black bean chili

Meal 4 in the Prep Ahead Week 4 plan is a warm and comforting Black Bean Chili. This chili is packed with wholesome hull-less barley, black beans, bell pepper, onion, tomato, spinach and spices.

On the prep ahead menu the vegetables are cooked before hand, the barley soaked the night before and the whole dish is assembled and cooked in the slow cooker. It takes about 6 hours to cook on low (you can set the delay function).

Add some chopped canned tomatoes and a bunch of spinach during the last five minutes of cooking, and your chili is ready for the tables.

I topped mine with some finely grated vegan cheese, cilantro and chopped onions, but you can serve it as you like.

The chili is a welcome meal on a long cold day and there is wonderful chew that comes from the whole grain barley.

Black Bean Chili
Serves 4 to 6 

The night before:
3/4 cup hull-less barley
4 cups vegetable broth

1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (use gloves, if needed)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2  tablespoons chili powder
2 cups cooked black beans (1 can)

1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 bunch spinach

For serving:
1/2 cup cilantro (1/2 bunch), minced
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup vegan shredded cheese
Vegan sour cream (optional)
Tortilla chips (optional)

1. Soak the barley in the vegetable broth the night before. 
2. Add the onion to a large skillet or pot (on the Instant Pot insert). Cover and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and
the mustard. Cover and cook until the onions are golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. 
3. Add chili powder and the black beans and move to a slow cooker, if needed. Add the soaked barley with the broth and cook on low for 6 hours, until the barley is tender. 
4. When the chili is ready, chop the tomatoes and add to the chili. Add the spinach and cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve the chili with the cilantro, onions, cheese, sour cream, and tortillas, if using.




© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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curried chickpea soup

The final meal of Prep Ahead Week 3 menu plan is Curried Chickpea Soup with Seasoned Pita. This soup is packed with nutrition and flavor, but it doesn't require a ton of exotic ingredients. A curry powder (preferably homemade), a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger and garlic supply all the interesting flavors needed.

The heft of the soup is made up of brown rice, chickpeas, spinach and carrots. Because the rice is cooked in the soup, it takes a shorter time to cook than regular brown rice is typically cooked. (See my Fast and Easy Brown Rice for cooking brown rice as an accompaniment.)

The pita bread is simply brushed with vegetable broth, seasoned with salt and pepper and toasted or broiled until crisp. The soup is perfect for a cold night and is ready fast.

Curried Chickpea Soup
Serves 4 to 6 

2 celery ribs, cut thin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch knob ginger, finely grated
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder, Zsu's Curry Powder or store-bought
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup brown rice
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (2 cups cooked), rinsed and drained
8 cups water

1 bunch spinach, chopped

4 pita breads
1 tablespoon vegetable broth

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add  the celery, onions and carrots. Cover the pot and cook until golden. Stir often and add a splash of water, if needed. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, curry powder, cinnamon stick and the rice. Toast, stirring, until the rice is aromatic.
2. Add the chickpeas and water. Cover, bring to boil and reduce to a strong simmer. Cook uncovered until the rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Add the spinach. Cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the cinnamon stick. Taste and add salt and pepper.
3. Brush the pita with vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper.  Toast until crisp. Serve the pita with the soup.


© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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"vegan mexico" + giveaway

The new cookbook by Jason Wyrick has been out for a few weeks now and it is clear that it is a huge hit. Jason's follow-up cookbook to Vegan Tacos [AMAZON], is in the same vein and is packed with authentic and delicious Mexican fare that is also vegan and truly delicious.

A huge bonus is that along with delicious dishes like street foods, tacos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales, salads and soups, Jason also shares basic recipes that ensure that preparing these dishes is possible: homemade masa, homemade tortillas, breads and Quick Queso Fresco.

Jason's heritage is Mexican from his mother's side, so you know that he has actually lived what he shares. The recipes show the passion Jason has for this cuisine and it comes across as genuine and authentic.

