Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms and Balsamic

quick, easy, snappy, healthy, addicting, yummy, snazzy, tangy... green beans.

who knew a green bean could have so much going on?!

these do. promise.

Ingredients:

fresh green beans

balsamic vinegar

fresh sliced mushrooms

sea salt

pinch of pepper

extra virgin olive oil (or flaxseed oil)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Wash and trim green beans. In large bowl or on foil-lined baking sheet toss green beans with a few splashes of olive oil, a couple pinches sea salt, a dash of pepper, and about 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (these measurements can all be left up to your own preference).

Roast on foil-lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes. While beans are in oven toss mushrooms with about a teaspoon of balsamic and another splash of olive oil.

Toss mushrooms in with beans and roast for additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Soup season is in full force around here and it makes me oh so happy.

This is a new favorite of mine. I found it on Pinterest and it's originally from the gorgeous The Novice Chef blog. ( http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/)

It’s filling, it’s healthy, and it warms the insides on a chilly night.

Eat outside by a fire with friends and a glass of wine for additional happiness :)



(borrowed the Novice Chef's lovely picture)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large white onions, chopped
4 large jalapenos, minced
1 large shallot, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons white (or black) pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium black beans (4 cans drained & rinsed, 2 cans with liquid)
6 cups water, plus 3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken Base

*I also add about a half cup of orange juice (thanks for the suggestion, Mom!)

Directions: 

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot, over medium high heat, add olive oil, onions, jalapeno, shallot and garlic. Sauté until translucent.

Add spices and mix until well combined. Cook for 3 minutes more.

Add beans and broth (water + better than bouillon), bring to a simmer. Simmer until soup has thickened slightly, about 40-45 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or using the transfer 1 cup at a time to a blender method and back to the pot method), blend about half of the soup until smooth.

Serve with avocado, fresh orange slices, and cilantro or a dollop of sour cream and chives.  

Happy Fall, Y’all! 

Enjoy.



peanut butter fudge brownie trifle

hello again. remember me? i have been a total blog failure as of late. i'm not even going to make excuses (insanely busy summer, school year starting, not enough hours in the day, k enough said.)  i have lots of things to share with you....a delicious green bean recipe and lentil soup (yes, soup already) and others, BUT today is about this: a peanut butter fudge brownie trifle. it's from pinterest (originally from this blog: howsweeteats) you may have seen it. yes, it really is as good as it looks and i recommend you make a plan to have lots of friends over  before making it so you're forced to share this divine little treat with others.

this is sinfully rich (and not at allllll good for you) BUT it's so worth it. promise.

ingredients:

1 batch of your favorite brownies, boxed or from scratch, cooled and cut into cubes (i used ghirardelli dark chocolate with chocolate chips)

1 large box (5-ounce) of instant chocolate pudding, prepared and chilled (this will most likely call for 3 cups of milk)

1 bag of peanut butter cups, chopped (I used Recess mini cups)

2 cups heavy cream

3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar, depending on your desired level of sweetness (3 for me and it was plenty sweet!)

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

8 ounces of whipped cream cheese, at room temperature

what to do:

Using a hand mixer (or in the bown of an electric mixer), beat heavy cream and sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

 Transfer the whipped cream to an separate bowl and stick in the fridge until ready to use. I did not even clean the bowl of my electric mixer and just began mixing the peanut butter mixture.

Add the peanut butter and cream cheese to the bowl and beat at medium speed, scraping down the sides a few times until mixture is creamy.

 Add in powdered sugar and mix until combined, then mix in 2 tablespoons of milk.

Remove the whipped cream from the fridge and add 1 cup of it to the peanut butter, folding it in until the mixture turns lighter in color and is mostly combined.

Grab your trifle dish (I got one that I really like from Walmart for $6...score! :) ) and begin to layer your ingredients however you’d like.

 I did a layer of brownies, then peanut butter, then a handful of chopped peanut butter cups, chocolate pudding, whipped cream, and so on. I repeated it until I got to the top, then piped the remaining whipped cream on top and sprinkled the candy on.

