a few good websites

Here's a roundup of a few websites I recently discovered and love!

RiverWired
"Good Green Fun." This site is kind of similar to TreeHugger, with categorized and quick-to-read blog posts and articles about all things green.

the story of stuff
This super informative and fun 20-minute video is great to watch with the whole family-- it discusses our consumption and waste patterns, and what happens to all the 'stuff' we have around us and get rid of.

tree hugging family
A Blog Focused on Sustainable and Green Family Living
I just found this blog today and have already spent an hour browsing the fun tips and articles!

poolwaddle food clock
Check out this clock to get a grip on what food production looks like in tons per second.

b.happybags
If you're in the market for reusable tote bags for shopping, etc. these are cute bags made of recycled plastic bottles or heavy weight cotton, are machine washable, and come in enough prints to satisfy anyone! They're made in Arizona of all domestic materials.


julep115 - earth and animal friendly designs
Super cute jewelery with a message handmade of recycled metal and other materials in Dallas! Designer Christy Robinson also has another line of whimsy and organic accessories.

recipe: low-fat vegan brownies!

In the past few weeks, I've made these a few times for clients and events.

This recipe is inspired by one I found on VegWebI've found one of the most important ingredients is a high-quality cocoa powder. The ones that came out best used Ghirardelli Chocolate. Use what you like!

If you're not interested in making them low-fat, sub half of the applesauce for additional oil, this will help to make them a bit richer and gooier.



Recipe: Low-Fat Vegan Brownies
2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, or a mix of the two
1 cup Water
1 cup organic brown sugar
1 cup organic cane sugar or turbinado
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups high-quality cocoa powder
1/3 cup organic canola or melted coconut oil (you could also use melted vegan margarine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 to 2/3 cup nuts or chocolate chips (optional)


1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. In a small pot, heat 1/2 cup of the flour and the water, stirring frequently with a whisk. You'll do this until it begins to become pasty. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Mix in the wet ingredients and the flour-water mixture until thoroughly combined.

4. Fold in the nuts or chocolate chips if using.

5. Oil a square or rectangular baking dish (the smaller the dish the thicker the brownies. I wouldn't use anything larger than 9x13).

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Allow to cool for 20-25 minutes, if you can stand to wait.

recipe: roasted greenmarket potato salad

I made this the other night, while packing my bags for a flight the next morning. Knowing I'd be out of town for a week, I stopped acquiring groceries, but I still had a few things sitting in the fridge, most prominently, a bag of little potatoes I picked up a week or two before at the farmers' market.

I was just going to roast them up with olive oil, salt and pepper and call it a day, but then I thought, "hmm, let's make a potato salad." So I did. And now you can too.

Recipe: Roasted Greenmarket Potato Salad
1 lb. small local potatoes, rinsed, skin-on
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise or extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice (probably 1 lemon)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

Add-ins to Salad:
1 hardboiled Happy Chicken Farm egg, diced (optional)
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 small to medium shallot, sliced thin (could substitute chives, scallions or ramps)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. In a bowl, toss together the potatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes or until brown. Remove and set aside to cool, try not to eat too many.
3. Meanwhile, mix the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Adjust for seasonings.
4. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and mix in with the dressing until coated. Stir in the add-ins. Adjust for seasoning.
5. Allow to sit for a few minutes so the potatoes soak up some of the dressing, or cover and chill until you're ready to eat it. Will last a few days in the refrigerator and is tasty room temperature or cold.


This is a great dish to take to a potluck or picnic, and is super-easy to boot!

recipe: pad thai with tofu

Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit this.. but until a couple of days ago, I had never. Made. Pad Thai. Weird right?! I mean, I've eaten it countless times, and I enjoy it, and I generally like to try to make things that I like that much, but somehow I always felt like it was always going to better when I go out to eat it. Even though some places really do it up with too much oil in the sauce, I generally enjoy pad Thai every time I eat it and never mustered up enough motivation to make it at home.

However, I had a client request it for dinner and before experimenting with it on their dime, I decided to test drive it at home. I checked out a few recipes online, and combined the elements that I liked into what you see below you.

The amount of steps may seem a little intimidating, but actually, it's very quick to make. Only took me about 30 to 35 minutes, and it's enough to feed 5 people.