Of course, Jason breaks everything down so you get to know the ingredients you will be needing (otherwise it is not an authentic cookbook; if you don't use the proper ingredients - then it is just an interpretive and creative endeavor.) He also covers Mexican history and the specific regions that give rise to specific flavors.

I started with making bread. I have always wanted to make a torta (sandwich), but I could never find the authentic bread that is used. I was very happy to see that Jason has an easy bread recipe for us, so that was my starting point.

These football-shaped rolls are either Bolillos or Birote Salados, depending on a few minor differences. As you can see, they turned out golden with a crisp crust and tender and pillowy inside.

When I made this recipe, I had to almost double the flour. I realize that the dough itself is supposed to be really soft and loose and still very sticky, but without the added flour I would not have been able to shape the dough in any way. The amount of water to flour is so close that I don't know if it was a typo of some kind, but if you encounter the same problem, add enough flour to create a very soft and still tacky dough. After the knead and the rise it will firm up enough, but if you have a puddle of dough instead of something that comes together, just add more flour.

In the end, the bread was perfect, both inside and out. In addition, this was a really easy bread recipe to prepare. Don't be put off by the simple sponge, either! This has to be the easiest sponge I've ever made.

Taking this wonderful bread, I made Jason's Bean and Avocado Sandwich Drowned in Salsa (Torta Abogada).

This sandwich is filled with refried beans, avocados and pickled onions. Then it is drowned in a spicy (or mild) red salsa that is very easy to make. Of course, you can use store-bought rolls for a fast sandwich, but if you have the time, make the bread for it.

I topped it with cabbage and cilantro, as well, since that is a common addition, but it is certainly not necessary. Although it is very authentic to actually pour the salsa over the sandwich, I found that pouring it over the bottom half was sufficient - this way some of the crust of the top of the bread added a needed crunch and textural variation. Delicious sandwich!

Finally, I tried the Pasta Baked in Chipotle Tomato Sauce (Sopa Seca).

This dish is pasta that is drowned in tomato sauce and baked. The pasta actually cooks in the tomato sauce, which is known as fideo. Fideo is Spanish, meaning pasta.

The tomato sauce in this case is laced with chipotle peppers and the baked pasta is topped with Queso Fresco. Jason has a Quick Queso Fresco recipe in the book, but this version is my own. I'll be sharing the recipe later in the month. Enjoy this dish with some of the bread you baked and it adds a wonderful touch.

Overall the book is fantastic and it is a wonderful and useful addition to any library - vegan or not. Jason makes things clear and easy to follow and the recipes are delicious.

Jason and Vegan Heritage Press are sharing a recipe from the book and are also giving away a copy of this book to one lucky US resident.

The contest runs through the 21st and a winner will be announced November 23. Please leave a comment about Jason or Mexican food and make sure I have a way to contact you. Of course, you can check back on this blog on its Wednesday's post, but people do tend to forget to do that if they haven't subscribed. If I can't contact you by the 26th, I will choose another winner. Good luck!

First, though, check out Jason's recipe for Caldo of Sweet Potato and Chard.

Photo by Jason Wyrick

Caldo of Sweet Potato and Chard
Caldo de Camotes y Alcegas
Makes 6 servings

This simple soup features a mildly spicy broth married with the earthy sweetness of white sweet potatoes and the lushness of wilted chard. It’s not only delicious, it’s a powerhouse of nutrition. Chard, sweet potatoes, and beans conspire to fight cancer and regulate blood sugar and are naturally low in fat. (from Vegan Mexico, copyright © 2016 by Jason Wyrick. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press.)

5 cups water
Corn oil, for frying
4 ancho chiles
10 cloves pan-roasted garlic
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 medium white sweet potato, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch chard, greens and stems sliced paper thin
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Heat 1/8 inch of corn oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the anchos and fry them for 20 seconds on each side. Place the anchos in the boiling water, reduce it to a simmer, and simmer the anchos for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove them from the water and when they are cool enough to handle, remove the stems.

