That Was Vegan?

Recipes so delicious you'll never think twice!

Tex-Mex Chinese Pie

Tex-Mex Chinese Pie

Tex-Mex Chinese Pie

Did you know that what most of the country (world?) calls Shepherd’s Pie actually goes by the name Chinese Pie in parts of New England? It’s true!  There are some differences (peas and carrots vs. corn for example), but they’re very similar dishes. There’s a whole story about how Chinese railroad workers back in the day cooked it for their fellow workers, who then brought the recipe home with them to NE and Quebec. I grew up calling it Chinese Pie, but when I say that around here no one knows what I’m talking about.  And no, I don’t ever serve it with pickled beets  :)

I’m not sure if those Chinese railroad workers or French Canadians ever imagined giving their pate chinois a south-of-the-border flair like this, but I sure hope you like it. In the past I’ve made this with a vegan “meat crumble” substitute, but for 2012 I’m going to try and cut out more of the processed stuff. Not that I’m going cold-turkey on the Daiya or anything crazy like that! It’s just that I’ve been wearing a %^*#ing walking boot for much of the holiday season, and all the goodies and nog plus the inability to get any exercise are taking their toll.  Hence my desire to cut back a little. And besides, we could all use a little less “processed” in our lives, right?

So rather than a layer of hamburger (or boca crumbles!) and a layer of corn we have a nice jumble of beans and corn (along with their friends tomatoes, green chilies and onions), and the mashed taters have some wonderful (hot!) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce mixed in. Oh, and a layer of mexi-bread crumbs adds some crunch at the very top! This is a very hearty, “stick to your ribs” type of meal, great for a cold winter’s night.


Tex Mex Chinese Pie (6-8 servings)

This recipe will fill up a 3 qt baking dish. If you want to make the beans/corn mix ahead of time just add 30 minutes of baking time (covered with foil). And you should definitely feel free to prepare the mashed potatoes as you normally do, using as much EB and milk as you like. I just included my own measurements as a suggestion.

Ingredients:

  • 5 medium/large potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or diced
  • Oil or water, for sauteeing
  • 1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 14 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed
  • 1 packet ‘vegetarian chili’ seasoning mix
  • 14 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 4-5 T Earth Balance (amount based on preference)
  • 1/4-1/2 cup non-dairy milk (amount based on preference)
  • 2 good sized chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped as small as you can get them.
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 t chili powder
  • 1/2 t paprika
  • 1 T crushed red pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat over to 350 degrees
  2. Put your potatoes on to boil, and let them cook until they’re nice and mooshy. We want a smooth mash for this, no lumps!
  3. In a large skillet or pot, sautee the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until they start to get soft.
  4. Add both cans of beans, seasoning mix, tomatoes/chilies and water to the skillet and mix all together. Let them simmer until it thickens.
  5. When your taters are done cooking, drain and mash with the EB and non-dairy milk. Once they’re nice and smooth, add the chipotle peppers.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the remaining spices.
  7. Pour the bean/corn mixture into the bottom of your baking dish, the gently spread the mashed potatoes over the top, making sure to get full coverage.
  8. Top with the bread crumb mixture.
  9. If your bean/corn mixture and your potatoes are still warm, bake (uncovered) for about 20 minutes, then move to the top of the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, so the top gets nice and browned. If you made any of the components earlier and they need to be reheated,  add about 30 minutes of covered backing before removing the foil.

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Bean and Cornbread Casserole

Bean and Cornbread Casserole

This recipe was actually inspired by one that I found online years ago, but now I can’t find it again. That used to happen a lot- I’d print out a recipe then never be able to re-find the source. Of course, now that I pin all the dishes I see online and want to try on my ‘Vegan Food To Make Your Tummy Growl’ board on Pinterest, that doesn’t happen anymore! Perfect solution!

I especially love making this dish on snowy or rainy afternoons- there’s just something so cozy about having my red crock pot going in the kitchen and knowing that I’m not going to have to make dinner. I know the ingredients list looks long, but I think you’ll find most are things you already have in your pantry and fridge.


