Southwestern Tempeh Rice Salad

Once upon a time...2010 to be exact, I started creating recipes for what I had hoped would be my very first vegan cookbook of the southwestern variety. I had a group of amazing testers (to whom I owe a big apology and hopefully someday a free cookbook) and was moving right along on creating some spicy, fun and flavorful dishes (almost 100 recipes!). Unfortunately I got distracted, busy, unmotivated, WHO REALLY KNOWS. Bottom line is I am very sad I did not finish the book. Someday it could become a reality. I'm truly hoping it will. In the mean time, there are some noteworthy recipes that have been collecting virtual dust for years. I thought I would give you a little sneak peak. 

It's hotter than hades here again...HELLO SUMMER! So I often get very unmotivated during the week to go anywhere near heat sources. I'm always looking for make-ahead cold dishes for the week days. This one fits the bill. 

I love this recipe for good reason. It is freaking delicious. But more than that, the black beans and tempeh provide lots of protein. The combination of peppers has the spice hitting all over your tastebuds. The rice fills you upon with healthy dose of fiber. 

Warning: this recipe while pretty easy to make, does take some time. To save time you can cook the rice a couple of days ahead of time. You can buy pre-roasted peppers as well. You can buy ranch, but the home made version is really easy and really good! But I get time crunches, so again, feel free to sub away as you need.

Southwestern Tempeh Rice Salad

This makes a good amount so it is great for a potluck or large gathering.

Makes 8 servings

1 cups brown long grain rice (measured before cooking)
2 cups water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 fresh jalepeno roasted and peeled
1 fresh anaheim chili roasted and peeled
1 red bell pepper roasted and peeled

1-8 oz pkg tempeh
1 t canola oil
1/8 t coriander
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t hot chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C Vegan Ranch (I used homemade) or Chipotle Ranch (see recipe below)
1 chipotle in adobo sauce (optional, depending on how hot you like it)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 bunch cilantoro chopped
3 green onions sliced thin (both white and green parts)
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t hot chili powder
1/4 t ground coriander
3/4 t salt
black peper to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved

Prepare your rice (this can be done ahead of time). In a medium saucepan bring rice water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 35-40 minutes until water is absorbed. Turn off heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and let cool completely.

Now would be a good time to roast those peppers. When they cool, peel and dice them.

Blend the ranch and chipotles until smooth. (eliminate this step if you are using Chipotle Ranch)

To prepare your tempeh:

Dice tempeh into 1 inch cubes. Boil or steam tempeh for 15 minutes. Drain. After draining, in a 10 inch sauté pan, saute the tempeh and spices in oil for about 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool.

In the mean time get yourself a very large bowl. Crumble tempeh into bowl. Mix together remaining ingredients except for the cherry tomatoes until well mixed. Gently mix in cherry tomatoes. Salt and pepper further to taste if needed.

This is best if it sits overnight. It lends itself very well to variations. Like a little less heat? Sub more roasted red peppers. Don't like tomatoes? Forget about 'em. Like it with more fire? Add more jalapeños or chipotles. 

Please leave me a comment if you decide to make it. Love to get some feedback!

Chipotle Ranch

Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup  plus 2 tablespoons vegan mayonaise (I like Veganaise brand)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot will work)
2 chipotle chiles (canned in adobo sauce), leave seeds intact

Blend all ingredients in blender of food processor. Let chill for at least 4 hours before using. Can store refrigerated for up to  2 weeks.

Heat Advisory Fajita Bowl

Heat Advisory Fajita Bowl

4 servings as an entree, 6-8 as a side dish

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
2 cups tightly packed fresh spinach, stems removed, chopped after measuring
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced thinly
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved and sliced thinly*
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 recipe Creamy Chipotle-Lime Dressing (see recipe below)
1/3 cup pepitas
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
Avocado and chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

In a large bowl, stir together black beans and quinoa. Top with spinach but do not stir in.