You really can’t go wrong with layering – just use a long spoon to serve!

we had some friends over last weekend. we packed on our front porch. the girls drank wine and talked. the guys grilled. it was a lot of fun. then the trifle happened. the most social of the social butterflies were quieted by this dessert. "it's like heaven in my mouth.", "shhh don't talk to me right now, i just want to be alone with my trifle" -emily...i mean anonymous :)

make it, you're friends will love you for it!

enjoy.

garden lettuce wraps with shrimp

I've made these twice in the past 2 weeks. They are fun, a good thing to share with friends, really healthy, and so so good. It does require some chopping and a teensy bit of sauteeing, but other than that there's nothing to these! Change up the ingredients if you'd like, but I'll share what I put in mine.

What I used:

-Bibb lettuce (iceberg might work as well)

-shrimp

-red pepper, thinly sliced

-chives

-cilantro

-cucumber, thinly sliced

-carrots, thinly sliced

-portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced and sauteed

-lime wedges

-edamame (for appetizer)

-Soy Vay Island Teriyaki (from whole foods. it's like soy sauce, but much better...with ginger, sesame seeds, and other goodness)

How to prepare lettuce wraps:

Chop and organize all your vegetables into little bowls or dishes.

Saute portabello mushrooms (and red bell pepper if you'd like) in a couple teaspoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Add shrimp to bowl and pour some Soy Vay sauce on shrimp (about 3 Tbs). Sprinkle a small handfull of chives over shrimp. Sautee over medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring/flipping shrimp gently until shrimp are cooked through.

Assemble lettuce wraps any way you like. I like lettuce, shrimp, all the vegetables you want, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

mmm!

enjoy!

"Not-too-bad-for-you" Spinach Artichoke Dip

So I know I've been talking about light, summery things like watermelon and snow cones and salads. Spinach Artichoke Dip and watermelon? gross. don't do it. So this is probably not what you'll make all summer, but it is what you'd make if you were part of the "Winston Salem Contingent".  haha. My wonderful friend Laura's dad is an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins...who just happen to be playing in the Stanley Cup finals. :) So what have I been doing every other night for several weeks/months? Watching hockey with several other dedicated fans (and we now have a gang name..the WSC...winston salem contingent. we're pretty serious. and dorky. and half joking. anyways.) Spinach Artichoke dip goes well with hockey. not snow cones.

I looked for lots of different spinach artichoke dip recipes, all of which had mayonaise, sour cream, cream cheese, or a mixture of all of the above. I decided to make up my own recipe. It's much lighter, but still really flavorful. Totally delicious! Game 5 is tomorrow night, game 6 is Monday night, and if it goes to game 7, that'll be Wednesday night. Form a contingent. Make this dip.

Go Bruins!!!

What you'll need:
-a food processor (or a good chopping hand)
-about 4 cups spinach (frozen or fresh, well chopped if not going in a food processor)
-1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
-4 cloves garlic
-1 cup grated parmesan cheese
-juice of half a lemon
-sea salt
-pepper
-dash of red pepper flakes
-1 cup 0% fat greek yogurt (I used fage brand)

What you do:
Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients in food proccessor and pulse until well blended. Spread into baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Get your game face on.

i can hardly take myself seriously right now... :) omg. but seriously...GO BRUINS!

daydreaming about summer

I have 13 days of work left until SUMMER.

Yesssssssssssssssssssss!!!

Excited is an under statement.

We have lots of visitors coming this summer. We're going to a couple weddings in Texas!

 I'm nannying for 3 kids this summer which I'm really excited about (4 days a week. no lesson plans. no observations. time at the pool. getting to know some sweet teenagers.... all sounds perfect!)

 And Ryan will keep on keeping on in his second (almost) year of residency.

I've been daydreaming a lot about Summer lately.

swimming.

bathing suit coverups.
bright nail polish.
being barefoot.

 weddings.

frozen yogurt.

(craving a snow cone so badly, but they don't exist here. if you're in houston, please enjoy one for me. white coconut, light on the syrup. mmmm) 

grilling.

cold drinks.

margaritas.

family. 

friends.

no more sunday blues.

eeeeeeeeeee i can't wait.

