Hot and Spicy Chili with Veggie Carne and Vegan Cornbread

Hot and Spicy Chili with Veggie Carne

I invented this recipe to use ingredients I had on hand. It was delicious. Serve each 1 cup bowl with 1/4 cup brown (or white if you are not on Core) rice. Very satisfying with one peice of the vegan cornbread below.

2 cups water
1/2 cup (1 medium) raw onion
1 package light life Smart Ground Taco/Burrito style ground meat substitute
2 15-oz cans pinto beans (4 cups), drained
1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes or chopped tomatoes with onions and green peppers
4 tbsp. chili powder
1 whole dried hot red pepper, crushed

Put all the ingredients in a large pot. Stir. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 1 hour.

2 points per cup, 3 with the 1/4 rice. Core.

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Vegan Cornbread

Adapted from The Vegetarian Chili Cookbook by Robin Robertson, the following recipe goes well with the Spicy Chili above. I removed the oil from the original recipe, reduced the soy milk, exchanged white flour for whole wheat, and replaced the fat in the recipe.

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tablespoons apple sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup soy milk mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen corn kernels

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients and the corn in a smaller bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Turn out into a lightly oiled 8" non-stick baking pan. Cook for 20 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.

Cut into 9 pieces. Serve warm. 3 points per piece.

This adds to the satisfaction of the chili meal and I enjoyed it, but if you prefer a more yellow corn color and less whole wheat taste, you can replace 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour with all purpose flour or even corn meal. It will, however, change the point value.

Teriyaki-Ginger Tofu Stir-fry

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp corn starch
teriyaki sauce
soy sauce
water
2 bags Hanover broccoli, cauliflower, carrot blend
1 lb firm tofu (not silken), cubed
1 1/2 medium onions, cut in half lengthwise and sliced lengthwise
1 8-oz can bamboo shoots
cooked rice

Marinate tofu in teriyaki sauce. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a bit of water and some teriyaki sauce (about 2 tablespoons). Add the spices and blend. Stir fry the onions and frozen veggies until tender crisp in a bit of water. Set aside in a 2 quart pot. Brown tofu in the non-stick fry pan with some non-stick cooking spray. Add to the 2 quart pot. Add the bamboo shoots and the bowl of sauce (along with any teriyaki left from marinating the tofu). Cook until hot and bubbly.

Makes 10 servings of 1 point each. Serve each serving with 1/2 cup of rice (2 pts for 1/2 cup). Sprinkle with a bit of soy sauce.

Core if you use brown rice.

Chagrin Falls

It was a beautiful day today, and since my school had a class trip where the students went to Niagra Falls, my hubby and I went to Chagrin Falls. The lovely image of the upper falls above comes from the Chagrin Falls website. The lower, natural falls were even more beautiful, with plenty of rain to feed them (making them quite spectacular). Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera.

We walked for 1 hour around the city. A wonderful way to spend a day.

Fast Corn-Bean Chili

Made as a fast, early lunch before leaving for Dad's, it was tasty.

1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium onion, chopped
1-oz jarred jalapenos, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup tomato sauce (leftover from pita pizzas made Thursday)

Saute onions in a bit of water (or use some of your oil for the day), until soft. Add the other ingredients. Cook until corn is done and flavors are blended.

Core (1 point per 1/2 cup)

Pasta Primavera

Made on May 15th, it was both easy and delicious.

1 lb box meduim shells
1/2 lb box elbow macaroni
1 16-oz bag Hanover medley (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
McCormic Italian seasoning
tomato sauce (16 oz)
Garlic powder

Cook the pasta el dente (if Core, use whole wheat pasta). Drain. Place the whole bag of frozen veggies in another pot, cook according to package directions. Sprinkle the veggies with Italian seasoning. Heat tomato sauce seasoned to taste with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

For Flex, combine 1 cup pasta topped with veggies with 1/4 cup sauce. Mix. 4 points each serving.

Spicy Black Beans and Rice

Made on Thursday, May 11th. Good, and filling. I am on Flex this week, but this could easily be made Core simply by using brown rice instead of white.

2 15-oz cans black beans
one medium onion, chopped
chipotle chili pepper, ground
dried parsley
cumin
French's chili-lime hot sauce
lettuce
your favorite salsa
3 cups white or brown rice

Cook the rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, open and drain the beans. Place them in a pot. You may wish to add a 1/4 cup water. Season the beans with 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon parsley, 3 splashes of the hot sauce, and chipotle chili pepper to taste (I used about a tablespoon and a half). Heat thoroughly.

When the rice is done, put 1/2 cup of rice in a bowl. Top with 1/4 cup black beans, onion, a dollop of the salsa, and a handful of lettuce. This is a serving.

Each serving has 3 points and one veg.

Veggie Shwarma

Shwarma is a middle eastern dish. This is a vegan version of the dish. I made this on May 7, 2006.

1 package Morningstar Farms Meal Starters chick'n strips, chopped (or you can use Light Life or chick'n style seitan)
2 green peppers, cut into small strips
6 medium onions, cut in half lengthwise and then into strips
shwarma seasoning (about 2 tablespoons, or to taste)
water

Saute the green peppers and onions in a small amount of water until the onions are translucent. Add the chick'n strips, shwarma seasoning, and about 1/2 cup of water (add more if needed to make a thick sauce, but not so much that the dish becomes watery. Serve in whole wheat pitas and top with lettuce (or put lettuce in the pita first, if you prefer).

The filling is core, count the pita towards your weekly points. The brand I used was 2 points per pita.

Birthday & Walking

I turned 42 on Thursday, May 4th. Went out for miso soup and vegan sushi with my hubby. Delicious.

We walked at least 7 miles on Saturday, May 6th. We went to a bar mitzvah and then latter to a class.

We walked a 3 mile (5 km) walkathon for the arthritis foundation on Sunday.

Walking is wonderful, especially with someone you love.

Smart Ground Noodle Casserole

I actually made this on May 2nd, but haven't had the time to post it until today.

1 lb dried whole wheat rotini pasta
1 package smart ground (Yves, LightLife, or Morningstar Farms all work well)
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 packages fat free mushroom or brown gravy (Hain works well)
2 medium onions, chopped

Cook the pasta al dente. Meanwhile, cook the onion and frozen vegetables in a small pot. Prepare the gravy as directed to make 3 cups of gravy. Drain the pasta and mix with the cooked vegetables and gravy. You may add a bit of parsely flakes for color if you wish.

Serve with a green salad.

Core (except for gravy, and it works out to very little per serving)