Slow-Cooker Bean & Cornbread Casserole (5-6 servings)

As always with my recipes, the amount of beans are approximate, as I don’t use canned myself.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large green or red bell pepper
  • 1 large sweet or white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic (or more, if you’re a garlic fiend!)
  • 1 can (16oz) red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can (16oz) pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can (16oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 8-10 oz tomato sauce
  • 16 oz diced tomatoes with chilies
  • 1/2 can cream corn
  • 2 t chili powder (I used a “NM” blend, but any kind will work)
  • 1 t pepper
  • 2 t salt
  • 1 t hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup yellow corn meal
  • 1/2 cup AP flour
  • 1 1/4 t baking powder
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 T sugar
  • 3/4 cups non-dairy milk
  • 1 egg replacer mix of choice
  • 1 1/2 T vegetable oil
  • 1/2 can cream corn

Directions:

  1. Chop onions and bell peppers, and mince garlic cloves.
  2. Spray inside of slow-cooker with non-stick spray.
  3. Sautee onions, peppers and garlic in water in a pan until tender, then add to the slow-cooker.
  4. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1/2 can of corn, spices and hot sauce.
  5. Cover, and cook on high for about 1 hour.
  6. In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, then stir in  the milk, egg replacement, oil and the rest of the corn.
  7. Ladle over the bean mixture in the slow-cooker, making it nice and smooth.
  8. Cover again, and cook for about another 1.5 hours, but sometimes my cornbread takes a little longer to cook all the way through. (ETA: This could take up to an additional 30 minutes, but you can slice into the cornbread to see if it’s cooked)

Enjoy!

Chili Mac n’ Cheese

That was vegan? Chili Mac n' Cheese

After becoming vegan I went for 507 days without eating mac n’ cheese. FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVEN! That’s a lot of days, I know. And I also know that there are plenty of recipes for vegan m-n-c out there, and lots of restaurants that serve it, but somehow the stars just never aligned for me. I kept meaning to try a recipe, and there was even one day that I fully intended to order it for lunch at Udi’s until I got there and realized it was no longer on the menu (note to restaurants: please don’t leave delicious dishes listed on your website if you have no intention of making them!), but it just never happened for me. Not until this Thanksgiving, that is!  Our friends Lauren and Jeremy not only hosted us on Tofurkey Day, but Lauren also made a fabulous baked mac n’ cheese, breaking my dry spell with a BANG!  (The recipe she used is here and I strongly suggest you all give it a try!) It was so good, and all those old mushy feelings came rushing back to me, reminding me how much I missed that ooey-gooey comfort food.

How much did I miss it? Enough that in the 8 days since, I’ve eaten some version of  it 4 times! This improves my Once-every-507-days average to a more acceptable Once-every-103-days, a statistic I’m less embarrassed by.

My most favorite version (so far, at least!) has been this Tex-Mex style, loaded with tomatoes and corn and beans… vegan chili, basically. It’s a little spicy, but you could certainly kick up the chili powder or add some chopped jalapenos if that’s your jam. Jason, my hubby, is from NM and as far as I can tell he was born without the ability to taste heat. He’d put Ghost Pepper Aioli on everything if he could. I, on the other hand, am from NH and growing up considered Taco Bell to be authentic Mexican food, so lets just say that our tolerance for heat is not equal.

CHILI MAC N’ CHEESE (makes 5-6 servings)

My measurements for the beans are approximate, as I cook dry beans rather than using canned. Also, this is one of those dishes that gets better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two, so make sure you have leftovers!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large/medium onion, chopped (I used sweet)
  • 2 t. garlic powder
  • 15 oz black beans (approximate)
  • 15 oz pinto beans (approximate)
  • 2.5 cups of frozen corn
  • 28 oz diced canned tomatoes, with the juice
  • 1 small can chopped green chiles, mild or hot
  • 1 box elbow macaroni, or pasta of your choice
  • 1.5 T cumin
  • 1 T chili powder (I used a “New Mexico Blend” that had been on sale)
  • 1 bag shredded Pepper Jack Daiya
  • 4 T almond or soy milk (if needed)
  • S&P to taste
  • Oil for sauteing, if desired

Directions:

  1. Put the macaroni on to boil, but be careful to leave it undercooked otherwise it’ll fall apart later on. I cooked mine just until it was “a little too chewy”.
  2. In a large soup or stock pot saute the onion until tender. My preferred method is a 2-parts water, 1-part olive oil mixture, but to each his own!
  3. Stir in beans, corn, tomatoes, green chile and macaroni, then add the cumin and chili pepper, tasting as you go.
  4. Stir in the Daiya and let it get all melty and gooey and fantastic, then add your salt and pepper if you’d like.
  5. If it’s too dry, add a few tablespoons of your non-dairy milk of choice… And enjoy!

That was vegan? Chili Mac n' Cheese

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

sweet potato and black bean chili

Here’s a quick and easy chili recipe that will taste like you spent more time on it than you actually did- always a good thing in my opinion!  When making this last batch I accidentally doubled the chopped green chilies, and it was insanely hot- like “help! my face is melting!” hot. The bottle of wine I was enjoying while I cooked may or may not have contributed to this little oversight… who’s to say?

Anyhoo, I added some sour supreme to cool it off, and really enjoyed the creamy consistency it gave the chili after I stirred it all in, so I recommend adding some if you have it.  The recipe came from Fabulous Foods, check it out!

 

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...