There are countless things that I love about summer!!

One thing I'm REALLY excited about is lightened-up, summery fresh food.

 salads. grilled veggies. watermelon as a meal (mixed with feta and basil and grape tomatoes of course!) lots of herbs. fruit. veggies, veggies, and fruit. and margaritas. and the pool. wait a second...

cooking light has some great summer meal/side ideas. can't wait to try a lot of them!

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/scb-sides-0040000002%208195/page33.html

convo with 3 of my 5th graders today:

student # 1: so Mrs. Aubuchon, what do you like to do? i mean like what's fun to you? what do you do besides teach?

me: well i like a lot of things... (then i was cut off by student #2)

student #2: she likes to read! right, mrs. aubuchon? you love reading?

me: yes i love reading and i like some other things

all the students: YOU DO? LIKE WHAT?

me (laughing): well like cooking and exercising and being outside and with friends and at the pool and travelling and lots of things :)

them (totally shocked at the idea that i'm a regular human not just a reading teacher): ohhhhhhhhhhh

:)

I'd love to hear about what you're looking forward to doing and/or cooking this summer!!

Happy almost Summer!

my favorite way to eat corn...thanks, Mom!

What you'll need:

5 ears of corn (with all their clothes on..if you know what i mean. corn clothes=husks)

3 big cloves of garlic

about 2 T olive oil

about 1/2 tablespoon of butter

a little salt

a little pepper

a dash of cayenne pepper

What to do:

-Bring a big pot of water to a boil

-put all 5 ears of corn (husks and all) in the pot of boiling water

-boil for about 3 minutes

-remove from boiling water with tongs and place under cold water

-remove husks and cut corn off the cob

-heat olive oil and butter in skillet

-add garlic and corn

-saute for a couple minutes

-season with salt, pepper, and cayenne

it's crunchy and sweet and ohh so good.

enjoy!

White Wine Sangria

This is one of those recipes that you can change up a lot (like next time, I might use peaches and fresh basil...or watermelon and honeydew..), add or take away some fruit, or make it just like I did.

 I brought some to a friend’s for dinner and served it over good crushed ice (sonic ice to be exact!) with a splash of sparkling water. It was a great night…good friends, perfect Spring weather, sangria, grilled chicken and vegetables, Joy the Baker’s cookies that I can’t stop thinking about à  http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/04/brown-butter-toasted-coconut-chocolate-chip-cookies/

What you need:

-regular sized bottle (750ml) of dry white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio)

-1/2 cup orange liqueur (triple sec or cointreau)

-1.5 cups lemonade

-3 kiwis, cut into thin slices *

-1 large granny smith apple with skin, cored and thinly sliced *

-1.5 cups green seedless grapes, halved *

-1 lemon

-1 lime

-handful of strawberries, thinly sliced*

-handful of blueberries*

-splash of sparkling water or ginger ale, optional

*save some fruit for “garnish”…and by garnish I mean to toss a good amount of fruit on top of your sangria. The wine-infused fruit makes a nice little snack.

What you do:

Slice fruit and put it in a big pitcher. Add wine, triple sec (or cointreau), and lemonade. Let it soak and mingle and get good overnight. Serve over good crushed ice with a splash of sparkling water, and a generous handful of fruit, bring it to a party….or have a party as an excuse to make this.

Do you have a fun Spring/Summer drink you love making? Please share!

some glimpses of Spring...

lemon garlic hummus

I  bought tahini (Cooks Illustrated suggests Joyva or Krinos brands...the type of tahini can really make a difference!) a few weeks ago and I FINALLY tried making homemade hummus for the first time. It's so easy and so much less expensive than buying the store bought kind. Tahini (crushed sesame seeds) comes in a pretty big jar and you don't use much, so go ahead and "splurge" on tahini and you'll be able to make hummus for months!

Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans no-salt-added garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
paprika to serve, optional
drizzle of olive oil to serve, optional

What to do:
Place beans and garlic in food processor and pulse 5 times. Add 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients (except olive oil). While pulsing, slowly incorporate olive oil into mixture. Pulse until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Put into serving dish or bowl. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and sprinkle generously with paprika.

