Southwestern Vegetable and Bean Soup

1/2 red onion
1 1/2 red bell pepper
4 pickled jalapeno peppers
2 celery stalks
8 oz frozen corn
1 head broccoli
2 carrots
2 small yukon potatoes
4 garlic cloves
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
28 oz diced tomatoes
4 cups vegatable broth
1/2 tbl. cumin
1 tsp cayenne (or more!)
salt and pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

Chop all vegetables into bite sized pieces.

Saute onion, red bell pepper and garlic until soft and fragrant, in a large stock pot. Add in celery and carrots, stirring frequently. Add corn, jalapenos, spices, salt and pepper, cook for about 5 minutes. Add in canned tomatoes (do not drain). Bring to a boil. Add in vegetable broth, bring to a boil. Add in broccoli and potatoes, and beans, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook covered for about 30 minutes. Check to see if the potatoes are tender. Cook for about 5 minutes uncovered. Serve as soup, or over rice as a stew.

Spicy Southwestern Chili

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 16 oz can refried black beans
1 16 oz can pintos (do not drain)
2 soy chorizo (TJ's brand)
1 7 oz chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 cloves garlic
1 white onion
1 red pepper
cumin, oregano, salt and pepper
red chili flakes


In a large (stock) pot, on medium heat, saute onions and spices, add garlic and stir well. Next, saute crumbled soy chorizo (or other slausage) until browned. Add in tomatoes and then the beans. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, with lid cracked. After about 45 minutes, check the consistency. If you prefer the chili thicker, remove the lid and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes (or longer) on low. Remove the chipotle peppers before serving or storing.

Tonight, we served the chili with rosemary mashed potatoes and a swiss chard salad.

Black Beans, Kale and Saffron rice

1 c. (uncooked) rice
2 c. water
2 bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp (or more) saffron
salt

Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add bouillon cubes and dissolve. Remove from heat, add saffron and salt, stir. After the broth cools slightly, ladle slightly less than 1.5 cups into the rice cooker, add dry rice and cook.

1 can black beans and lightly rinsed
1/2 cup leftover broth (see above)
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 handfuls raw kale
garlic powder
cayenne
salt and pepper

Bring broth to a boil, then add onions. Cook for a few minutes, adding spices to taste. When onions are soft, add kale and stir. Add in black beans and reduce to simmer, until the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let the beans sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

We ate this with a little bit of cheddar, and the leftovers from yesterday.

Rosemary-Garlic Vegan Mashed Potatoes

3 Ukon Gold potoates
1/4 c. rice milk
1/4 c. vegan margarine
1-1.5 tsp rosemary
1-1.5 tbl. fresh garlic
salt and pepper (lots!)

Cut and boil potatoes in lightly salted water, about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Blend in a large bowl, rice milk and margarine and spices. Add in potatoes and blend until as smooth as you like.

**In the past, I used soy milk and that was good too.


We had this with Kale and Kidney Bean Salad.

Black Bean Extravaganza

1 can black beans
1 can (re)fried beans
1 can jalapenos
1 cup pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup kale
3/4 cup old tortilla chips
1/2-1 cup salsa
1/4-1/2 pepper jack cheese

In a casserole dish layer:
salsa
chips, crushed a little
refried beans
black beans
jalapenos
pineapple
onion
kale
cheese
salsa, and repeat
The top layer should have some cheese on top.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is browned on top.

Taco Salad with Homemade Black Bean Chili

I should have taken a picture, but I didn't have my camera at S's last night. So imagine a beautiful shell, stuffed with fresh greens, black bean chili, peach salsa and cheese.

Spicy as eff chili:
2 homemade (or not) veggie burgers, crumbled. (S makes hers with TVP.)
1 can of black beans, drained
1/2 red onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
2 jalapenos, chopped and some juice
1/2 can of leftover tomato sauce
salt

Saute veggie burgers in some olive oil until browned. Add in onion, garlic and seasonings. Stir frequently. Add in black beans, jalapenos and tomato sauce. Continue stiring and bring to a slow boil. Lower heat and cover slightly, let cook for awhile. It should be nice and thick.

Taco shells:
Chipotle tortillas from TJ's
Place in baking dish, or "mold," we use a casserole dish and a lot of aluminum foil to make it small enough. Bake at 350-375 for 10-15 minutes, until crispy.

Salad:
Several handfuls of fresh kale and rainbow chard
3/4 cup green onions chopped
1/2 cup small yellow tomatoes

Peach salsa: Wholefoods

Cheese: sharp white cheddar