OMG Tamale Pie!

Gluten Free Tamale Pie

Tamale pie, Mexican Shepherds pie, chili and cornbread in one pot, call it what you like, this dish is so damn tasty! Hearty, mildly spiced (because, as we've mentioned, I'm a lightweight when it comes to spice), thick and nutrient packed chili, with a layer of gluten-free cornbread (inspired by this very much not vegan recipe for 100% cornmeal cornbread from the Plan to Eat blog) baked right on top. It's a fabulous one pot meal that will appease even the skeptical omnivores. I think the TVP or Bocca crumbles (NOT gluten free) help with that. However, if you have any sort of issues with faux meat (I myself am not usually a huge fan of the texture, but I like it here), feel free to omit it. You could absolutely substitute an additional zucchini, some crumbled tofu, or a diced portobello mushroom instead. 

One more note on ingredients/bean rant. While we do like to use dry beans in our home most of the time (so much more economical, you can control the salt and additives, and no cans to rinse and recycle), I do like to keep several cans in the pantry at all times, just in case. Sometimes canned beans are just more convenient, especially if I'm cooking something spur of the moment, or it's been a long day at school or work, and I just don't have any home made beans in the fridge. It's gotten much easier to find reduced sodium or no salt added beans lately, but one problem I always run into specifically has to do with kidney beans. Canned kidney beans nearly always contain that terrible, sneaky little thing called High Fructose Corn Syrup. I’ve found that most organic brands are safe, as are many of the reduced sodium variety. Just further proof of how important it is to READ LABELS. Know what you're buying, who you're buying it from and what exactly it is that you're putting in your body. Rant done.

The chili is also great all on its own, and it has a whole lot going on. It was originally inspired by a Rachel Ray recipe for Veg Head Three Bean Chili, that I came across years ago. I've made many of my own additions, subtractions, and alterations to it over the years. If there's a chance to add some dark leafy greens, I'll take it! As usual, like most chilis and stews, this just gets even better with age as the flavors marry. I'll make a batch of this if we have a lot of people coming over. Set out bowls of crushed tortilla chips, vegan cheese, sliced avocado, tomatoes, sliced sweet peppers, etc. for a server yourself chili bar. Serve it over pasta for some super tasty chili mac. Endless options! Which is why I thought it would be the perfect base for this Tamale Pie.

This recipe makes a LOT of chili. A bit more than I had intended, as, after I had filled my 9x13 casserole pan 2/3 of the way full, I still had about 2 1//2 cups of chili left. No complaints at our house of course. I didn't bother freezing it this time, as I know my husband will go through it in the next few days. However, there are several options for dealing with excess chili. You can simply stick it in the fridge, as I did; you can portion it out in mason jars or freezer safe bags and freeze it (it'll keep for at least a month in the freezer, if not longer - just be sure to defrost the mason jars in the fridge before re-heating). You could also simply spread the remaining chili in a loaf pan, and save about 1/3 of the cornbread mixture to spread over it, and bake it along side the bigger batch.

 Gluten Free Tamale Pie

For the Chili Base

(9x13 tamale pie serves 8 large portions, or 10 smaller portions. Chili serves 10-12)

·      1 tsp grapeseed oil

·      1 tsp whole cumin seeds

·      1 medium yellow onion, diced

·      1 green bell pepper, diced

·      1 red bell pepper, diced

·      2 medium zucchini, diced

·      5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

·      2 – 14oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

·      1 – 14oz can reduced sodium/no salt added black beans, drained, or 2 cups homemade

·      1 – 14oz can reduced sodium/no salt added kidney beans, draine, or 2 cups homemade

·      1 – 14oz can vegetarian refried beans

·      2 TBS chili powder

·      2 TBS ground cumin

·      1 tsp garlic powder

·      ½ tsp Chipotle Mrs. Dash, or Chipotle chili powder

·      1 tsp sea salt

·      1/2 cup water

·      1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)

·      1/2 cup frozen organic corn

·      3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach (optional) 

Bottome Left to Right - Whole cumin seeds and chili spices

"Beef Style" Textured Vegetable Protein - You can find them in the bulk sections of most health food stores, or certified GF from Bob's Redmill :)

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil on medium high heat. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to toast in the oil for about 30 seconds – 1 minute (you’ll know once they start to become fragrant). Add the onions and peppers and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and everything is starting to caramelize. 

 

Onion, peppers, zucchini, garlic and spices

 Add the garlic and zucchini, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the zucchini has begun to soften. Add the spices and salt, and cook for one minute more stirring frequently, to lightly toast the spices. Add the tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, TVP and water. Give everything a good stir, cover and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, stir, reduce the heat to low, cover again, and cook for about 20-30 minutes, checking it every 7-10 minutes or so.