Recipe: Pad Thai
Makes 5-6 Servings

1 lb. tofu, drained
2 tablespoons shoyu
1 tablespoon canola oil

8 oz. wide rice noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce*, or 1/3-1/2 cup shoyu (naturally brewed soy sauce) or tamari
3 tablespoons tamarind puree*
1 to 2 tablespoons shoyu (omit if substituting shoyu for the fish sauce)
2 tablespoons sugar or agave
Asian chili paste, sliced jalepenos, or dried red peppers, to taste (optional)
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 shallots, thinly sliced (optional)
1 or 2 eggs, beaten
1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables (optional): broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, etc.
1 cup bean sprouts
3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
lime wedges cut from 2 limes

Could also add in: 3/4 lb 1-inch pieces of chicken, 3/4 lb of medium sized shrimp

1. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and toss in the shoyu and canola oil. Set aside.

2. Soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm water until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

3. Make the sauce mixture by combining the fish sauce, tamarind puree, shoyu, and agave. Adjust for saltiness, tartness, and sweetness. If you wanted a spicy sauce, add the chili paste or peppers to this mixture.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a wok or large sautee pan over high heat until hot, and fry the tofu for about 6-10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

5. Heat a teaspoon of oil in the pan and pour in the beaten eggs, quickly stirring to break them up, until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

6. In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of the oil, over medium high heat until hot, add sautee shallots for 2 minutes, then add in the garlic. Cook together for a few minutes, being careful not to burn them, until golden.

7. Reduce heat to medium and add the drained noodles and sauce, stirring to combine (may be helpful to use 2 spatulas). Continue to turn the noodles until the sauce is evenly mixed, add in the tofu, half of the bean sprouts, and any additional vegetables. Add a bit more water and/or soy sauce if the pan is beginning to get dry or the noodles aren’t tender enough.

8. Once the noodles are tender, stir in the eggs and sprinkle with a few scallions and cilantro.

9. Transfer to a shallow serving dish and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts, scallions, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and additional chili paste.

*Fish sauce can be found at Asian markets or any store with a decently stocked Asian foods section. Yes, it has a strong smell, and it is very salty, but it really adds a distinctive flavor to pad Thai that you will miss if it's not there. However, if you'd rather not use fish sauce or can't get your hands on any, you can substitute shoyu or tamari, though I would do it to taste. As far as the tamarind goes, you can also find this in Asian or Indian markets, though they also often have it at Whole Foods.

Because I was testing this for a client, I didn't add any spicy elements or garlic, as my client is allergic, and it still tasted great. I added thinly sliced red bell peppers and carrots for some vegetable action.

This was so easy to make I've already planned to make it again. And aside from the fresh and protein ingredients go, most of this stuff can sit in your pantry for months be, so you won't have to run out to the store every time you want to make it. And all for the cost of one or two portions of pad Thai take out, without all the gnarly grease!

recipe: fiddlehead ferns two ways

So I did it. I overcame my unnecessary anxiety of fiddlehead ferns. I conquered it by cleaning, cooking, and eating them. Two ways.

These Northeastern treats are the shoots of the ostrich fern, and need to be cooked or marinated overnight to be safe for eating. Their season is only a couple of weeks and very nearly over by now, but because their taste and texture is most closely akin to asparagus, these recipes would go nicely with that as well!

After going though my bag of ferns, discarding ones that were unseemly, trimming the ends, and removing any of the brown papery chaff from the outside, I gave them a water bath with two changes of water, and boiled them for about 5 minutes, until they were tender, drained them, and then made this:

Recipe: Fiddlehead Ferns in Warm Lemon-Garlic-Dijon Dressing

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pint fiddlehead ferns, cooked
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil until warmed through and well mixed. Turn off the heat.

2. Toss in the fiddlehead ferns to coat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or allow to cool and eat cold or room temperature.

I ate this alongside some brown rice pasta with red sauce. Yum!


Recipe: Fiddlehead Ferns with Ginger, Sesame, and Shoyu

1 teaspoon organic canola or extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
pinch red chili flakes (optional)
5 thinly sliced rounds of ginger, or 1 teaspoons grated ginger
1/2 pint fiddlehead ferns, cooked
1 tablespoon shoyu or tamari
1 teaspoon black or white sesame seeds

1. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, warm the two oils, chili flakes (if using), and ginger. Add in the ferns and the shoyu. Mix until heated through. Remove from heat and toss in the sesame seeds. Serve immediately or allow to cool and enjoy in a salad.