In a 12 inch iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions, jalapeños and brown sugar and saute, stirring occasionally until onions become caramelized, about 10 minutes. Place hot onion mixture on top of spinach to wilt it slightly. While spinach is wilting, make dressing.

Add dressing and pepitas to the bowl and stir well to combine. Gently toss in cherry tomatoes. Serve over more spinach leaves if you like or just as it is in a bowl. You can serve immediately, but I recommend refrigerating for a few hours to let the flavors develop. I prefer this one room temperature. Garnish with avocado and cilantro if you like.

Creamy Chipotle-Lime Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegan mayo
2 chipotles in adobo sauce*
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch ground coriander

Place all ingredients in small food processor or magic bullet and blend until smooth.

* If you are a little heat sensitive, halve the amount and remove seeds.

Cinco de Mayo 2011

I have to admit, I used to love the drinking holidays in my younger years. However, I've either gotten a lot older or smarter or both. I no longer stay out until the wee hours of the morning, wonder how I got home or nurse a nasty hangover. For these things I am truly grateful. OK that confirms it...I AM OLD! Hee hee.

Cinco de Mayo was not a holiday we celebrated back in my youth. I really only learned to appreciate this fine celebration after I moved to AZ. Many people incorrectly think that this holiday is Mexican Independence Day (which is actually September 16th). It is actually a celebration of the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. 4000 Mexican soldiers took down an army of over 8000 French and renegade Mexican soldiers. It was a huge victory. Now that you know the true reason for the holiday, lets talk about food and drink.

Admittedly, I spent much of my day at work gorging myself on chips, salsa and guacamole. So by the time I was heading home, I had lost my entusiasmo for creating a festivo Mexican dinner. I was very torn to say the least. I hate passing up any day that allows me a theme for my kitchen toiling, so I had to find something to make.

I still had cornmeal pizza dough left over from Vine and Dine in the fridge. I set about digging through the disaster that is my fridge to see if I could scrounge up any reasonable ingredients for a tasty pizza. Somewhere in its depths I found a small amount of enchilada sauce. I have no idea which recipe I used it for originally or how long it had been in the fridge. But I gave it the sniff and taste test and decided it was safe. I found some mushrooms that needed to be used, stat. There was some Soyrizo I just happened to pick up the other day. A friend of mine had given me a load of fresh cilantro from his garden yesterday and I hit the garden to find a couple of lonely jalapenos to throw into the mix. The results of this impromptu fridge cleaning/Mexican themed creation were tasty!

Cinco de Mayo Pizza

Makes 8 slices

Cornmeal pizza dough (enough for one 14" pizza)
1/4 cup enchilada sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup soyrizo
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup vegan cheddar, mozzarella or combo ( I prefer Daiya)
2 fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced
few springs of cilantro, leaves only

Preheat Oven to 500.

In a 10 inch saute pan or iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and Soyrizo and saute until mushrooms are just starting to release their liquid and Soyrizo is just browning. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Add a touch more oil and saute the onions until they just start to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

Roll out pizza dough to 14" diameter. Place on corn meal dusted pizza pan. Using a large spoon, spread enchilada sauce onto dough. Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over the pie. Do the same with the mushrooms, Soyrizo and onions. Sprinkle the Daiya evenly over the other ingredients. Place jalapeno slices and cilantro leaves decoratively over the top of the cheese.

Place pizza pan on rack that is about 6" from top of he oven. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. Cheese should be bubbling and the crust should be golden. Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing. Wash down with a cold Mexican beer (example below).

Playoff Food

Well, my Bears lost. I am so bummed they didn't make it to the Super Bowl. I was hoping Papa Bear Halas could look down and smile today, but it was not to be.

I was supposed to meet some friends to watch the game and they bailed. So I pouted for a little while and then thought "Why am I sitting here in this bar by myself wondering what I can order to eat?" So I could have sat there and ordered mediocre food and paid way to much, or I could head home and kick back with the doggie and make something I REALLY wanted.