We enjoyed this for lunch on our porch with carrots, bell pepper, and cucumber....

What's your favorite type of hummus? Please share a great recipe if you have one!

kale is the new spinach

According to Mitch on Modern Family, "kale is the new spinach". That show cracks me up! It does seem like kale has taken its spot as the new "hip vegetable". Well, "hip" or not..it tastes great..and is super healthy. Kale chips. Kale salad. Steamed kale. Kale in soup. Yes, kale in soup. So I got a little over zealous with the whole turning off the heat thing and the making margs thing. I've had to scrape ice off my car a couple more times (hopefully we're finished with that!)...and our heat is back on. (my winter boots are staying in the closet though).  And I made soup again. I'm not complaning. I absolutely love soup.

This soup was so good. A new favorite of mine actually. We are substitutes in a CSA here...a local organic produce co-op... and I get giddy every time I hear that there's a sub spot open. I had lots of white potatoes, which I usually am not sure what to do with, kale, and more from the co-op so this soup was perfect.

Kale, Potato, and White Bean Soup

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, stems and rib removed and leaves chopped
6 cups water
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can petite diced tomatoes with herbs
about 5 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2.5 T Italian seasoning
2 T dried parsley
s & p to taste

What to do:
Get vegetables ready...washed, chopped, etc. Rinse and drain beans. Open canned tomatoes.
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Cook onion and garlic until soft, 3-5 minutes. Stir in kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in water, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, beans, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Simmer soup on medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Season with s & p to taste.

Enjoy!

p.s. I'm about to go get my sister from the airport!!
p.p.s. I think my cold is almost gone!
p.p.p.s. I get another box of goods from the co-op tomorrow. I'll post pictures. It really is so fun!

happy weekend everyone. :)

fresh breakfast

I ate a whole bag of popcorn yesterday.

There. I said it. (I may have done that a couple other times this week too...) I usually try to be careful about what I put in my body, but sometimes I crave pizza, popcorn, pasta, brownies, wine, etc...my bad.

Today I woke up and said, "Self, let's make some good food choices today..mm k?" Off to a good start with a good breakfast, a run, and a homemade smoothie for lunch...

This is one of those "not really a recipe recipes" so feel free to adapt to your liking! 
What I used:
one serving
3 scrambled egg whites (3 egg whites, a dash of milk, salt, and pepper...whisked and then scrambled)
about 1/2 cup chopped onion
2 mini sweet bell peppers, chopped
4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 grape tomatoes, halved (that was all i had left)
a huge handful of spinach...plus a little more

What do to:
Heat a little drizzle of olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Add onion and peppers and saute a few minutes. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach. Cook until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted. Combine scrambled egg whites and vegetable mixture. Serve with a dollop of salsa.

Enjoy!

p.s. I think we're having pizza tonight ;)

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Spinach, and Mushrooms

It's been a busy week! I started working another tiny part-time job (I call it tiny because I am working every other Monday and Tuesday...does that count as "another job"?).  I'm working for a family (helping drive kids to activities, helping with homework, helping with dinner, making the mom's life a little bit less stressful, etc.) So yeah, I do that now. I am enjoying it a lot and am also still getting used to it. "It" being..giving up my time some afternoons because I have gotten SO used to doing whatever I wanna do, whenever I wanna do it when I leave job #1!
This new schedule has also affected our dinner a little bit. Not quite as much time to spend in the kitchen. The other day I literally threw this pasta together. It was so quick...and yummy...if you like sun-dried tomatoes as much as I do.  Having a busy week? Not sure what to do for dinner? Like sun-dried tomatoes? Try this...

serves about 6 ...
Ingredients:
about 3/4 box of whole wheat penne pasta
2 huge handfulls fresh spinach
container of sun-dried tomatoes (from Whole Foods), cut in half or thirds
3-6 cloves garlic, minced
about a cup sliced mushrooms
red pepper flakes
olive oil
sea salt & pepper
shredded parmesan cheese
lemon to serve, if you'd like

what to do: cook pasta according to directions
while pasta is cooking, heat 1 Tbs olive oil in pan
cook garlic for about 20 seconds
add mushrooms to pan, cook about 2 minutes
add spinach, a little more olive oil, red pepper flakes
remove from heat and stir (until spinach cooks down)
toss spinach and mushroom mixture with drained pasta
add sun-dried tomatoes (and more olive oil if needed!)
add salt, pepper, and more red pepper flakes to taste
toss in some shredded parmesan cheese
serve with another dash of parmesan cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (taste your pasta first before adding lemon. you might not need any more flavor.)

