter) in 7 minutes or less depending on your desired firmness.  

This is brilliant.  Well, it's brilliant if you get excited about quick ways to make delicious, perfect poached eggs, which I am not embarrassed to say, I do.

And then you can go directly here for 27 things you should put an egg on right now.

Red Lentil Dahl

This is one of my favorite meals, Red Lentil Dahl.  A hearty Indian stew that makes a very satisfying vegetarian meal; it can be made ahead and freezes well for a quick meal later.

I pretty much followed this recipe here.  I used coconut oil in place of butter, omitted the lemon juice, used a 19 oz can of petite cut tomatoes and probably more like 6 cloves of garlic.  I served it over basmati rice.

Pumpkin Loaf

This pumpkin loaf was originally found in Today's Parent magazine.  I think it was actually a recipe for muffins, which I tweaked a bit and poured into a loaf pan instead.

It is a simple and not overly sweet recipe.

Although you could certainly add a handful of nuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips or frozen cranberries to the batter to fancy it up.

Gather:

1/2 cup each plain yogurt, brown sugar and pure pumpkin puree.

1 egg

2 tsp. of vanilla

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt



Do It:

Mix the sugar, yogurt pumpkin, and vanilla.

Whisk in your egg, stirring to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the above, followed by the melted coconut oil, stirring until it's just combined for a nice, fluffy, textured loaf.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and sprinkle with raw, coarse sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes, or until golden on top and knife inserted comes out clean.  

Alternately, pour into a muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Cool on wire rack and remove from loaf pan.

Pork Cassoulet with buttery,crumb topping

...or ooh la-la for slow-cooked, casserole containing pork and white beans originating in the South of France and named for the earthenware pot it was cooked in!

I really could not find what my taste buds were looking for in terms of a ready-to-make recipe, so I just experimented a bit to come up with a delicious, buttery garlic and herb- infused crumb topping over a slow-simmered stew of veggies and pork and little white navy beans.

I think this would taste really good with some left-over shredded roast pork in place of the sausages and could even be done without any meat at all for a vegetarian option if you adjusted your liquids, as you wouldn't need as much.

Gather:
1 19 fl oz can of navy beans
1 14 oz can Alymer petite cut tomatoes
1 1lb of honey garlic sausages, squeezed from their casing
Olive oil, basil pesto, tomato paste, glug of red wine
1/2 to 1 cup of chicken stock
1 large onion, finely chopped
A couple of leafy stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 a large sweet potato. peeled and diced
6 large cloves of garlic chopped
red chili peppers
salt and pepper to taste

Crumb topping:
2 cups of fresh bread crumbs
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 large cloves of garlic, grated
oregano
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Do it:
Saute your veggies and garlic in some olive oil alongside the crumbled sausages until the veggies are softening and the meat is browned.
Add your tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, pesto, chili peppers, chicken stock, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat until everything is cooked through.
Pour into an oven-safe casserole, top with your crumb topping and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the crumbs are browning and the filling is bubbling.

Hearty Veggie Bolognese

It's a rainy day and I'm hankering for comfort.  This big pot of Veggie Bolognese smells amazing right now!

Gather:

Olive oil

1 lb lean ground beef

2x 540 ml tins of Almyer Petite Cut Tomatoes (my favorite for just about everything)
Large onion, chopped
6 large cloves of garlic
1 chopped Asian eggplant
Handful cremini mushroom, chopped
Tomato paste
Tablespoon brown sugar
Oregano, chili peppers and salt and pepper to taste
Basil pesto
glug of red wine

Do it:
The secret to this sauce is marrying all those veggies with your ground beef to create a texture that simply resembles a hearty meat sauce.  I cut everything in a fine dice that becomes barely detectable as it cooks down for those that don't want to know there are chunks of mushrooms and eggplant in their bolognese! The flavor is amazing.  You could leave the mushrooms and eggplant out, but you will definitely be missing out.

Brown your ground beef, drain, and set aside.
Drizzle your pot generously with olive oil and saute your chopped onions, garlic, eggplant, and mushrooms. Sweat everything down until quite soft.
Add your browned beef and tomatoes to the pot.
Stir in your seasonings, a large squirt of tomato paste, and a big spoon of basil pesto.  I usually sprinkle in a tablespoon of brown sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes and a generous glug of wine as the sauce gets simmering.

Let everything get to know each other in the pot and simmer on your stove all afternoon if you like. Which is exactly what I am doing on this rainy afternoon today.

Spoon over your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash.  Tonight we are trying it with some red lentil noodles I picked up from Herrle's Market.

Tastes even better the next day after flavors have intensified.

Good Vibes: Lucky Iron Fish

For some good vibes today, check out this brilliant innovation, Lucky Iron Fish, (read more about it here) created by Guelph Scientist, Gavin Armstrong.  Love, love, love this story.  So much goodness generated from a single idea; a spark ignited.   Health, vitality, wellness, social change infused in this tiny little fish.