Chili!

When the TVP has softened, stir in the re-fried beans, which will begin to melt into the chili, and continue to stir until no big lumps remain. Add the corn and spinach, stir, cover and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjust if needed and remove from the heat. Allow the chili to cool while you put the cornbread batter together.

Gluten-Free Cornbread topping

• 2 cup cornmeal, organic non-GMO if possible

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 flax eggs (2 TBS + 6 TBS warm water mixed together and set aside) – or EnerG Egg Replacer to equal 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
• 1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice, adding more if necessary)
• 3 TBS coconut oil
• 1/3 cup organic frozen (or fresh) corn, thawed

Directions

In a small bowl mix together the flax eggs, agave, almond milk and coconut oil. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the in the dry ingredients. Mix until just starting to come together, then fold in the corn.You want your batter to be fairly thick, so you may need to add a little additional almond milk or cornmeal in order to get the right texture.

Tamale Pie! 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 

 

In a 9"x13" casserole dish (and additional loaf pan if you like), pour/ladle the chili until it is roughly 2/3 full.

Gently, and slowly spread cornbread mixture on top of the chili in an even layer (I like to go spoonful by spoonful, so that you can cover evenly and prevent the cornbread from sinking to the bottom). 

Spreading the cornbread topping on.

Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bread. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes (or as long as you can), before serving.   

It bubbled over a bit :)

Yum!

Applesauce Muffins!

 Low-Fat Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins with Golden Raisins

So way back when, about ten years ago when I was first navigating the world of vegan baking and trying to come up with a quick, healthy snack I created this recipe for simple applesauce muffins. These muffins are fairly dense and cake-like, thanks to the oats, and the raisins add little pops of sweetness. These muffins are very low in fat, and I won't lie and tell you that they don't taste like low-fat muffins :p 'Cause they do, but not in a bad way. I think they taste really lovely, and I never feel bad about eating one, or two, or three...

I like these at breakfast, for a mid-morning snack, post-lunch snack, or even dessert. Basically, I'm telling you they're good whenever, wherever you want to eat them :) I am planning to try a gluten free adaptation of this recipe soon, so I'll keep you posted on that. I think any all purpose GF flour would probably work, but I want to play around with it a bit. These are also a great little treat for kids.

I usually don't bother with baking cups since these tend to disappear so quickly, it just seems like a wast of paper. Plus I also like the slight crunch that these get when baked without liners. But feel free to use whatever you like.

 Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins with Golden Raisins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups quick cook oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce + 3TBS
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (or 1/4 cup vegan sugar + 1tsp molasses, or maple syrup)
• 1 TBS ground flax seeds mixed with 2 TBS water
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (you could also use currents or regular raisins, whatever you like!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together, and set aside. In a medium bowl combine applesauce, non-dairy milk, sugar, and flax mixture. 

Dry ingredients.

Wet ingredients.

Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist.

Everything together!

 Fold in raisins, then fill the muffin cups 3/4 full (these really don't rise too much, so don't worry if they look too full). Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a knife slides out clean.These keep quite well in an airtight container for several days. 

W.O.O.F. Bread

Whole Grain Seed Bread

 (i.e., Awesome Hobbit Food)

 

This is a really easy recipe. It's also really delicious. Crunchy, crusty, hearty and packed full of seeds and grains. Always makes me feel like I've stumbled into Middle Earth when I make a loaf of this bread - especially when I'm eating it slathered with Earth Balance and agave (the vegan equivalent of butter and honey). If you're not a fan of crusty breads, then this is probably not the best bread for you. However, if you're like me and are willing to fight to the death for the heel of the loaf, then you'll probably dig this :)

I bring you this recipe courtesy of my awesome little brother (vegan, musician, dog enthusiast). The story of where this recipe came from is also pretty neat. It's a recipe that my brother brought back with him after a summer spent Working On Organic Farms (also known as W.O.O.F.-ing) across the United Kingdom. One of the farms he worked at in Ireland was owned by an Italian woman named Paola. This is her recipe. It was apparently quite famous in the town (Skibbereen, West Cork), and she would even trade goods and services for it. The secret of the bread, and it's fame in the town, was the fresh water from her well that she used, which brought it mystical powers of tastiness. She was kind enough to share it with my brother, and he in turn shared it with me. 

According to my brother's original writing down of this recipe, he says of the recipe's creator "she's very Italian, so she doesn't have the recipe written down, so it's really just very touchy-feely." Which is how I always approach this bread. The seed mixture you use is really up to you - for instance, today, I had quinoa, quinoa flakes, instant barley, millet, sunflower seeds and chia seeds. Pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite additions to this bread, but I didn't have any on hand today. When I know I'm going to be making quite a bit of this bread I like to make a batch of mixed seeds to just keep handy. I also usually find that I need to add extra water (though it isn't mystical well water sadly) in order to achieve the firm cake batter consistency this bread calls for. Also great about this bread? No kneading!

