Soup - White Chili

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Contentedness Cooking

This recipe is a wonderful keeper, but I'm definitely adjusting the spice level!!!

I love the green pot shown in the photo!

 ✅  First heat a bit of broth for doing this oil-free - in a soup pot. I used a large deep skillet.  If you have a Le Creuset , this would be a perfect time to whip that baby out.  Sauté the garlic and the optional onions and bell pepper for around 5 minutes.

• 2 cups vegetable broth (only use a little of this for the sautéing)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 chopped bell pepper
• ¾ cup chopped white onion

 ✅  Now add the remaining vegetable broth and vegan cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is thoroughly incorporated.

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 8 oz vegan cream cheese
• 🌿 Hmmm... Could I add something green to this for extra color?  Kale?  Parsley?  If I omit the jalapeños, which I definitely will, that green will be gone.

 ✅  Now for the heat...  Be careful with this!!!  The first time I made this soup, I used the full can of jalapeños and a full packet of McCormick White Chili seasoning mix.  Holy cow!!!  It was soooooooo hot that it was almost inedible.  The saddest part is we could tell, we would have loved it if the heat had been toned down.  Lesson learned!   In the future, I will add a little of the seasonings at a time and then "taste as you go"!  Eventually, I will learn just how much to add to make it just right.

• white chili seasoning packet - be careful -  Add a little and then taste!
• To make your own - 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1 tbs chili powder, 2 Tbs Cumin, 2 tsp garlic powder and 2 tsp maple syrup)  I haven't tried this yet, but it may be the best way to go.
• 1 (7 oz) can jalapeño slices, drained Oh, hell, no!!!

 ✅  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for around 10 minutes on medium heat. 

• salt, pepper to taste

 ✅  Add the beans and optional corn and cook for another 5 minutes.

• 2 (15 oz) white beans, drained
• 1 cup corn cooked and peeled

 ✅  When serving, it's really nice with a great bread!

☝️  How do you tone down spicy chili?

• One of the best ways to counteract this chemical compound is by adding a dairy product: whole fat milk, heavy cream, yogurt, cheese, or sour cream. I don't do dairy, so that's no help to me, but apparently rich coconut milk can do the trick. 
• Sugars help to neutralize the heat of chile peppers. So try adding a little sugar or honey to balance out too-hot flavors.
• Add more of the ingredients that are not hot thus reducing the concentration of spice. In a chili, the easiest tool for dilution is simply to add more beans but more tomato can be effective as well. 
• If the chili is only a little too hot, consider diluting it by adding more liquid. Tomato juice, water or a stock can be effective for this purpose.
• You should consider diluting your chili with a starch as another option. One traditional method of toning down spice in chili is to add a paste made with masa and water. If you do not have masa on hand, consider using pieces of potato to help absorb the spice. You can place the potato into your chili as it cooks and remove it before serving. Both masa and potato can help to thicken your chili without making a significant difference to its overall flavor profile.
• When diluting the heat in your dish remember that you will also be diluting the other flavors. Be sure to increase the cumin, garlic and other flavors in your chili to compensate for the dilution.
• Peanut butter, almond butter and tahini paste are also effective for toning down the spice in a chili. Like dairy products, nut and seed butters are able to neutralize heat without dominating the other flavors.

Soup - Judy's Vegetarian Chili

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Allrecipes

Judy and Steve made this when we stopped by for a visit in the mountains.  WOW!!!  Best chili ever!

• 1 TBSP olive oil

PRODUCE

• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ medium onion, chopped

SPICES

• ¼ cup chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 TBSPs dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper  

CANS

• 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 3 (28 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15oz) can black beans
• 1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn

FROZEN

• 2 (12 oz) packages vegetarian burger crumbles

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.

Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving. 

Soup - Marge's Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Marge Garrett
From our "trip to Bostwana Book Club Meeting" 9/26/2019
Modified from PBS Recipe

NOTE: This recipe makes a lot!   Feel free to 1/3 the recipe.  1 can of black eye peas goes
a long way!


1.  Sauté onion until soft and lightly brown.
Add garlic and chili peppers. Cook an additional 1 or 2 minutes.

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 Fresno (red) chilies finely chopped

2.  In crock pot, combine water, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, bay leaves, chili peppers, onions and garlic.  Cook about 3 hours.

5-6 cups of water

3 14½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

3.  When sweet potatoes are soft, add plum tomatoes and parsley.  Cook for an additional hour.

1 pound plum tomatoes chopped

1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf or curly leaf parsley leaves

Delicious as is -or- serve over rice!

Soup - Judy's Black Bean

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Epicurious

Judy made this for JC and I during a visit to the mountains.  Even though JC claims to not care for black beans, he loved this and has changed his mind about the whole black bean thing.  I love black beans and could have eaten this soup 'til I popped.  

This is from the first time I made it.  Just as Judy claimed, it was super simple.
And, oh my, sooooo good!  This recipe is a definite keeper!

The original recipe on Epicurious includes a few things I don't eat - olive oil, chicken broth, feta cheese.  Those were easy to skip or replace.  These directions reflect my preferences.  Also, canned ingredients are easy, but my sensitive stomach does better with fresh tomatoes than with canned.  As for the beans, sometimes I use canned, sometimes I cook from dried.


