Game Day Texas Chili

So, in my last post I told you about the chili I had made.  Well, we liked it so much that I made it again the next week.  It's super good.  The spice can be tailored to your liking.  Aaand...it makes a ridick amount of food.  Great for having people over or great for freezing half.  Onto the good stuff...

This chili involves two extra things: ancho chile paste and chipotle puree.  However, you can always just add ancho chile powder and chipotle chile powder.  Don't ask me about measurements because I have no idea.  I like using the paste and puree because it adds a greater depth of flavor.

chili dog, son!

Texas Chili

(Serves 8-10)

gluten free

Perfect for Frito pie or chili dogs, this chili is seriously versatile.  Make the chile paste and puree first to streamline the process (unless you plan to just use chile powders).  Adjust the heat by adding or subtracting jalapenos (or leaving the seeds in) and changing the amount of red pepper flakes or cayenne.  As is, this has a nice kick.

2 cups TVP

2 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp Chipotle Puree (recipe below)

⅓ cup Ancho Chile Paste (recipe below)

2 tsp cumin

1 ½ tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ disk Mexican hot chocolate, grated

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp salt, or to taste

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable broth

In a medium bowl, re-hydrate the TVP in the boiling water. Cover and set aside.

In a large stock pot, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and jalapenos until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Chipotle Puree, Ancho Chile Paste, cumin, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, Mexican chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir for about 2 minutes. Add in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and TVP. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, red onions, and maybe even some guacamole.

Sweet and Spicy Variation: Up the Mexican hot chocolate to ½ disk.

spinach artichoke dip from last year's super bowl.  recipe coming later...

Chipotle Puree

Gluten free depending on brand

Soy free

1 can chipotles in adobo, any size

Take any sized can chipotles in adobo and blend until smooth.  Easy!  Spoon it into ice trays in 1 Tbsp increments and freeze for longer storage.

Ancho Chile Paste

Soy free

Gluten free

I use this in place of chile powder.  It has waaay more flavor.  Note: do not eat this with a spoon!  It's more comparable to tomato paste, because it's something that is used to flavor and the chile component is pretty concentrated and mildly bitter.

2 oz dried ancho chiles, seeded and stems removed

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled

¼ tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp sugar

½ cup vegetable broth

Torch the dried chiles in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Watch them carefully so they do not burn. Empty the chiles into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes.

Drain the chiles and place them in a blender or food processor along with the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, sugar, and vegetable broth. Blend until completely smooth.

VeganMoFo V: Texas Sized Kolaches

Most people are completely unaware of how culturally rich Texas is.  They don't call it Six Flags Over Texas for nothing.  Texas was dominated by so many countries in its early history that, depending on where you live, the cuisine and culture is completely different.  Texas Hill Country has a lot of German and Czech influence.  One of the glorious things the immigrants brought with them is kolaches.  Traditional kolaches are sweet with fruity fillings.  However, Texans have really adapted them as their own, adding savory fillings out the wazoo.

Kolaches hold a special place in my heart because my mom always makes them for the holidays.  She would fill them with eggs, potatoes, sausage, and cheese.  They really remind me of being home.  Plus, my mom proved that she is the absolute greatest because when I became vegan, she'd make three batches of the stuff: one for the omnis, a vegetarian version, and a vegan batch for me.

Honestly, these can be filled with anything.  Some combos that I like: scramble/potato/sausage, cheese/tempeh bacon, sausage/jalapeno/cheese, and sausage/cabbage/apple.  This dough makes a lot.  I'm not kidding when I say this is a meal in a bun.  Feel free to half it...or even make 24 instead of 12.  I like to make a dozen for Era and I to take for breakfast in the mornings.

this has apple, cabbage, cranberries, and onions in it.

Texas Kolaches

(makes 12)

Feel free to fill with whatever you want.  This is just how I filled it today.

Dough

2 cups non dairy milk

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup vegetable shortening

¼ cup non dairy margarine

2 Tbsp active dry yeast

1 ½ tsp salt

5-6 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Filling

12 sausages (I used my chipolata recipe)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced in half moons

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 garlic cloves, minced

⅓ cup dried cranberries

salt and pepper to taste

Make the filling first.  Follow the directions for the sausages.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions, and cook until they just start to brown.  Add the apples and cabbage.  Cook until tender.  Add the garlic, salt, and pepper.  Stir in the cranberries, and remove from the heat.