I am on my quest to lose weight and once a week I allow myself a splurge. Today was that day. I fired up my fryer and made some sinful yumminess. The base is crispy fried Cascadian brand crinkle cut fries. They were placed on a pizza pan and covered with Daiya cheddar cheeze and thrown under the broiler. While the Daiya was getting tantalizingly melty, I tossed thinly sliced jalapenos and red onions in seasoned flour to lightly coat and threw them in the fryer for about 2 minutes. The fries were pulled out of the oven as the cheeze was just perfectly melty. Then the crispy fried jalapenos and onions were sprinkled on top and voila! I think these just might be my new favorite football watchin' snack!

MOFO - Day 13 - Chicken Nachos a la Lombardi's

This is going to be short and sweet because I have a hot date with my handsome honey. If you know me or have followed my blog for a while, you might know that I got my first cooking gig when I was 15 at a place called Lombardi's 2nd Effort. Oddly enough it was an awesome Mexican joint that also made pizza. The owner was definitely Mexican, but he loved Vince Lombardi and his philosophy. They gave me my first opportunity to cook and I fell in love.

The other day I was on FB and my very great cooking bud from this very restaurant had asked me if I remembered how we made these. It stirred up wonderful gastric memories and I developed an unbelievable hankering for their famous chicken nachos.

In this version I used chicken seitan cutlets cut into 3/4 inch pieces. They were coated with my favorite taco seasoning and seared until they were dark brown. I used some thicker and very crunchy chips. This is very important, because otherwise the chips will not hold up the the toppings. The chips were topped first with a small dollop (maybe 1/2 teaspoon) of toffutti sour cream, then one chunk of the seasoned chicken. I then placed very thinly sliced Daiya Italian blend over each chip and garnished with a thin slice of jalapeno. Slap these babies under the broiler for about 3 minutes until the chips start to brown and the Daiya is bubbling. Serve with your favorite salsa and share a great memory with yours truly.

Mucho Gusto y gracias Dan Cervantes, wherever you are.

MOFO - Day 12 - Chicken and Waffles with Jalapeno Gravy

12 days in a row. I feel good! I'm having a lot of fun with you guys. I hope you are enjoying chile mania. I know I've been a little heavy on jalapenos, but we are getting a good crop out of the garden. You have to run with that when you are so lucky.

Tonight I decided to go all fatty and decadent. My friend, the lovely Julie, just happened to have a brand new fryer and waffle iron she was getting ready to put in a garage sale. Instead she gave them to me! Well, out of courtesy of course, I felt I should take them and appreciate them immediately. Gotta show my gratitude.

I've been seeing and hearing a lot about fried chicken and waffles lately. Now this is a combo I would not normally think of eating. For one, I am not a big fan of waffles. Secondly it is certainly not healthy or light. But I do have to say, it was a fun plate to create.

The waffles are the Corn Meal Waffles from Isa's Vegan Brunch. I made the savory option. The "chicken" was from a previous Food Network Friday challenge. The recipe is here. I served the chicken smothered with a Cajun Jalapeno Gravy. You gotta have some green with all of this beige, so I quickly sauteed up some smoky collard greens.

Cajun Jalapeno Gravy

Makes about 1 3/4 cup

3 tablespoons vegan butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 large jalapeno, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage
2 cups vegetable broth

In a small bowl combine smoked paprika through rubbed sage (dry spice mix) and set aside.

In medium sauce pan over med high heat, melt vegan butter. Whisk in flour. Stirring constantly to prevent burning make a medium roux by cooking until the mixture is light brown in color. The mixture is extremely hot so use caution. Add jalapeno, shallot and garlic. It will sizzle very loudly and may splatter a bit. Saute for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables soften up. Add dry spice mix. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Slowly pour in vegetable broth while whisking constantly until all the broth is in the pan. Stir with a spoon making sure to get all cooked on bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently until gravy thickens up, about 10 minutes. If you like it thicker, you can let it simmer longer. Salt to taste. Serve over chicken or mashed 'taters.