The consensus? Well, they're good. Maybe more interesting to look at than to eat. They're not life-changing, certainly, but I think for me, it became more about just doing it. Less thinking, more doing, right?

what to do with leftover fresh herbs

My friend Sabrina recently posted this question: "What do you do with the fresh herbs when you can't use them all. Is there some sort of drying technique to use? Ideally I would have an herb garden. But since I have been lazy and not gotten around to that, I get handful of herbs at the store. What do I do when I can't use them in time?"

Woodier, hardier herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano can easily be dried by grouping the stems with a rubber band, and hanging upside down from a low-humidity area, such as from a window or cabinet. They leaves will be dry within a couple of days, and you can either strip the stems and save the leaves, to use as you would any dried herb, or you can leave them as decoration, using only what you need, as necessary.

Wet, leafier herbs like basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley are a bit more difficult to salvage in the same way. However, you can freeze them chopped or whole in a baggie (squeeze all the air out first), though the consistency may change once you defrost them, so it'll be best to use these frozen herbs in a cooked dish, as opposed to fresh.You can also freeze the woody herbs in the same way.

To extend the life of your leafy herbs in the refrigerator, place them in a cup with water (like you would with flowers), or wrap them in a slightly damp paper towel and and baggie and place in the drawer. Woodier herbs can just be wrapped in a plain paper towel.

Many herbs taste lovely when made into a hot tea, or added to a tea you already have-- sage goes very well with peppermint tea, thyme plus a lemon slice and honey make for a throat soothing beverage, and cilantro and cucumber make a very refreshing cold essence water (put cilantro and cucumber into a pitcher and pour cool filtered water over it, allow the flavors to merge for at least an hour in the refrigerator). You can also scent your bath water by steeping some herbs in while you run the tap. If you want to avoid bits of herb in your tub, tie the sprigs into some cheese cloth, to make a sort of tea bag.

But if you're looking to use up your fresh herbs, just start adding them to everything-- salads, grains, beans, meats, soups, stocks, etc.-- they can really do wonders to perk up so many foods. If you have a lot leftover, you can make pestos, salad dressings, and marinades pretty easily. Check out some of these recipes.

Recipe: Garlic and Fresh-Herb Grilled Chicken
Serves 6-7
This recipe calls for an array of fresh herbs, but you can really use whatever herbs you have on hand. Even just one of these herbs would result in a tasty dish. Dried herbs work well too, though I like the more subtle and bright flavor of fresh herbs. If using dried herbs, you'll want to use less, so divide the amount by 1/2-3/4.

2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 tablespoons chopped rosemary
1 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 tablespoons chopped oregano
1 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 teaspoons salt
2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast
6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to brush on the grill

1. Mix all of the ingredients, except for the chicken, garlic, and lemon juice, in a small bowl.

2. In a large bowl or ziptop bag, toss the chicken with the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs, until each breast is covered. Marinate in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the grill or stovetop grill pan on high heat. Brush the grill with olive oil and place the chicken breasts on the grill. Grill about 5-7 minutes on each side, depending on thickness of the meat. If you don’t have time to fire up the grill, you can cook these underneath the broiler for the same amount of time.

4. Cook until just done and no longer pink in the middle, and remove immediately to sit for 5-10 minutes on a plate. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Herbed Red Wine Vinaigrette
Makes about 2 1/4 cups

3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablesppons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano (1 tablespoon fresh)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (1/2 tablespoons fresh)
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix all of the ingredients, except for the oil, in a food processor or blender, drizzling in the oil while the machine is running, until emulsified. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients in a bowl, drizzling in the oil after the other ingredients are well incorporated.

This will keep well for 7-10 days in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Cucumber-Mint Water
I love essence waters. They’re becoming more popular in bottled form, but you can make your own for the same price, but yielding dozens more servings! If you have time to let this hang out in the fridge for 30 or more minutes, it will be even more flavorful.

Small handful fresh mint, basil, or cilantro, torn from bunch
1/2 cucumber (peel first if waxed), sliced into rounds

1. Put the herbs and cucumber into a large pitcher (preferably glass), and top off with cool filtered water. Serve with ice.