In a blender or food processor, purée the anchos, garlic, salt, oregano, and the water used to simmer the anchos until smooth. Return the purée to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Add the sweet potato, chard, and beans and cook until the sweet potatoes are al dente, about 6 minutes.

red pozole

Pozole is traditionally a stew made with pozole corn [AMAZON], which is corn that has been soaked in limewater, or has been nixtamalized. This is pozole in dried form and needs to be simmered for a few hours before using.

I had one can of hominy left in the pantry, and since hominy is an adequate replacement for the dried version, I felt the immense need to make a red pozole, which I have been eyeing for a year or so now.

Shredding the meat is the common way of serving this stew and since I still had a few cans of jackfruit left in the pantry, that, too, became an addition. Rinse both canned ingredients well before using and shred the jackfruit.

Because jackfruit is not a stand alone ingredient, in my opinion, being a bit too watery and lacking much substance, I added chickpeas to the mix. Of course, with aquafaba comes a lot of chickpeas and I keep needing to find great recipes to use them in.

Instead of the quick savory seasoning I supply in this recipe, using nutritional yeast, sage and oregano, you can use a commercial brand. Onions, garlic and cilantro are required ingredients for the white pozole, which is the stew before you add the chili paste.

The chili paste is really an easy combination of whatever dried chilies you have hanging around. California chilies are very mild and you can adjust the proportion of spicy chilies to this mild one for a very mild, but still flavorful, chili puree.

Combine the dried chilies with cumin, onion and garlic and cook it until the peppers are soft. Strain the peppers, creating a puree, and you have just made a flavorful addition that will transform your white pozole into a red pozole.

Simmer the soup for another 15 minutes and serve with a range of toppings: cabbage, cilantro, lime, radishes, tortilla chips, onion, and oregano, that you crush between your hands before adding to the individual bowls, are all traditional additions.

Red Pozole
Makes 6 servings

Soup:
8 cups vegetable broth (or 6 cups broth and 2 cups water)
1 (25-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
1 (20-ounce) can green, young jackfruit, rinsed, drained and pulled apart
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
6 sprigs cilantro
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican, if you have it)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Chili base:
2 dried California chilies, stems and seeds removed
2 dried kashmiri chilies, stems and seeds removed
1 dried ancho chili, stem and seeds removed
1/4 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup water
3 tablespoons neutral oil

Toppings:
Red radishes, sliced
Cilantro leaves
Cabbage, shredded
Lime wedges
Dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)


1. Add all the soup ingredients (the broth, hominy, jackfruit, chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, nutritional yeast, sage, oregano, salt, black pepper and bay leaf) to the pot of a pressure cooker. Pressure cook the soup for 30 minutes, allowing for natural release. If cooking on the stove-top, cook, partially covered over medium heat for 1 hour. Add more water as it reduces. Remove and discard the cilantro and bay. Set the soup aside.  
2. Add the chiles, onion, garlic, clove, cumin and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook, covered until tender, about 10 minutes. Blend the pot of chili and water and pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Press out as much of the pulp as possible.
3. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the chili puree. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the reduced puree to the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil and cook for 20 minutes to marry the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. 
4. Serve the soup hot with the toppings, as desired.



© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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avgolemono soup + "cook the pantry" winner

The Greek soup, Avgolemono, has been on my mind for the past year or so, ever since I saw it being prepared on a cooking show. This classic soup is often made with rice and chicken, but it is always flavored with lemon and thickened with egg yolks, giving it its characteristic pale yellow color.

I redid this soup, not so much with authenticity in mind, unlike most other recipes I create, where that is a central theme of mine: authenticity but with better, kinder, vegan ingredients. Instead, this time I just wanted to play with the fall produce that is currently available. Lemon, kale and dill.

I simply love kale and using it to replace the chicken is such a great switch, especially since kale and lemon are a natural flavor-match. Add some dill, which is a flavor-match with lemon, and you have a bright, sunny summer-y dish in the middle of autumn.

