Monday, October 15, 2012

Warm Me Up Tortilla Soup


 
 
 
Serves 4-6 
 

Ingredients
 
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
Pinch of salt
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno (optional)
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
1 cup frozen corn
2 Tbsp cornmeal mixed w/ 2 Tbsp water
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
 
 
Method
 
Add oil to a large saucepan and heat for a minute over medium heat.  Add onion, pinch of salt and saute 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic, jalapeno (if using), cumin and chili powder.  Let cook for a few minutes.
 
Add broth, tomatoes, corn and bring to a boil.  Then turn down heat to low, stir in cornmeal mixture and let simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes. 
 
Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes to cool.  Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree.  Add back into the pot along with black beans and stir.  Serve topped with avocado and tortilla chips.
 

 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Chocoholic Chip Cookies



I would have to say that the cookie is my favorite form of dessert.  It's handheld, you get all the flavors in one bite, and bonus, they're easy to make.  These cookies really bring the chocolate.  If you're a fan of crispy-edged corner brownies, then you'll like these.  They're very brownie-like but slightly crisp all around the outside so you get that in every bite!

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Ingredients

Dry
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Wet
1/4 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 stick Earth Balance vegan butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Method

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, set aside.

Add the almond milk and vinegar to a small bowl, set aside for a few minutes.

In a separate bowl, add vegan butter and both sugars.  Stir to mix well.  Add vanilla and almond milk/vinegar mixture. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.

Working in 2 or 3 batches, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once everything is incorporated, fold in the chocolate chips.

Place the bowl of batter into the fridge for an hour.  Batter can also be refrigerated overnight - just removed it from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop tablespoons of batter and drop onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  (tip: keep a glass of water to dip spoon into in between every couple scoops and this will help prevent batter from sticking to your spoon).

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Why do brussels sprouts get such a bad rap?  Roast them and they're quite delicious. 

Ingredients

2 cups brussels sprouts, quartered
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt and peper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl toss brussels sprouts and shallots with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.