MOFO - Day 9 - Anaheim Chiles

I know yesterday's post was a bit of a yawner, but it was a lead up to this post which should prove to be more exciting. Today's featured chile is the very versatile Anaheim. This pepper looks very similar to the Hatch chile from my earlier post, but they are not exactly the same. The Anaheim is named after the Southern California city where they were originally grown. This is a good entry level chile for those who aren't quite trained for the heat yet. They are mild and sweet. They rate a mere 500-2500 on the Scoville Scale. Because of their size and relative mildness, they are very popular in Chile Rellenos Recipes.

This recipe was developed especially for my good friend and fellow foodie, Jackie. Jackie and I spend a lot of time on the hiking trail. We spend lots of time chatting it up about many subjects, but more often than not, the discussion turns to our favorie subject - food. Jackie was in search of a healthier version of chile relleno. I don't know why, but I was thinking about Kittee (of Cake Maker to the Stars) and how she is always coming up with delisious GF alternatives since she has had to cut it out. I thought it would be interesting to try a gluten free version as well.

This is a tasty version, but a word of warning for traditinalists, the rice flour gives a more powder like texture to the coating, so if you can eat gluten, feel free to substitute AP flour. This has several components and requires a bit of time if you do it all in one day. You can make the sauce and the mashed potatoes ahead of time to save yourself time on assembly day.

Porcini and Caramelized Jalapeno Chile Rellenos with Southwest Tomato Sauce

Makes 8 peppers

8 large Anaheim Chiles
Double recipes of Southwestern Fresh Tomato Sauce
1 recipe Porcini and Caramelized Jalapeno Whipped Potatoes at room temperature or slightly warmer
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy creamer*
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup rice flour (for GF) or all purpose flour
1 cup medium ground corn meal
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

* You can easily substitute soy milk here. I used creamer because I had it left over from the mashed potatoes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Roast the chile peppers. My preferred method is to use the gas grill, but this can certainly be done in a very hot oven or over a gas flame. Make sure the peppers are charred on all sides to a medium to dark brown. If you don't char them enough it will be difficult to peel them, if they are too charred, the skin will burn and dry out the peppers. Below is a good picture of how they should look when you're done charring, I might even go just a touch more. Put in bowl and cover with a towel or platic wrap for 20 minutes. This will loosen the skin and make them a breeze to peel. You will want to make a slit in the pepper and very gently and carefully remove the seeds leaving as much of the pepper intact as possible.

In a shallow, wide dish mix soy creamer and vinegar. Let curdle for about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch and mix well.

In a second shallow dish combine flour, cornmeal and the remaining dry ingredients and mix well to combine.

Set up your assembly station (see picture below) by laying out in order: whipped potatoes, roasted and peeled chiles, cornstarch slurry, breading and a 9 x 13 oiled glass baking dish.

Start by carefully stuffing chiles with about 2 -3 tablespoons of the whipped potatoes. The chiles will tear easily, so take your time on this part. The nice thing about using whipped potatoes as your filling and baking the rellenos is that they will hold together quite nicely. Now I'm going to throw yet another option at you here. If you decide you want to be a bit more sinful, use toothpicks to hold them together if you decide you want to fry 'em.

After all of the chiles are stuffed we want to get them all nice and coated. First you want to dip them in the cornstarch slurry making sure to comlpetely soak them on all sides.

After they go for a swim you'll want to gently roll them in the flour mixture. Repeat a second time.

Place the breaded chile in the prepared baking dish. Make sure there is space around each chile for even browning. When all 8 chiles are in the pan place them and spray with canola spray. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until heated through and golden brown.

While they are baking heat tomato sauce. To serve plate 2 chiles per serving. Smother with tomato sauce (or you can serve the sauce on the side). I recommend serving these with your favorite refried beans or whole bean side dish to add a little protein to the mix. A word of warning, these are pretty darn filling!

