week of meals

typing out my meal plan last week was so fun and helpful that i've decided to do it again. as i said before, the list changes with ingredient availability and what i'm in the mood for. here is my list for this week:

• vegan chili with crusty bread
• creamy potato soup with kale salad
• honey-jalapeno squash with rice and kidney beans
• raw hemp veggie burgers with salad
• miso soup with side of steamed non-gmo edamame
 

we're in for yet another week of freezing cold temperatures. i'm eliciting the help of jalapenos and hearty bowls of steamy hot goodness to keep us warm. plus mugs of hot herbal tea with local raw honey. mmm.

my mom came over today with her delicious bean soup, cozy slippers (she bought me a pair for christmas but they were too small. see?) and she brought her slow cooker for me to borrow (which means it's mine now bahaha=). in the morning i plan to throw my chili and soups in so i can just come home and relax with my piping hot, home-cooked meals. ahhh.=)

four-bean vegan chili
adapted from the best vegetarian chili in the world

yields about 8 cups/servings

ingredients:

1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced*
2 sweet bell peppers, green and red, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 1/2 C (or 28 oz. can) crushed tomatoes
1 T chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper, to taste
2 C cooked (or 15 oz. can) each of black, pinto, kidney, and garbanzo beans

directions:

1. gather ingredients. chop peppers, using gloves to protect your skin from the jalapeno oil. if using fresh tomatoes, pulse in food processor until chunky.

2. heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. stir in garlic, peppers and carrot and cook a few minutes.

3. add tomatoes and seasonings, to taste. bring to a boil.

4. stir in beans, cover, lower heat and simmer about 25 minutes.

add cooked grains, like quinoa or millet, and serve over greens for a balanced meal. or dip with your favorite bread or chips.

you can "fatten up" the flavor a bit with a tablespoon or two of butter. i like the flavor of earth balance's soy-free vegan butter. it tastes great!

 *edit: one jalapeno makes the chili medium spicy and two very hot! for a mild chili, discard the seeds from the jalapeno or omit jalapeno altogether.

today i cooked up a big batch of kidney beans to use in our chili and with our delicata squash. the rest will be frozen in pint jars for future use. in the dehydrator are hemp veggie burgers and nori snacks. both recipes are in carmella's delightfully raw uncook book. i had to change the hemp burger recipe up a bit because i'm out of irish moss. if it works out i'll post the adapted recipe.


want to make soon:

sweet potato fries with spicy cashew aioli

chickpea coconut curry (crock pot recipe)

almond and cacao biscotti

what's on the menu for you this week?

four-bean vegan chili

this "musical" chili proves that meat is not needed to make flavorful, hearty food. in fact, the vegetables and spices truly shine when they are not coated in animal grease. see for yourself!

four-bean vegan chili

adapted from the best vegetarian chili in the world

yields about 8 cups/servings

ingredients:

1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced*
2 sweet bell peppers, green and red, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 1/2 C (or 28 oz. can) crushed tomatoes
1 T chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper, to taste
2 C cooked (or 15 oz. can) each of black, pinto, kidney, and garbanzo beans

directions:

1. gather ingredients. chop peppers, using gloves to protect your skin from the jalapeno oil. if using fresh tomatoes, pulse in food processor until chunky.

2. heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. stir in garlic, peppers and carrot and cook a few minutes.

3. add tomatoes and seasonings, to taste. bring to a boil.

4. stir in beans, cover, lower heat and simmer about 25 minutes.

add cooked grains, like quinoa or millet, and serve over greens for a balanced meal. or dip with your favorite bread or chips.

you can "fatten up" the flavor a bit with a tablespoon or two of butter. i like the flavor of earth balance's soy-free vegan butter. it tastes great!

 *edit: one jalapeno makes the chili medium spicy and two very hot! for a mild chili, discard the seeds from the jalapeno or omit jalapeno altogether.

sprouts a-mung us

*how to sprout your own mung beans*

you will need:
1/2- 2/3 C. mung beans
cheese cloth, nylon, or tulle
large open-mouthed jar
a rubber band

rinse and soak mung beans in cool water for at least 12 hours.


pour beans in jar and cover with cheese cloth (or a piece of unused nylon or tulle) and a rubber band.


drain, rinse, repeat.


place your jar upside down in a cool (70° -ish) low-lit area.
rinse and drain your beans every 8-12 hours.


they should begin to sprout in about 2 days. the sproutage you see pictured is after 4 days.

store sprouts in fridge.
add to salads, soups, sandwiches, or veggie rolls.
(click here for more ideas)

***

here's a yummy creation i came up with myself =)


so easy to make!
simply combine 1 C. each chickpeas, black beans, and mung sprouts with fresh mint, cilantro, olive oil, and sea salt.


serve warm, chilled, or over some grains, like red quinoa.

♫ beans, beans, they're good for your heart...♫

=)

beans, beans

if you eat a lot of beans like i do, it makes much more sense to prepare them yourself, rather than buying them in cans. it's better for your health, the earth, and your pocket.

1. buy dry beans in bulk. if you have access to whole foods, buy them from the bulk bins at around a dollar a pound. if not, buy the dry beans in bags or see if you can order some organic beans online.


2. rinse and soak beans in water overnight in fridge (1 to 3 ratio).

3. cook beans on stove in large pot or a pressure cooker, if you have one. add a few tbsp oil and seasonings if you'd like (but don't add salt until they are cooked). if using a pot, cover beans with water by two inches, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. you can find bean cooking times here (but be sure to check the beans often to see if they are done to your liking).

4. pour cooked beans in colander and rinse (you can save the bean juice to use as soup stock).

chickpeas

5. allow beans to drain completely and cool, then pour on baking sheet or casserole dish and place in freezer. occasionally break beans apart with spoon or spatula.

6. store beans in plastic storage bag in freezer. grab any amount you need whenever you want! simply defrost them in warm water or over low heat on the stove.

black (turtle) beans

i paid $2.06 for 3 cups of these dry organic black beans. i ended up with about 12 cups cooked beans! to get 12 cups organic beans from cans, you'd have to buy at least 6 cans, at around $2.00 a can. i saved at least 10 buckaroos! it pays to be cheap! =)