Vegan Pumpkin Chipotle Chili

This recipe was inspired by this blog...http://thescrumptiouspumpkin.com/2012/10/24/drunken-pumpkin-chili/

I changed some of it, primarily taking the meat out of it, but it is very much based on it.

This turned out really good. I love salty, sweet, spicy, and savory dishes. The pumpkin does sweeten it over time, so if you do not like sweet in your savory dishes at all this may not be the chili for you. If you are like me though, you will LOVE it. It's a healthy one pot dish that is perfect for a cold Fall meatless Monday!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 medium green peppers, diced
1/4 can of adobo chipotle peppers or 2 tbsp of puree
28 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 bottle of pumpkin beer ( I used pumpkin ale by aleworks)
15 oz can of pinto beans
15 oz can of black beans
15 oz can of kidney beans
15 oz can of pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
2 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tbsp of turmeric
green onions
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat tbsp of olive oil in a large pot until shimmering and add minced garlic, diced onions, and green peppers.
2. Saute veggies for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat until the onions are translucent and the veggies are very fragrant.
3. Add the can of fire roasted tomatoes and mix in with the veggies.
4. Drain and rinse kidney, black, and pinto beans in a colander. Then add into the pot with other ingredients.
5. Add pumpkin puree to the chili and stir.
6. To prepare the chipotle peppers, add the can of adobo chipotle peppers into a blender and blend until smooth. Use 2 heaping tbsp of the chipotle pepper puree into the chili. Add more if you like it more spicy. I put the rest of the puree in a small glass container to save for sauces for other recipes.
7. Add lemon juice, chili powder, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and mix all chili ingredients.
8. Pour bottle of pumpkin beer into chili.
9. Bring the chili to a slow boil and let the chili simmer and reduce until it is at the consistency of your liking. I simmered mine uncovered for 30 minutes.
10. Stir the chili frequently as it is simmering so the beans do not get stuck on the bottom, serve and garnish with green onions, tortilla chips, cheese, or sour cream (if you don't want to keep it vegan). Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Chickpea Nicoise Salad

This salad is an original recipe but obviously inspired by nicoise salads with meat in it. The salad was delicious, I barely missed having meat. Highly recommend this when you're in the mood for a light dinner. This recipe makes about 1 serving, simply double for 2 recipes.

Ingredients:
2 cups of romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped
1 cup of baby spinach
1/4 onion sliced
1/2 tomato diced
2 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1 cup green beans, washed and trimmed
2 tbsp Mrs. Dash seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup of gorgonzola cheese or blue cheese

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing:
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp herbs de provence
salt and pepper to taste

1. Add two eggs to rolling boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes. Set aside in cold water for a few minutes to let the egg shrink away from the shell for easy peeling.
2. In another medium-large pot, add about 6 cups of water and Mrs. Dash seasoning (I used garlic and herb) and a heaping pinch of salt to the water.
3. Bring the seasoned water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil for 10 minutes or until slightly softened.
4. Begin preparing the salad by laying down the romaine and spinach on a plate.
5. Add sliced onions, 1/2 cup of rinsed and drained chickpeas, 1/4 cup of gorgonzola cheese, diced tomato, sliced and peeled hard boiled eggs, and )using a serving spoon with drain holes) add the green beans on to the bed of lettuce.
6. Prepare the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisking together until emulsified. If the dressing seems too thick add more vinegar, if its clumpy whisk more or add more mustard.
7. Spoon 2 tbsp of dressing over the salad and enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Spicy Black Bean Burgers

These burgers turned out very good! They are very flavorful and stayed together!

This recipe was inspired by this recipe, but I did make it my own.
Whole Foods black bean burger recipe

Ingredients: (Makes 6 burgers)
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 cup of rolled oats, uncooked
1 egg
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp Mrs. Dash
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp of chili powder
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup of chunky salsa (add more if needed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
Slices of cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions:
1. Place rinsed and drained beans in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash the beans until they become somewhat of a paste.
2. Add the chopped shallots, egg, cup of rolled oats and mix well.
3. Add 1/2 cup of chunky salsa, hot sauce, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash seasoning, italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to the bean mixture. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan until shimmering.
5. Form the black bean mixture into patties that are about 3-4 inches wide and 1 inch thick. (Think small hamburgers)
6. Place them in the shimmering oil and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes per side until nicely browned. If you would like to add cheese, place one slice on each burger two minutes before the burgers are done to melt.
7. Serve with whole grain buns or in lettuce wraps with ketchup, mustard, onions, tomato, and lettuce or whatever garnishes you like on your burgers. I served mine with sweet potato fries and salad. Enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Found the below recipe in an internet search when I had a hankering for crispy chickpeas. I had friends try to make crunchy chickpeas at home and they would comment that most recipes weren't able to make them crunchy, I tweaked the linked recipe a bit and was able to get the chickpeas crunchy! Not rocket science, but I just cranked the heat up a bit and it helped immensely. I recommend this recipe to go with dinner as texture to a dish or as a healthy snack.

Spicy Chickpea Recipe Inspiration

Ingredients:
1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste ( I added about 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 F
2. Put rinsed and drained chickpeas in a bowl and add the spices and olive oil. Mix well.
3. Pour the chickpeas onto a cooking sheet and shake the sheet to space the chickpeas evenly. You don't want them on top of each other.
4. Roast chickpeas in the preheated oven on a greased cooking sheet for approximately 20 minutes.
5. Shake the tray a few times while the chickpeas are cooking to move them around so they cook evenly. Keep an eye on them as well when they are cooking to make sure they are not burning, everyone's oven is a little different.
6. Pull them out of the oven and enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Chickpea Coconut Curry

This is an original recipe but you can find other recipes similar to it on the internet. I have made curries enough at this point, they're pretty easy to throw together. I love coconut curries so much! This recipe was made for meatless Mondays! The idea behind it is to help lower your carbon footprint by eating less meat even if it's just one day a week.

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 can of light coconut milk
1 tbsp of chopped jalapeno
1 cup of diced fresh tomato (I used cherry tomatoes)
1 large yellow onion, chopped or 2 small onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp of lime juice
1/4 cup (or more if you want) of chopped cilantro
1 tbsp of lime juice
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp of curry powder (can use store bought spice mixes or the below homemade mix)
2 cups of brown rice, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste

Curry Powder:
2 tbsp Turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a deep saute pan until shimmering. Add diced onions, jalapeno, and garlic to the oil.
2. Saute for 3-5 minutes on medium heat until onions are translucent and lightly browned.
3. Add in the curry powder and mix well with the onions, jalapeno, and garlic until the veggies absorb it. Saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add coconut milk, brown sugar, lime juice, diced tomato, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the coconut curry sauce to a simmer.
5. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the curry sauce is nice and thick.
6. Turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro and mix into the curry.
7. Garnish with more cilantro if desired and pour over cooked brown rice. Enjoy!