MOFO - Day 7 - Iron Chef - Mashed Potatoes

This week MrsBadMouth from the PPK picked the Iron Chef secret ingredient: Mashed Potatoes. Personally I don't think I've ever met a potato I didn't love. There is a special place in my heart for the mashed variety. In keeping with my chile theme for the month I wanted to come up with a very special mashed 'tater dish. Our garden is suddenly spewing jalapenos, so I decided I would once again use jalapenos as the chile component. I added porcini mushrooms to add a little fine-dine feel to an otherwise rustic homey dish. The results were delicious. Today's picture is a little boring, but as you will see in a couple of days, they got all dressed up for the featured dish on Tuesday.

Porcini, Caramelized Jalapeno Whipped Potatoes

Makes 4-6 servings

1/2 cup dried procini mushrooms
1 1/2 cups boiling water
5 medium red potatoes, skin on, 1 inch dice (approx 4 cups)
1/2 medium yellow onion medium dice
2 medium sized jalapenos, halved, thinly sliced cross-wise seeded
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Earth Balance vegan butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened soy creamer (I recommend Wildwood Brand)

Rehydrate porcinis in boiling water. Drain reserving all liquid. Chop mushrooms into small dice.

In medium saucepan add potatoes, reserved mushroom liquid and enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are very soft.

While potatoes are simmering, caramelize the onions and jalapenos. In a 10 inch iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium heat add olive oil, onions, jalapenos and brown sugar. Saute for 20 minutes until mixture is golden brown. Set aside.

When potatoes are soft, drain water and return to pan. Add black pepper, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, vegan butter and soy creamer. With a hand mixer on low speed, mix until most lumps are gone*. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula gently mix in caramelized jalapeno mixture and mushrooms. Serve immediately. These can also refrigerated and served later by gently re-heating in a saucepan.

These are excellent on their own, but I could really see dousing them with a cajun gravy. I have another serving suggestion, but you are going to have to come back on Tuesday to check out another tasty chile creation!!

Coarsely chop onions and thinly slice jalapenos.

Here is how they look all caramelized

MOFO - Day 2 - The Day of the Jalapeno

Jalapenos

Today we'll be featuring the ever-so-popular jalapeno. These babies show up on dishes all over the country and all over the world. The fun thing about jalapenos is you never really know how hot they are going to be. I have a theory (that is not proven by the way) that the more pointed they are the hotter they will be. While I find this to be the case most of the time, I have been proven wrong on occassion. I have gotten a mighty hot surprise by using this theory on some not-so-pointy-hotter-than-hell peppers. Ouch! But it hurts so good.

Most jalapenos are grown in North America, with most being grown in Texas and New Mexico. It is estimated that 5500 acres in the United States are dedicated to growing jalapenos. This pepper is named after the town Xalapa, Veracruz where the pepper was traditionally grown in Mexico. In Mexico it is also called Huachinago or chile gordo. The jalapeno is a medium sized chile pepper measuring about 2 - 3 1/2 inches long. It is most commonly green in color, but when ripened will be red. They measure 2500-8000 on the Scoville heat scale, so these are considered medium heat. Now remember even though they are considered medium heat, they pack quite a punch if you touch your eyes after handling them. So make sure you are careful when you handle them, lest you burn your delicate parts.

So I worked 12 hours today and had an appointment after work. I really am trying to make my own recipes as much as possible for MOFO. Tonight it had to be quick and simple.

Jalapeno Chickn Salad

1 cup Butler Soy Curls
boiling water
1/2 cup jicama, diced very small
1/3 cup green onions white and green parts finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced small
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped (will be about 1 tablespoon when chopped)
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Bill's Chicknish Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Vegannaise

Place soy curls in a bowl and cover with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Let soak for about 5 minutes to rehydrate. Drain and let cool. Once cool dice into small pieces. In medium sized bowl add all ingredients and mix until evenly distributed. Add more salt and pepper to taste if you'd like.

Now we started eating this before I had a chance to measure how much it made. I can tell you we served these in the Fillo Factory Brand Mini Fillo Shells. I love these shells, they are so cute, convenient, organic and VEGAN! It filled 15 of the shells. They are a cute tasty little appetizers. Fred loved them, so I will make them again soon and measure the volume for you. Our jalapenos were a bit wimpy tonight, so next time I might up the amount, but my heat tolerance has been pretty high lately.