2. You may continue to refill the pitcher with water for 2-3 days, or until the cucumbers no longer look crisp.


Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market

on the set: tarragon tomato soup + grilled cheese

It's one of the last days of shooting on the set of The Tell-Tale Heart here in Lee, New Hampshire. I've been serving hot soup to the cast and crew at least once a day, as they're spending their time inside and outside of an old abandoned house, with very little or no heat, and nothing's better than a nice bowl of soup to get over being so chilly! This time around, lunch was 'just like mom used to make'. I made grilled cheese, grilled ham and cheese, chocolate oatmeal chocolate chip walnut cookies, a green salad, and non-dairy tarragon scented tomato soup.

It was lovely to see people's faces light up when they came in and saw this spread. The director's brother Max, one of the production assistants, said to me, 'This is the best tomato soup I've ever had.' Now you can try it for yourself...


Recipe: Tarragon Tomato Soup
The fresh tarragon in this recipe really makes this soup happen. It adds a distinct sweetness and a faint fennel/anise flavor that puts a lovely twist on a classic. I think it can be a challenge to keep tomato soup from tasting like tomato sauce. Too often tomato soup has loads of butter, cream, or other heavy dairy to make the soup ‘creamy’. I didn’t understand this, as most soup, when you puree it, is already creamy, but maybe that’s just me. I’m sure this splash would be magnificent with a dollop of crème fraiche, or a splash of cream towards the end of cooking, if that’s your thing, but personally, I like to keep it simple. Though I will say, this soup goes mighty fine with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Serves 4-6
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or mix of olive oil and butter
1 large onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small dried bay leaf
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided
1/4 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)
3 15 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
2 cups water or stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a pot and add in the onions. Sweat these for about 1 minute (if the onions begin to brown, turn down your heat). Then add in the garlic, the bay leaf, half of the tarragon, and all of the basil (if using) and sweat together for another minute or two.

2. Add in the crushed tomatoes and mix well. Stir in the water. Bring to a gentle boil and immediately turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test for salt and pepper and adjust as necessary. Stir in the remaining tarragon. With an immersion blender (or carefully, in batches in a standing blender), blend the soup until smooth. For an extremely smooth soup, pass the puree through a chinois or fine mesh strainer.

3. Feel free to enjoy with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream. Or a grilled cheese sandwich.

a birthday gift of ‘fruity snowstorm carrot pecan cake’

A few days ago was my friend’s birthday, and last week I asked what he wanted. He asked “Who makes the best carrot cake in New York?” Well, knowing he’s very health conscious and ingredient focused, I thought about how cream-cheese goopy and sugary most carrot cakes are and replied. “I will make you a carrot cake.”

We discussed what he wanted in his cake, and decided it would be vegan, with raisins, ginger, chocolate chips, and nuts. I suggested a coconut milk frosting to top it off. This is a no-holds-barred cake using all organic ingredients.

I’ve never actually made a carrot cake from scratch before, except for once at a catering company I freelance for, so it was a new adventure. I was hoping to score their recipe, but wasn’t able to get in touch with them, so I did some research for all kinds of carrot cake recipes, combined some ideas and inserted my own.

It took a bit longer to make this cake than I anticipated—there are a lot of steps between combining the dry ingredients, grating the ginger and carrots, beating the sugar and ‘eggs’ together, and actually mixing everything together and baking it, letting it cool, and making the frosting and applying it to the cake. Phew! A few hours of combined effort, but it’s a labor of love.

It came out a bit denser and darker than I anticipated, and the ginger and orange in it were not as strong as I was hoping for, but it was tasty and well received by all. Probably a carrot cake you have never had before. Try it out!

Recipe: Fruity Snowstorm Carrot Pecan Cake
My friend named it this because of the way the free-form frosting was sort of melting over the sides looked as if it had been hit with a snowstorm.

2 1/4 Organic All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Allspice

1 cup Organic Sugar
3-egg equivalent of Ener-g Egg Replacer

3/4 cup melted Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (could use Organic Canola instead)
1/4 cup Organic Grade ‘B’ Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Organic, Fair-Trade Vanilla Extract
1 cup Organic, Unsweetened Soy Milk
juice from 1 orange (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

2 1/2 cups grated Organic Carrots (about 4-5 medium large carrots)
3 tablespoons grated Organic Ginger (3-4” piece)
3 teaspoons Organic Orange zest (2-3 oranges)
1/3 cup Organic Raisins
1/2 cup Organic, vegan Chocolate Chips
1 cup Organic Pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of an electric mixer or a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and egg-replacer mixture until fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, soy milk, and orange juice. Then add in the beaten sugar mixture. Fold in the carrots, ginger, zest, raisins, chocolate chips, and 2/3 cup of the pecans.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and fold until combined. Do not over mix. If it still seems a little dry, add in a bit more orange juice or soy milk until a pourable, but thick batter is formed.