In addition to flavor profiles, I also wanted this recipe to be very quick and very easy. This recipe needs only 9 ingredients, including water, salt and black pepper (not pictured below.)

It is a very basic soup recipe that starts with great quality vegetable broth. Most store-bought vegetable broths these days are golden in color and taste great, so if that is what you have on hand, this is a very speedy soup dish. If your broth is not dark golden color, omit the 2 cups of water from the soup and increase the broth to 5 cups. Easy fix.

While your rice is cooking in the broth....

Heat your pot of water for the kale. Cooking the kale separately in a good quantity of water will help draw out most of its bitterness. This same "bitter" remedy is perfect for collard greens as well, just make sure to cook collards for around 15 to 20 minutes, instead of 5 minutes, as collards are much tougher.

Don't forget to save your cooking water, cool it and water your plants with it.

After the rice is cooked, add the cooked kale, fresh dill and lemon juice mixed with the starch. Instead of eggs (which actually bring no flavor to the soup at all, since the lemon is such a dominant flavor), this version is thickened with arrowroot (or cornstarch). It leaves the soup silky and smooth, as does its egg counterpart. Add lemon juice to taste as some people find it very assertive.

That's it! It's done! It is a delicious, tangy first course or light supper when you don't want something too heavy to weigh you down overnight. You can also use short grain brown rice instead of the Arborio, but cook it longer, around 20 minutes.

Now for the anticipated winner of Cook the Pantry (Amazon, B&N)  by Robin Robertson...

The winner is Janel Gradowski. Congratulations! Please contact me so I can get the book to you!

Avgolemono Soup with Kale and Rice
Prep and cook in 30 minutes
Serves 4 

4 ounces kale, tough stems removed and cut into ribbons
3 cups good quality vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 cups arborio rice
1 tablespoon minced dill
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
Sea salt and black pepper

1. Heat a large pot half-full with water to boiling. Add the kale and cook until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Combine the broth, 2 cups fresh water and rice in a medium pot. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the kale and dill. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer until hot.
3. Combine the lemon juice (smaller amount) with the starch and mix well. Add to the simmering soup and heat the soup just until it thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper and more lemon juice.


 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

"cook the pantry" + chipotle corn chowder + giveaway

Today is the day that Cook the Pantry (Amazon, B&N), by Robin Robertson , is available for sale! Robin does it again! Simple, easy and quick vegan cooking! Cook the Pantry contains over 100 recipes of fast easy and delicious recipes.

Cook the Pantry is based on Vegan Unplugged, a previous book by Robin, that focused on emergency cooking when the power goes out. That guide contained 70 or so recipes and this new book revamps about 30 of those recipes, using fresh ingredients and newer techniques. Even if you have Vegan Unplugged, this book has about 70 new recipes! That is 70 more ideas for making dishes in a snap.

Here are some of the dishes I made using Cook the Pantry:

This bowl meal is full of protein and deliciousness! The sauce is so good that my kid was eating the cheese sauce right out of the container, while she was impatiently waiting for the rest of the meal! We added some leftover tortilla chips and a few slivers of scallions. Why not? Cooking the pantry is about using what you have available.

What a gorgeous salad this turned out to be! Flavored rice, topped with hearts of palm, cucumbers and slivers of nori. A sushi roll turned inside out and assembled right into a bowl. Since I had some green beans that needed to be used up, I figured this would be the perfect place. This dish continues to show the versatility of Cook the Pantry.

Apparently we really were on a Mexican food kick, because we chose this Nacho Pie, which is actually unbaked, so it was a snap to make after soaking the nuts. It is filled with pinto beans, olives and homemade pickled jalapenos and homemade salsa fresca. Simple to throw together and very tasty. Again, I had a few produce items to utilize, the tomatoes and scallions, so onto the pie they went.

I think out of the several dishes we tried this week, this was one of our favorites. It is a Chickpea-Artichoke Cake served with an easy Lemon-Thyme Aioli. So good! I was going to save a few for the lunch box, but nope, it was all gone. Very tasty and, again, easy and quick.