Sauté onion, carrot, and garlic until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

garlic - 4 cloves, chopped

Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño.

jalapeño chile with seeds - 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped , divided

cumin - 2 teaspoons ground

Cumin tip I plan to try sometime:  More intense and nuanced flavor can be enjoyed by lightly roasting whole cumin seeds and then grinding the seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Add beans, tomatoes, and broth; bring soup to boil.

black beans - equivalent of two cans, undrained 

tomatoes, diced - equivalent of one can petite diced tomatoes in juice

broth - 1 1/2 cups

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot.
Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cilantro and green onions.

cilantro - Chopped fresh 

green onions - Chopped 

CUMIN INFO

This recipe reminded me how much I enjoy the taste and smell of cumin.  Even better, cumins good for you!  It's mostly known as a digestive aid, but there are other benefits as well.

Soup - Roasted Poblano Potato Stew

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures

Poblano Peppers

What Are Poblano Peppers?

Poblanos (pronounced po-blah-no) peppers are a mild variety of chili pepper. They are as large or even larger than a bell pepper but are skinnier and have a pointy tip, similar to hot chili peppers like jalapeños. They are often sold while green and are used for dishes like chile relleno, chiles en nogada, and rajas con crema. Dried red poblano peppers are called ancho chili peppers.

• 2 – 3 poblano peppers  (2=mild heat, 3=medium)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 heaping tablespoon minced garlic (about 8 – 9 cloves)
• 1 Tablespoon flour ( or gluten free flour)
• 1 – 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (or fire roasted tomatoes)
• 2 cups vegetable broth *
• 2 cups unsweetened plain plant milk
• 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast (optional)
• 1 – 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 – 15 oz. can or frozen corn, drained
• 3 cups red or white baby potatoes, halved or quartered

Seasonings/Spices:

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• 1 ¾ teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste)

Other Optional Ingredients/Toppings:

• Chopped avocado
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Tortilla chips

Roast the Poblanos
Place the oven rack to the top and set the oven to high broil. Place the poblano peppers on a baking sheet and broil on high, turning occasionally until the peppers are soft and the skins are dark (black). This takes about 10-12 minutes. Immediately place the peppers in a glass container and cover with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid to sweat the peppers for about 10 minutes.  Then pull off the top, slit open on the sides and scrape out the seed, flip it over and scrape off the darkened skins. Set aside.

Sauté Onion
In a large ceramic/enamel-lined Dutch oven or similar stock pot, add the finely minced onion; sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of water if the onions start to stick and/or to prevent burning.

Add Flavor
Add the minced garlic sauté for 30 seconds, then sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then add the dry spices (onion powder, garlic powder, dried minced onion flakes, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and sea salt) and sauté to release their fragrance, about 1 minute.

Add Veggies and More
Then add the vegetable broth, unsweetened plain plant milk, petite diced tomatoes, corn, baby potatoes, stir well to thicken, and cook (uncovered) over medium heat for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, take the cooled poblano peppers and pull the stem off and discard; then tear open one side of the peppers and scoop out the seeds (discard), then lay the peppers out flat, charred skin side up, then pull and scrape off the charred skins and discard; then dice the peppers, and add to the stew.

Then add nutritional yeast; cook uncovered until the potatoes are almost tender, about another 25 minutes, largely dependent on the size of the potatoes. Then add the black beans and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.

Test the flavors, add more spices, if necessary, to achieve the level of flavor you desire.

Top individual servings with freshly chopped cilantro, lime wedges, avocadoes and serve with tortilla chips (if desired)

NOTES

*Poblano Peppers:  If you like a lot of heat use 3 poblano peppers, if you wish moderate heat, use 2 poblano peppers.

*Vegetable Stock:  We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Makes:  4 – 5 servings

*Storage:  Refrigerate, use within 7 days.

Soup - Vegetable

Saute First

low sodium broth

onions
tomatoes

celery

carrots

Veggie Options

cabbage

rice or potatoes

lima beans

black eyed peas

green peas

green beans

corn

bell peppers
Greens - spinach, kale, collards or turnips

More Additions to Jazz it Up

pasta

water

McCormick Beef Stew seasoning packet

V-8 juice

Rotel tomatoes for zing!

hot peppers

Tamari or Coconut Aminos

If Cooking in an Instant Pot:

• Saute chopped Carrots, Celery, and Onion in veggie broth.
• Tomatoes - Add tomato base veggie juice (like Knudsen's Very Veggie) or fresh tomatoes (easier on the stomach).  Pomi brand tomatoes are also a little easier of the tummy.
• Add veggies you'd like.  
• Add Pasta (optional) Not too much.  ??? Some people add this after the cooking process with the IP on Warm.  Pasta is not great for weight loss, but if you need a more filling meal, it's good.
• Add more broth or water (no set amount, just until it's the consistency you prefer)
• Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.  Slow release.

Thickening:

• blend 1/2 of the tomatoes and maybe some beans for a thicker broth consistency

Considerations:

• potatoes - they don't freeze well, use rice instead if you intend to freeze some
• okra - use fresh!  frozen is stringy and will ruin the soup
• peas - go light, some people hate these

On the Side

• Cornbread, crackers
• Could serve in a homemade bread bowl!