5. Pour the cake batter into a lightly greased 9-inch cake pan, or two 2 8-inch cake pans if you want to make a layer cake. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.

Recipe: Coconut Milk Frosting
Makes about 4 cups
This frosting also makes a great vegan substitute for whipped cream that requires little additional sweetening and offers a light coconut flavor.

2 cans chilled Organic Coconut Milk (Full-Fat only)
3-4 tablespoons Organic Agave Nectar, to taste
2 teaspoons Organic, Fair-Trade Vanilla Extract

1. Chill the bowl and whisk attachment of an electric stand mixer in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.

2. Open the cans of coconut milk and transfer the semi-solid white fat that has risen to the top to the chilled mixing bowl. Discard the liquid.

3. Add in the agave and vanilla. Beat the mixture on high speed for about 5 minutes, until fluffy. Frost your cake or keep chilled until use.

4. You may want to chill your cake after frosting it to keep this frosting from melting off (as it will do, if it is kept in too warm of a place).

Note: You can also make this with a hand mixer though it may not come out as fluffy.

NFL player goes vegan

This is an interesting read from yesterday's Wall Street Journal about an NFL tight-end who went vegan for his health. I'd be interested to read a follow up in a year!

spicy chipotle vegan brownies

There's something about that combination of heat and sweet, and I love these brownies for that. They hit your tongue soft, sweet, and chocolately, but finish off with a kick. Sweetened with agave, these brownies aren't overly sweet, but you could add a bit more if you like. I made these for a family friend's birthday party and they were a hit! I imagine they would go very well crumbled into some vanilla ice cream.


Spicy Chipotle Vegan Brownies
5 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch ground allspice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegan margarine, melted (I use Earth Balance) or canola oil
4 oz. dark chocolate, melted and cooled (equals about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Lightly grease a 9" square baking dish.

2.In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseeds and water, and mix well. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, spices, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Then, add in all of the wet ingredients and the flaxseed mixture and fold well to combine. Fold in chopped nuts, if using.

4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes:This makes for a pretty spicy brownie, so decrease the amount of chipotle powder if you want it less hot. If you can't find the chipotle powder, you can substitute 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper. Alternatively, you could omit the chipotle, cinnamon, and allspice altogether for a more traditional brownie.

recipe: smoky veggie chili (with meat add-in option)

Once the weather gets cooler, I love to make this chili. It's hearty, quick, and warming, and the chipotle and roasted tomatoes give it a nice smoky flavor. I usually invite people over because this recipe makes quite a bit! Or else just freeze some leftovers for later. I like to serve this alongside some short-grain brown rice or fresh cornbread. If you'd like, ground meat can easily be added. I included a recipe suggestion for preparing ground turkey.


Recipe: Smoky Veggie Chili
Serves 10-12
2 medium yellow onions, chopped (= 3 heaping cups)
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (= 1 1/2 cups)
4 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped (= 1 1/2 cups)
1 large bell pepper, any color, diced (= 1 cup)
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
4 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
2 t adobo sauce from canned chipotle
2 15 oz. cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (like Muir Glen brand)
1 28 oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 t sea salt, plus more to taste
3 T molasses or honey or preferred sweetener, to taste (optional)
1/4 c chopped cilantro (optional)

Note: You could substitute whatever canned beans you have handy for this. Pinto, navy, cannelini, and chickpeas would all work well with this dish. Adjust the amount of chipotle to your preferred spiciness level.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper, stirring to combine. Sweat together for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Sweat for another minute.

2. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, chipotle, and adobo. Stir to evenly combine for an additional 1-2 minutes. If your pot is getting a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of water as necessary.

3. Stir in the beans, crushed and diced tomatoes, and salt. Once the chili begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Taste to adjust seasonings. Add the molasses and cilantro. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from heat and serve topped with chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream.


Ground Turkey Add-In
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 lb lean ground turkey, or other ground meat
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
1 T sea salt, to taste
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the turkey until nearly cooked through, then add all of the spices. Stir to incorporate. Add the meat to the chili pot at the beginning of the 10 minute simmer.