All in all we ate pretty well this week - and dinner was ready in 20 minutes, as promised. There were the occasional soaking of the nuts, but that is something that can be done in the morning, or as Robin suggests, soaking in boiling water for a few minutes.

The book is full of Annie Oliverio's (yes, another book by her!) gorgeous food photography and it is in full color. It is printed by Vegan Heritage Press, which has been making full-color, photo-packed cookbooks over the last few years, which pleases me to no end. The quality of the book is exceptional, making this a wonderful addition to any home.

Easy, delicious, quick recipes, full-color book, beautiful photos and top notch publishing. Robin has written over 20 cookbooks, and this book is another one in a long line of exceptional recipe development by one of the most beloved vegan authors.

Try a recipe for yourself! Vegan Heritage Press is sharing the recipe below from Cook the Pantry, for Chipotle Corn Chowder.

But before you do, let's do a giveaway of Cook the Pantry, Robin style! To enter to have a chance to win, leave a comment below telling me what obscure ingredient you have in your pantry, freezer or fridge. For a second chance to win, like me on Facebook or follow on Pinterest. Once you've done that, come back here and leave a second comment (not in the same comment as before) telling me what you did: facebook or pinterest.

Contest is open to US residents and ends Monday at midnight, October 19. Good luck! I will choose the winner at random and make the announcement in a new blog post soon after the contest is over. It is helpful if  you are following this blog via email or RSS feed (link) to be sure to receive the notification.

Chipotle Corn Chowder
Makes 4 servings

This sweet, satisfying chowder is made with frozen whole kernel corn. The garnish of pimientos and parsley adds a dash of color. (Recipe from Cook the Pantry © 2015 by Robin Robertson. Photo by Annie Oliverio. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press LLC.)

1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 medium onion, minced or shredded
1 carrot, finely chopped or shredded
1 russet potato, finely chopped or shredded
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn kernels
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked for 3 hours, then drained
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 (2-ounce) jar chopped pimientos, drained

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and potato. Cover and cook for 4 minutes to soften. Stir in the celery salt, broth, corn, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stir in the coriander, liquid smoke, and almond milk, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, combine the drained cashews and chipotle in a blender with 1 cup of the simmering broth from the soup. Blend until smooth and creamy, then add 1 more cup of the soup and blend until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and pimientos.

veganmofo - grilled cheese and tomato soup

Day 26 #vgnmf15 prompt (and I quote:)

"It’s cold and rainy and there’s a snow drift outside your door! 

What are you going to make using the ingredients you have?" 

Check your pantry and fridge; do you have vegan cheese, bread, canned/jarred tomatoes and chips (optional)? Good! Then you have all the fixings for grilled cheese and tomato soup. Bonus ingredients are basil (dried or fresh) and vegan butter.

Since I am in San Diego, there is no chance that a snow drift would be outside my door, but for the sake or argument (and fun), so be it. Also, that snow drift is only outside my front door and not the back, so I am able to retrieve some fresh basil from the backyard that is in a *greenhouse* (called San Diego).

Thus you can see that I am all set to make this fabulous sandwich and soup. Of course, if you don't have access to a greenhouse, then use dried basil, as I often do, given the laziness of *some* people.

I made the soup using my recipe from Everyday Vegan Eats, which is really a fabulous cream of tomato soup and I highly recommend it.

As for the grilled cheese, let's not mess around and let's get serious. Let's make real grilled cheese - a sandwich that has melty, gooey cheese in between perfectly grilled bread. And, mind you, this sandwich is all vegan.

Few tips and tricks:

*mix your vegan cheeses - each brand has a different attribute - capitalize on them
*use low heat and a lid on your skillet when cooking the first side
*cook the flip side uncovered

If you go all crazy bad-ass with the cheese and add a ton to the sandwich then....

*add 1 tablespoon water to the skillet, cover with a lid and tilt the skillet to melt all the cheese (tilt to avoid getting the bread soggy)

Are you all cozy now? Sometimes we pretend it is all cool and windy outside and make this duo. This game is played quite often at our house.