Now, make the dough.  Heat the milk, sugar, shortening, and margarine in a medium saucepan until everything is melted.  Let cool until lukewarm.  Add the yeast, and pour into a large bowl.  Mix in the salt and 5 cups of flour.  Mix until combined, adding a little flour at a time until the dough is soft but easy to work with.  Knead for 5 minutes.  Place into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 2 cookie sheets.  Punch down the dough, and divide it into 12.  Roll each ball out until you get a 5 or 6 inch circle.  Put a portion of the apple mixture inside, place a sausage on top, and wrap it up.  Be sure to pinch the seams.  Turn it seam side down, and make three slices in the dough.  Repeat with the remaining batch.

Brush the tops with vegan egg whites (2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water, heated until smooth and viscous).  Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

This is one of my favorite food memories because it reminds me so much of childhood and togetherness.  Whenever I'm feeling homesick, I think of dishes like this that provide me a little piece of home.

Tomorrow, I had something planned, but I'm gonna have to do a Mandy Moore Sunday!  More details coming soon...

First Full Day in SA and The Monterrey

Era and I made great time during our drive to Texas.  We left California on Thursday night at 8 PM (two hours behind schedule).  The dogs were whining like crazy for the first couple of hours.  I drove us all the way to Deming, NM and we were only an hour behind schedule.

By the time we left for Texas on Friday morning, we were right on schedule.  Friday night I spent inside watching Psych with my sister.  Correction: I fell asleep about 15 minutes in because I was exhausted.

Saturday was our first full day in San Antonio, and it was packed with things to do.  We woke up and went to the Farmers Market at the Pearl Brewery.  So much fun!  After we bought some things, we walked around the extended Riverwalk.  It's awesome on that side (no tourists).  It was a crisp morning so we stuck around to eat some food from a local cart.

Era resting on a bench, a gorgeous view of the Riverwalk, the entrance to The Grotto, and fish suspended over the Riverwalk

After our trip to the market, we visited my in-laws.  It was great to see them!  I love them so very much.  Mrs. C. was making us food and tortillas before we even sat down.  We talked for a bit and saw Era's sister, niece, and nephew.

Then, we headed to The Monterrey.  Our friend, Albert, is head chef over there.  When everything was still in the planning stages he was telling me how varied the menu is and that there was a good mix of vegan food.  The Monterrey is basically San Antonio's answer to a gastropub.  It's a truly gorgeous setup.  There's a back patio with tons of tables and a real comfortable vibe.  Just ignore the online menu because it changes all the time.  There is guaranteed to be something substantial and vegan/veganizable on the menu, though.

This was our first trip, and Albert treated us right.  First, he sent out the Housemade Pickles and French Fries.  When ordering the pickles, be sure to mention you are vegan and do not want the kimchi.  The fries come with anchovy mayo.  Simply ask for ketchup, but you totally won't need it!  They are coated in this DELICIOUS seasoning.  Some of the best fries I've ever had.

pickled radish, daikon, carrots, and shiitake and maitake mushrooms

seasoned to perfection and perfectly crispy outside with a tender inside

Next, he sent out the Smoked Root Vegetables and Celery Jam.  Seriously.  This was insanely good.  I was scared because I am always finicky around smoked veggies.  However, this was amazing!  It was smoked striped beets, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and turnips.  So damn delicious!  I must make smoked striped beets sometime soon!  Gah.  The celery jam paired beautifully with this.  The pictures from this point on do not do the food justice. Trust me.  It was magic!

smoked root vegetables with celery jam

The final dish that he sent out, as we grabbed our bellies in full and happy delight, was Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Chili Sauce and Peanuts.  Whoa.  Best sprouts of all times!!!!  So tasty!  The peanuts were finely chopped and created this peanut sauce taste.  The Brussels sprouts were flash fried so they had a crispy outside and were the perfect vehicle for the sauce.  I wanted to live in this magical sprout land!  We started digging in before I realized we needed pics.

delightful!  splendid!  magical!  awesome!