Serving Suggestions

You might also like to serve these as a sandwich, a wrap with some avocado, or in a corn tortilla mini-shell. It's versatile, so have fun!

Look at this cute little guy!

MOFO - Day 1 - Welcome to the Month of the Chile

Welcome to MOFO 2010! My theme for the month is Chiles and Chilies. I will be posting some of my own original recipes. I also plan on featuring some of the dishes I have been testing for Tami Noyes, Carla Kelly and most recently Robin Robertson. I will be sprinkling my posts with a little education and trivia about different types of chiles. I may stray from my theme a bit to do restaurant reviews (if they have chili dishes you know I'll be on that). I also plan on bringing you a preview of Kelly Peloza's new book The Cookie Connoisseur. It is my goal to post every day. It is an ambitious goal and I will do my best to fulfill it. For those of you who signed up for the RSS feed, I know that you will be inundated with blog mania. I hope you will stop in often. It's going to be a hot month at the Vegan Conversion Challenge, grab a beer or a tub of sour cream to cool things down and enjoy the ride!

Today I'm going to start very simply. Salsa is a basic condiment, but the variations are anything but basic. Most everyone has their favorite recipes or favorite places to eat salsa. I love to make my own just the way I like it. When I was a young teeny bopper I was lucky enough to work in a family friend's Mexican restaurant that went out of business years ago. They had a salsa that was really unique tasting,  chunky and addicting. It is the inspiration for my style of salsa. I love big chunks of tomato,  lots of cilantro and a nice kick from jalapenos and chiletepins. Now like many people I know, my salsa is never really made exactly the same way. Here is a general guideline for a tasty salsa that you can use anywhere you want to use a great tomato style salsa. Feel free to change it up to your liking.

Chipotle Tomato Salsa

Makes 4 cups

2 fresh jalapenos
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup loosely packed cilantro
3 large green onions
1 - 15 oz can organic tomato sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from can of chipotles in adobo)
3 chiletepin (Scroll down for more information on chile tepin)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 - 28 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

In food processor add jalapenos, garlic, roughly chopped green onion (white and light green part only) and cilantro. Thinly slice the dark green part of the green onions and set aside. Pulse a few times to chop into smaller pieces. Add can of tomato sauce, adobo, tepins and black pepper and blend for about 30 seconds until vegetables are chopped small. Add diced tomatoes and pulse once or twice to combine, being careful not to pulverize the diced tomatoes. Keep those babies chunky! Pour into large bowl and stir in slice green onion. You can serve this right away, but the flavors really pop if you let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Chiletepin

The chilitepin, also known as the Birdseye pepper scores a whopping 50,000 - 100,00 on the scoville scale. Here in Arizona they are pretty easy to find in local grocery stores that carry southwestern spices and chiles. Other parts of the country it may be a little more tricky. You may have to order them online...or you could talk me into swapping with you or mailing you some!! In 1997 this powerful little pepper became the official state native pepper of Texas. Here is another interesting fact-oid: the Wild Chile Botanical Area in the Coronado National Forest near Tucson, Arizona has the largest number of chiletepin chile pepper north of Mexico. 

You must use caution when using the chilitepin. They are sold in dried form in a nice safe little pod. You experience the intense heat when you crush them. Make sure not to touch your eyes if you accidentally touch them after crushing them or you will be crying for sure. I love heat and these add a beautiful dimension of heat to your dishes. If you are not a fan of hot stuff, this might not be your kind of pepper. But for me and those who like hot stuff, these are awesome in salsas and bean dishes.    

It's Almost Soup Season!!!!

I love when the weather starts turning cooler here. It's still over 90 degrees here, but gone are the days over 110 degrees (at least until next summer). I have been dreaming of a fairly easy, healthy, hearty and flavorful soup for some time now, but just haven't been up for sweating while eating in the summer heat. Now's the time dear readers. Today I headed to the pantry to see what I could find. I hope you enjoy this tasty little number.