Don't miss the Giveaway for Vegan Bowls right HERE. Contest ends Monday 9/28 at midnight!

Grilled Cheese Guidelines


Vegan butter
Slices of bread (2 per sandwich)
Vegan cheese (see note)

1. Butter one side of each bread slice. 
2. Combine 2 to 3 different types/styles of shredded (or grated) vegan cheese. Mix well.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, add the slices of buttered bread, top with mixture of cheese and add the top slice of buttered bread (butter side up). Cover with a lid and cook until the bottom slice of bread is golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Flip the sandwich and cook, uncovered, until golden brown. Reduce heat if the bread is cooking too fast, 
5. If the cheese is not melted, add a tablespoon of water to the skillet, tip the skillet to avoid making the bread soggy, cover with a lid and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve.

*note- use a mixture of shredded or grated vegan cheese. finely grate block cheese. mix well to combine.


 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

green and white chili bowl from "vegan bowls" + #3 + giveaway

There is a scant seven days left until the release of Vegan Bowls! The excitement is getting more and more real for me! I am super pumped to hear what you guys think of it!

These are a few of my favorite things...about Vegan Bowls:

Over the next few weeks, I will continue share with you my most favorite aspects of my new cookbook, Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N).

{#1 is HERE, #2 is HERE, each with a sneak-peak recipe.}

From the Salad chapter.

#3.
My next most favorite aspect of Vegan Bowls is that this book has the option to make any of the bowl recipes within 30 to 40 minutes. How? Multi-tasking. If this generation knows anything better inside and out, it is multi-tasking.

While most other recipe books encourage mice en place (preparing all the ingredients before cooking), this cookbook utilizes chopping and mixing as the recipe progresses. This means that there is no wasted moment in the kitchen and you are never just standing around stirring and waiting for things to cook.

From the Grilled chapter.

You are actually actively cooking for the entire time, but the absolute best part is that at the end of the time you will have prepared a complete meal. 

All you have to do is to first pull all the necessary equipment out (bowls, if needed, pans and pots on the stove, peelers and strainer, if needed, etc.) and all the ingredients out before you start. And then, just follow the recipe as written, with some guidance along the way via the Quick Tips in each recipe.

From the Sauteed chapter.

Of course, if mice en place is where you're at, then by all means follow the recipe as you normally would from any cookbook. The only difference is that I offer you a way to prepare these bowls in the most streamlined way possible.

From the Grains chapter.

Now that Vegan Bowls is so close to release, I thought I'd share another of my favorite recipes with you, Green and White Chili Bowl (in fact, this is what we are having for dinner tonight). This one is in the Soups chapter and that calls for a peak into the chapter contents:

And since I am so excited about Vegan Bowls, let's have a giveaway of the book - winner will be chosen on the release date! Enter below for your chance to win a copy! To be eligible to win you must be following this blog via email or RSS feed (link). Contest is open to US residents only and ends at midnight on Monday, September 14. Good luck!

Now for the recipe of the Green and White Chili I promised earlier.

Green and White Chili Bowl
SERVES 4 TO 6
Red chili is all the rage, but its seldom-made cousin—green and white chili—is just as flavorful, perhaps more so. This chili is full of hominy (dried and treated maize), fresh green chiles, and two kinds of white beans. If you cannot find hominy, use thawed corn kernels instead. (Recipe from Vegan Bowls, copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)


BEANS
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups cooked cannellini beans
2 (15-ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked chickpeas

VEGETABLES
4 Anaheim peppers, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 ounces fresh spinach, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped (optional)

BEANS: Combine the broth, oregano, salt, cannellini, hominy, and chickpeas in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to simmer and cook until needed.

VEGETABLES: Add the peppers, onion, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until minced. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the minced vegetables and cumin and cook until the mixture is dry, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the broth and beans to the sautéed vegetables and simmer until the flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve with the avocado, if using.

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