Whole Grain Seed Bread

• 4 cups whole spelt flour, or whole wheat flour (which is what I usually end up using because I don't always have spelt flour in the pantry)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 - 1 cup seed & grain mixture containing any of the following (I usually do equal parts each, but it's really down to personal taste) - sesame seeds, whole flax seeds, chia seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, quinoa, quinoa flakes, millet, amaranth, rolled oats, instant barley, rice flakes, etc.
• Additional 2 TBS seed & grain mixture to sprinkle on top of loaf if desired
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups warm water (warm, not hot - think baby bathing temp), plus more if needed

Pour the flour, salt, and seed/grain mixture into a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine. Make a well in the center and add the yeast. Cover with the 1 cup of the warm water. Begin to combine the mixture with a wooden spoon, adding more water until it begins to come together. You want the dough to be very sticky and un-kneadable, so if you need to add more than the 2 cups of water, just keep adding until you reach a very firm cake batter like consistency.

Seed & Grain Mixture

The dough should be VERY doughy. Like thick brownie batter.

Not kneadable.

Lightly grease a bread pan, and pour the bread dough into the pan. I like to sprinkle some additional seed & grain mixture on top, pressing it down lightly into the dough so that it has a firm hold. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit for 40 minutes.

It has risin!!!! You can see where I've added the extra seed & grain mixture on top.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake the bread for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Finally, take the bread out of the bread pan and bake naked for 10 minutes more to develop a nice crust. Though this last part is optional. You can absolutely continue baking the bread in its pan for the additional 10 minutes. Totally up to you!

Crusty and golden. I baked mine naked for those extra 10 minutes, and I love how crunchy it gets.

Mmmmmmmm...

Crusty on the outside, soft yet full of texture on the inside.

 Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice, slather with Earth Balance, agave, jam, nut butters, toast it, use it in a sandwich, or enjoy simply as is. However you eat it, I hope you like it! 

With Earth Balance & Agave :)

As a base for a warm, open-faced BBQ tofu sandwich.

Taco Tuesday

Roasted Eggplant and Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Lime Quinoa,

 Tofu Queso Fresco, Peppers and Onions

 

I live in Austin, Texas. I should make tacos. Tacos are awesome. Okay. Tacos. Let's make some. 

That was my inner monologue this morning. It's high summer, and everyone seems to be making tacos - soft tacos, crunchy tacos, breakfast tacos, taco salad, etc. Every other recipe I seem to come across lately is for tacos. Plus, as stated above, I live in Austin, and if there's one thing Austinites are crazy about, it's tacos. So, it felt only natural to try and come up with a new recipe of my own. After my Roasted Eggplant Lasagna, I've developed a bit of an obsession with roasted eggplant. I love the texture and the way it absorbs flavors, and have been trying to come up with other recipes to toss it into. Taco filling seemed like a grand idea. I pared my slightly smoky roasted eggplant and black bean filling with flavorful cilantro lime quinoa, creamy tofu queso fresco (admittedly, I take great liberty with the term), and slow sauteed red bell peppers and onions. I used small corn tortillas which makes this recipe gluten free, however feel free to use whatever you'd like! Top with traditional taco fixins -green onions, tomato, sliced avocado or guac, picante, and I especially love sliced black olives on my tacos! The results were pretty darn tasty :)

There are quite a few elements here, so this is the order I made things in. First, start the quinoa and roast the eggplant. While they're cooking, saute the onions and peppers, and make the tofu queso fresco. Finish the filling, then you're ready to assemble. You could also make this in stages - you could certainly make the tofu queso fresco the day before to give the flavors a chance to marry.

Roasted Eggplant Black Bean Filling

• 1 eggplant, ¼" dice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• Half of a 10 oz can diced tomatoes with jalapeno and cilantro (I used Whole Foods 365 brand because that's what I had on hand, but you could also use Rotel, or 1/2 cup of salsa instead)
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 cups no salt added or reduced sodium black beans, drained
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¼ - ½ tsp Chipotle Mrs. Dash, or chipotle powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the diced eggplant on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, salt and pepper and mix about with your hands. Spread it evenly, and bake for 15 minutes. Stir, cover with tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cold saute pan. Add remaining ingredients, and heat the pan to medium high.

All of the ingredients ready to be mixed.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the bean mixture is bubbly and heated through.