I love the flavor of Posole. The inspiration for this soup is Posole, but as you will see it took its own path as it was created. Like many people, sometimes my body doesn't react well to corn products. Instead of hominy there is barley to add more texture and heartiness. Sweet potatoes are added for some great anti-oxidants. The sweet caramelized onions play nicely off of the heat of the peppers. This makes a metric ton, so feel free to make half recipe. This will freeze well too. I tried to make a soup that people with many food sensitivities could enjoy. This one is gluten, soy and corn free.

Sweet Potato and Barley, Not so Posole Soup

Makes 12 cups

1 extra large yellow onion (approx. 2 cups) medium dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2-3 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded, finely diced*
1 anaheim pepper, stemmed and seeded finely diced*
6 cloves garlic, minced or micro-planed
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups strong vegetable broth
1 - 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup pearled barley
2 large garnet yams or orange sweet potatoes, peeled, 1/2 inch dice
2 cups small red beans, cooked rinsed and drained (like small red kidneys or Nicaraguan red beans)**
3 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes worth)
1 cup loosely packed cilantro (measured before chopping) chopped


In large pot over medium heat olive oil. Add onions and sprinkle with brown sugar. Saute for about 15-20 minutes until onions are nicely caramelized. Add jalapenos, anaheim pepper, garlic and dried spices. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and tomatoes in juice. Bring to a boil and add barley. Bring to a boil again and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes and add sweet potatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 more minutes until sweet potatoes and barley are done. Add red beans and simmer until heated through. Just before serving add lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Soup with thicken considerably as it sits. If it is too thick when you re-heat, add a bit more vegetable broth to thin out.

Optional garnishes

Additional lime wedges
Hot sauce
Tortilla strips
Diced avocado

*If you like it hotter, leave your seeds in.
** If using canned beans you can up this to 3 cups so you don't have partial can left over. If you do this add one more cup of vegetable broth.

Vegan MOFO Day 23 - Jackie's Stuffed "Andouille Stuffed Jalepenos

My friend Jackie is a self described chile fiend. She is also a fantastic cook, so I knew I needed to be on my game to veganize one of her favorites.

Most of the recipe looked pretty easy to veganize. I used Toffutti brand non-hydrogenated cream cheese for the regular cream cheese and daiya Italian blend for the Mozzarella in the original recipe.

The challenge for me was how to make an Andouille substitute that was not made from vital wheat gluten. I don't have anything against making seitan style sausages, mind you, as a matter of fact I love them. However, I let my day get away from me and didn't have time to make the sausages and give them proper sitting time. I decided to use marinated tempeh as the substitute. It went a little something like this:

Jackie's Stuffed "Andouille" Jalepenos

14 fresh jalepenos, halved and cleaned of seeds and pith
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon canola oil
8 oz Toffutti brand non-hydrogenated vegan cream cheese
1 - 8 oz package tempeh, diced in 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese

For the marinade:
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon gumbo file
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (important that it is smoked)
1 chili tepin, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Steam tempeh for 10 minutes. While tempeh is steaming mix all of the ingredients in a container just large enough for the tempeh to cover the bottom in one layer. Pour hot steamed tempeh in marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. The longer it is marinated the more flavorful it will be.

Preheat oven to 350.

Bake jalepeno halves for 10 minutes. Let cool.

In a large iron skillet or saute pan over medium heat, saute red peppers, red onion, and minced garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tempeh and all of the marinade, if there is any left (marinade may be soaked up by tempeh) and saute until liquid is gone, tempeh is just browned and mixture is a bit sticky, maybe 10 minutes. Remove from heat and put in medium sized bowl. Cool down to room temperature. Stir in cream cheese, liquid smoke and salt (to taste).

Stuff jalepeno halves with about 2 teaspoons mixture each. Sprinkle top with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and just starting to get golden.