Recipe #12: Chocolate mousse

Here is another recipe adapted from the Engine 2 book.  This is truly awesome and so easy!  The cinnamon was my touch.  I think adding a little natural peanut butter to the mix and then topping the mousse with sliced bananas would really take it over the top.  It is seriously outta sight just like this though.  Please note: it is important that you use silken soft (not firm) tofu otherwise you will have chunky mousse.  I used Mori Nu which is available at most grocery stores in the produce section.   

1 package silken tofu
2 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 c agave nectar or pure maple syrup or a combination of both

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and break up tofu with a fork.  Beat with a hand held mixer on high until ingredients are well blended and there are no lumps.  Chill until ready to serve. Makes 4 servings.      

Recipe #10: Three Two One: Blast Your Face Off Dressing

You'll find this recipe in the Engine 2 Diet Book as "Beam Me Up, Scottie" Dressing.  Of course I don't know the Scottie it is named after so I don't get the inside joke.  You can call it whatever you want.  This is so easy I kinda feel like a fool for not coming up with it on my own!  I served it over a bean and brown rice salad that I took to my first ever vegan potluck (with strangers) last week.  I was a little nervous but everyone was really nice and the food was ridiculously good.  What a great experience to go somewhere and be able to try EVERYTHING without asking questions and not having to hear things like: "Whoops- that has beef broth in it, does that count as meat?" after you have started chowing down.     

3 parts Balsamic vinegar

2 parts Dijon mustard

1 part Agave nectar

Black pepper to taste 

Whisk it up.  If you want it a little thinner just add a few drops of water.  

You'll find more Engine 2 marinades, dressings etc. here. 

Recipe #9: Drunk and Lazy Chili

Last winter we brewed a smoked porter that so smoky we couldn't drink it.  Fortunately, we found some great ways to cook with it!  This is a lazy chili because there is little chopping, a lot of cans and only one pot.  The porter adds a great depth to what otherwise might be a pretty typical veggie chili.        

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can corn

3 cans chili ready chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon each:

                cumin

                chili powder

                Sriarcha hot sauce (optional)

                garlic powder

1/2 c. (4 oz) smoked porter (Stone Smoked Porter would be perfect)

10 oz of veggie sausage style crumbles (or microwave patties and break up into small pieces) 

1 red onion diced

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast- optional 

Rinse and drain beans and corn.  Put all ingredients except porter into crock pot and stir well.  Add porter very slowly while stirring so it doesn't get too foamy.  Cover and cook on low for 3- 5 hours, stirring occasionally during cook time.  Stir one more time before serving and adjust seasonings.  Top with cilantro and serve with corn bread or chips if desired.

Recipe #4: Snow Day Bean Soup

So, there is a giant blizzard in the Midwest and my office was closed today.  Not counting the 1/2 a bottle of vodka in my freezer leftover from my birthday 4 months ago and way too many bottles of hot sauce, these were about all the ingredients that I had.  Old-timey bean soup recipes usually call for animal hocks, hooves, tails, or "frames" which I think is just another word for carcass.  I used liquid smoke which adds a rich and meaty flavor that makes it seem traditional.  If the soup doesn't warm you up, the after effects of the beans and the cabbage will- hee hee! 

10 c. cold water

2 c. (1 lb) bagged mixed soup beans without seasoning, rinsed and picked over

1 small head green cabbage, chopped into shreds

1 large yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Soup Base (I used the "No Chicken" kind) 

1/2 Tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (tamari or low sodium soy sauce work fine)

1/2 Tablespoon liquid smoke

Freshly ground pepper to taste
Few drops of Sriacha or other hot sauce to taste (optional)

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot, combine beans, water and bouillon and set over a high flame.  Add all other ingredients and stir well.  Wait until soup comes to a very low boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 3-4 hours with the lid on.  Stir soup about every half hour.  If it comes to a boil again, reduce heat to low prevent beans from bursting.  Check beans to see if they are done- should be tender not firm- and remove from heat. Adjust seasonings and replace lid.  Set aside for at least 10 minutes to cool a little before serving.  This is one of those soups that is going to be even better the next day.  Since there is so much of it, it may be a good idea to freeze portions for later.  I think it will be quite cozy hanging out in my freezer next to the vodka.         

Recipe #3: Five Bean Salad

A good friend's mom used to always have a variation of this salad in her fridge.  She told me how to make it about 20 years ago and I still love it and make it quite often.  It is ridiculously easy and it is great to bring to cook-outs and potlucks.  You can use whatever canned beans you like but I like this variation because of the different colors and textures of the beans involved. 

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can butter beans

1 can lima beans

1 can black beans

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

3 drops of hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot is a good bet)

Sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Drain and rinse the beans really well in a large colander.  Shake off excess water.  Pour beans into a large container with a tight fitting lid.  Add remaining ingredients and cover with lid.  Shake well to coat beans with dressing.  Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving and shake well again.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.  Sometimes I'll put extras in there like corn, cumin and lime or dried basil, garlic and lemon.  This is a hard one to mess up so feel free to get creative.  Makes about 15 side dish servings --about 1/2 c. each.       

Recipe #1: Smoky Eggplant!

This is so easy and it is ridiculously good.  

1 large eggplant

4 Tablespoons Bragg’s or lower sodium tamari

1 pinch garlic powder

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ Tablespoon liquid smoke

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

Peel eggplant and cut into large chunks that are as close in size to one another as possible.  Place eggplant in a single layer in a large dish with a lid.  Combine all other ingredients except nutritional yeast in a small bowl.   Drizzle marinade and sprinkle nutritional yeast over eggplant chunks. Stir well to coat evenly.  Cover with lid and leave in the fridge for an hour.   After the hour is up, stir eggplant again and take out of fridge. Spray a very large frying pan or wok with olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Add eggplant and stir fry until very tender- 5-10 minutes. Makes 2 side dish servings.