Sunrise Vegetarian Chili

As I was driving to school yesterday morning I decided that it was about time I became best friends with my crock pot. As much as I cook, you'd think I'd have done this bonding already. I confess I'm not fond of how the crock pot looks. I know silly, but it just doesn't fit my motif. Instead, it stays hidden in the back of the cabinet. I only bring it out for teacher lunches so those hard working folks get hot food.

I thought I'd have a ton of time having both of the kids in school. Subbing, various appointments, and errands seem to impose on all of this supposed free time. Yesterday for example I had one kid home and one in school. My agenda included a doctor appointment, a chiropractor appointment (oh my aching back!), and pick up to tackle. These kind of days further inspire my need for a friendship with that darn crock pot. Chili just calls to be made on a cool, wet, and busy fall day.

After drop off, I performed my various housewife/mom duties and then gathered all of my ingredients to make my chili. I decided that I would get that going before my first appointment of the day. It took all of 15 minutes to chop all of my ingredients and get them into the crock pot. I sautéd the onions first. While they were cooking I chopped up the rest of the veggies and threw them all in the pot. It was even more gratifying to include a fresh scallopini squash from the garden. I added the rest of the ingredients and that was it. All of that anticipation and it ended in a rather unexciting moment. But I liked that I didn't have to stand there checking it all of the time (remember that aching back) and could just flip a switch and walk out the door. When we returned I of course checked on the process and turned it from high to low. Easy peasy.

After the chiropractor and pick up we finally made it home to cooked chili! It smelled so good. It all seemed too easy so I decided to add some flare and make some polenta. Polenta is another super easy food. I cooked the polenta for 15 minutes and added it to two empty tomato cans to get the circles for kid appeal. In order to get the polenta to cool in an hour and in time for dinner, I put the cans in my ice tray to speed the process.

Evan ate the polenta and Tristan being sick was generous enough to take a bite of my polenta and chili "sandwich" I created just for him. He said it was good. Cliff said it was my best chili ever.

Sunrise Vegetarian Chili


1 medium onion chopped
1 squash of choice chopped
1/2 cup chopped orange cauliflower
1 carrot chopped
1 small red bell pepper chopped
1 heaping tbsp coriander
1 heaping tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
16 oz pinto beans
16 oz white beans
1/2 cup favorite salsa
3/4 cup tomato paste

1. Chop onions and sauté until they start to turn brown. Add the coriander, cumin, and chili to the onions and stir until well combined and fragrant.
2. Chop all of the veggies. You can do this as the onions are browning.
3. Add the cooked onions, chopped veggies and the rest of the ingredients directly to the crock pot.
4. Turn that crock pot on to low and prepare to enjoy at the end of the day. Mine cooked for 6 hours. Once I returned home I turned to warm.
5. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Polenta


1 cup polenta or yellow grits
3 1/2 cups of veggie broth
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

1. Bring the broth to a boil.
2. Slowly add the polenta to the boiling broth and reduce to a simmer. Add the oil, optional nutritional yeast, and salt. Stir together, cover, and cook until thickened for 15 minutes. Check frequently to watch for clumps.
3. If you have empty cans first oil the inside. Add the polenta to the two cans. You'll need to protect your fingers as those cans get really hot. If you don't have cans you can put the polenta in a lightly oiled 8 inch baking dish and put in the fridge to cool. The cans take longer to cool and that is why I added them to the ice tray.
4. Slide the polenta from the can and slice. If using a dish, cut the polenta into squares.

This meal took 40 minutes of work and that was spread out during the day. Next time I use the crock pot I'll prep the meal the night before and store the ceramic dish in the fridge. As I prepare lunch the next morning all I have to do is take the dish out of the fridge and turn the crock pot on low. How cool.

Rainy Day Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I love making bread. Last year when the prices of everything started going up I decided I needed to get crafty. These guys are toast maniacs. At $4 for an organic loaf of bread something needed to give. I woke up one morning and decided it was time to figure out how to make my own. Just recently I found Baking in America and this book has given me the best loaves of bread by far.

I recommend the Honey Whole Wheat Bread, Buttermilk, Wheat and Rye bread, and Buttermilk Wheat Germ Bread. I've adapted them all to be non-dairy. I can make buttermilk by adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to any nondairy beverage. The combination of cider and milks will curdle to make a quick non-dairy buttermilk. This process can be started while you are gathering all of the other ingredients for your bread.

I'm relieved that the weather is a bit cooler. I made everyone miserable all summer heating this house up. My only saving grace is how good it smells and the end result. Delicious toast and sandwiches. There is nothing more gratifying that having the loaf turn out just right.

Tristan's Pasta

T-Licious Pasta

My big boy is my pasta maniac. He likes any kind of pasta providing it has balsamic vinegar and olive oil on it. I make sure to have some on hand all of the time. I've been pushing the boundaries lately by adding garbanzo beans or white beans. He has taken to adding olives, nondairy rice cheese, garlic granules, and pepper. He says he is o.k. with the beans. Lucky for me the beans have a really mild flavor and absorb the balsamic vinegar he so loves. His pasta is a simplified version of Helane's Pasta. I omit the tomatoes, vinegar, and fresh garlic.

1 1/2 cups of favorite pasta already cooked
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 kalamata olives sliced
sprinkle of granulated garlic
sprinkle of pepper
1/8 cup nondairy cheeze shreds (e.g. Soyco "Rice Cheese')

I started adding spinach this weekend. I took 5 small leaves, and I mean small, of baby spinach and finely chopped it as if it were basil. Then I threw it in. "Mom, I'm not really fond of the spinach." After a brief discussion of how minuscule the pieces were he agreed to eat it.

Here is the crutch: He loves pesto pasta, but doesn't want pieces of green anything in his food. Now that he is 11 I'm hoping to expand his horizons. I know, you're thinking "Pesto is green". Go figure. Like I said, picky boys. I haven't started on the four year old.