We enjoyed our meal with a limited edition Dogfish Head Squall.  Tasty as hell!  This place is perfect.  Great atmosphere, fantastic food, and a wide range of beer and wine.  Plus, there's a wide range of pricing.  We're planning on heading back there with family and friends before we go back to California.

After the Monterrey, we went to Limelight because Era had a gig there.  My sister, brother-in-law, and brother showed up.  We danced the night away and got to burn off some food calories.  Haha.  It was a truly exciting and exhausting first full day home!

Canadian Cheeze Soup and Awards

I became a vegetarian around December of my sophomore year in high school.  I was 15 at the time and ate out a lot.  One of my favorite places was a local diner chain called Jim's.  This is the perfect place if you were a) too young to have any late night hangouts, b) drunk beyond belief and didn't want tacos, and c) the type to sit around drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes until the wee hours.

Jim's wasn't really known for it's food.  It was more an atmosphere thing.  In recent years, they completely revamped their menu and even opened up some coffee bars.  I haven't been since the days I was in a comedy troupe, but I kinda wanted to go back there.  Jim's is one of those nostalgic memories that makes me think of being young and stupid.  So I set out to recreate my favorite dish (besides the grilled cheese): Canadian cheese soup.

Canadian Cheeze Soup

First, I want to say that I have no frickin' idea if Canadians eat cheese soup or if this is a popular dish at all.  What I do know is that I loved it because it was creamy, cheesy, and filled with tender vegetables.  Unfortunately, I don't have a recipe today because I have to tweak one or two things.  But I can tell you that this took me back to San Antonio, TX and my young adulthood all the way.  Super thick and creamy.  Really delicious.  It's also low in fat, soy free, and can be easily made gluten free.  I plan to make it again soon because the temperature is finally, FINALLY dropping!  Yay!

 

salad and telera bread

Sticking with the Texas kick, I also made chicken fried seitan several weeks ago with white gravy.  I can't even remember the last time I've had that dish.  A local vegan restaurant had it on their menu for Father's Day.  However, they used this delicious mushroom-thyme gravy.  That's completely blasphemous to a Texan.  Haha.

chicken (or country) fried steak, white gravy, and mixed veg

I've been awarded a Versatile Blogger Award!  Yay!  So, with my shame face I gladly accept and thank Lacey for the award.  I also pledge to blog much more often (at least once a week). Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you 7 things about myself that you don't know and then I'll choose five seven people to give the versatile blogger award to!

1. I have scars on my face from a dog bite when I was 16.
2. I'm a board game fiend, but nobody likes to play me because I win most of the time!
3. With the exception of maybe two pairs, all of my shoes are Chuck Taylors or look-alikes.
4. I was born in England, but I've never left the country since moving here.
5. My first pet was a goldfish that I named Immortal.  It died three days later and I cried and cried and cried.
6. I think squirrels are the frackin devil!
7. My favorite author is Stephen King.

Versatile Bloggers (in no order)

Vegan Eats & Treats!- I love how Amey eats locally!  She also does extraordinary things like can food and packs her freezer full of homemade goodies.  And you should seriously check out the rainbow potluck she had recently!

Vegan Thyme- Kelly's food is always amazing.  I love how she veganizes things and can never make it through her blog without drooling.

The Vegan Mouse- I heart Kim so much.  She promised me one day we'd have a tea party and I'm seriously holding her up to it.  If you are looking for wonderful recipes and beautiful food, visit her blog!

Lazy Smurf- I love her blog because it reminds me of home.  I'm from San Anto, but I loved going to Austin whenever I could.  And this weird thing happened.  I left Texas right before the huge boom in vegan and vegetarian restaurants.  So now I have to live vicariously through blogs.

Seitan is My Motor- Mihl is a bread/dumpling/pastry genius!  I love to look at her blog.  She really inspires me to do fancy things that I would normally be afraid of.

Wing-It Vegan- River semi-recently returned to her original blog.  She is one of my favorite bloggers of all time because she is wickedly creative.  I first discovered her during VeganMoFo of 2008 where she did amazing Halloween themed things!

Cupcake Kitteh- I love Mandee's blog not only because she loves Scrubs as much as I do.  She also makes a mostly gluten free and soy free lifestyle look easy!

More to come soon...