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• The other half of your can of jalapeno and cilantro diced tomatoes (or ½ cup salsa)
• 1 ½ cups water
• ¼ tsp Chipotle Mrs. Dash, or chipotle chili powder
• Juice of half a lime
• 2 TBS cilantro, finely chopped 

Everything in the rice cooker

Either place all ingredients (except for the lime juice and cilantro) in a rice cooker according to manufacturers directions (i.e., using the rice cooker's cup measure and liquid measure), or in a medium saucepan. If using rice cooker, cook according to manufacturers directions. If cooking on the stove, bring quinoa mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove from heat, add lime juice and cilantro. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Finished Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Tofu Queso Fresco

• 1 lbs firm tofu
• Juice of remaining half a lime
• ½ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 TBS nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp salt

Using your (very clean) hands,  press as much liquid out of the tofu as you can. In a medium sized bowl, crumble the tofu with your fingers. Add remaining ingredients and smash everything together with your fingers. Taste for seasonings and adjust in needed. Cover, and set in the fridge to let the flavors meld until you're ready to assemble.

Onions & Peppers

• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp salt 

Heat the oil in  a medium saute pan. Cook the onions and peppers on medium high heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. You want to cook them until the onions have begun to caramelize, and the time this will take may vary depending on your stove (electric vs. gas, etc.). I like to cover them about half way through the cooking process, and add the salt. Once they are caramelized and smell delicious, spoon them into a bowl, cover, and set aside.

Before

After :)

Assemble!

This part is really up to you, but I like to go: corn tortilla, quinoa, beans, peppers & onions, queso, toppings, om nom nom. You could just as easily throw everything on top of a bed of lettuce and crushed tortilla chips for a nice taco salad, or use whole wheat tortillas  - whatever floats your boat! 

 

Whole Wheat Banana Bread!

Mini Whole Wheat Banana Bread Bundts with Mini Chocolate Chips

This recipe does not involve chickpeas. I know I hinted that my next few recipes would feature that versatile legume, however tonight was not the night. Tonight was the night that I wanted to try out my new mini-bundt pan (one of our awesome wedding gifts). I thought about doing mini bundt cakes, but honestly, I'm a little cake/cupcaked out after the wedding. I waned to make something a little healthier too, so I decided on whole wheat banana bread! This is a recipe that my mom has been making since I was a little kid, and has always been one of my favorites. I think she originally found it in one of those spiral bound, community recipe collections - possibly from the La Leche League, of which my mom was a proud member (yeah, she was a crunchy mom way before that was all the rage :). She made some alterations to the recipe along the way, then when I went vegan it was one of the first things I tried my hand at veganizing.

I really love this recipe. It smells like comfort and home. It's also great to take to work, school, as a hostess gift, etc. Who doesn't love banana bread? And, despite being made with whole wheat flour, this bread doesn't taste "healthy" - it tastes rich and moist. I highly recommend lightly toasting a slice and drizzling it with a bit of maple syrup. That along with a nice strong cup of tea- heaven. You can absolutely make this recipe even healthier- when I'm making this just for Andrew and I (and know we'll end up eating at least half of it the day it's made -ok, honestly if Andrew's involved it probably won't last a day), I usually cut the oil in half and replace it with either an extra banana, or a few TBS of apple sauce. I'm also not terribly fond of overly sweet banana bread, the ripe bananas add quite a bit of sweetness on their own, so I'll also often cut the sugar to 1/4 cup when making it for myself. However, when I'm planning to share, I make the recipe as is. It's still a much healthier alternative to the banana breads that rely heavily on at least a cup of sugar and a cup of oil.

You can make this in a loaf pan, as muffins, mini muffins, mini-bundts- basically whatever shape you want. It still tastes awesome. I hope you like it :)

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

• 1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, canola oil, or melted earth balance
• ½ cup brown sugar or maple syrup
• 2 TBS ground flax seeds + 4 TBS water (Chia seeds or Ener-G Egg Replacer to equal 2 eggs may also be used - if you use the chia seeds though, you'll want to sort of grind them up a bit first)
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼- ½  cup  hot water (adding more if dough seems too thick)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts nuts (my personal favorite), or chocolate chip (optional) 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk with a fork to combine, and set aside.

In a slightly larger bowl, mash the bananas until they're gooey and mashed to your hearts content using a potato masher or fork. Add the oil, brown sugar/maple syrup, ground flax seeds and water and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet alternately with the hot water (though sometimes I just dump it all in- nothing explodes). Mix until smooth. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips (or both!) if desired. Pour into a lightly oiled loaf pan, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool, slice and serve!

For mini-bundts, bake for approximately 20 minutes.

For muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes.

For mini-muffins, bake for 15 minutes or so.