Enjoy!

Dad's famous margaritas!!

Our heat is off. I ran in shorts and a t-shirt all week. I put my winter boots in the closet. We made margs! Thank you, little groundhog, looks like it really is going to be an early Spring. yahoo!!!!

Consider this your birthday and Christmas present for the next...well a long time (jk).  I'm about to share my Dad's margarita recipe.

bad lighting, picture doesn't do it justice, but here she is..in all her glory!

What you need:
spring or summer weather, good company, and good food
and...

1 can minute maid limeade (small) (don't throw limeadae can away, this is what you'll use to measure the other stuff)
1 can tequilla
1/2 can triple sec or cointreau
however much ice you want to make it the consistency you like
margarita salt
limes
a spoonful of grand marnier on top, if you're fancy like my Dad :)

What to do:
Blend it.
Well, first put in limeade, tequilla, triple sec, and ice. Blend.
Rub lime on rim, dip in marg salt, pour deliciousness in your glass, and top with a spoonful of grand marnier.

No margarita mix flavor, just limey tequilla-y goodness.

Enjoy!

whole wheat pizza dough

I don't know what happened. All of a sudden I totally and accidentally neglected my sweet little Shady Basil. I'm back (side note: you may notice that I like to blog like I have a massive group of readers... it's just more fun for me!! Don't worry, I know that just a couple friends and family check out my little site and I like that too. Maybe someday shady basil will be super cool like Fresh365 and Joy the Baker and Sprouted Kitchen, some of my blogging idols!) and I have lots of things to share. My new goal is to share at least 3 recipes a week.

First up.....homemade pizza dough!! Making my own pizza dough has been on my list of things I've really wanted to do in the kitchen for a while. I don't know why I waited so long. This stuff is soo easy..and delicious. A friend, who will remain nameless because he may have changed his mind by now,  even said, "oh my gosh, this dough is better than Mellow Mushroom!" That's a big deal. Trust me.

This recipe makes 6 individual pizza doughs. Last time I made it, I made double the dough. We had friends over and each made a little pizza. Then I put the remaining six doughs in individual ziplock bags and popped 'em in the freezer. It's been wonderful to have them on hand...just take them out of the freezer, leave in its bag, and set on the counter about 4-5 hours before you're going to make a pizza. Easy!

Now to the good stuff...

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (adapted from Fresh365)

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold
a few Tbs chopped herbs (optional) I used rosemary and thyme
whole wheat flour or cornmeal for dusting

Directions:

Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in large bowl. Using your hands stir in the oil and cold water until the flour is all absorbed. Add chopped herbs. By hand mix and knead all ingredients together (for a few minutes). Add a dash of water or flour to reach desired consistency. Dough should not stick to sides of bowl, but will stick a little bit to bottom of bowl. Dough should be springy, elastic, and a little sticky.

Transfer dough to a floured countertop. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and mold each into a ball. Rub each ball with olive oil and slip into plastic sandwich bags. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from refrigerator at least 1 hour before making pizza. Keep covered so they don't dry out.

Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you don't have a stone, use the back of a cookie sheet, but do not preheat it.

Dust countertop or small piece of parchment paper with cornmeal or flour and get ready to shape your pizza dough. Uncover dough and sprinkle with flour. Gently press a dough round into about a 12" disk. If dough is being fussy and keeps springing back, let it rest another 15-20 minutes.

Add your toppings and slide onto the baking stone. Bake until crust is crisp and nicely colored (about 12-16 minutes depending on your oven). Remove from oven and finish with more freshly grated parmesan!

Last night we made one vegetable pizza: olive oil and garlic base, lots of mushrooms, basil, bell pepper, and cheese and one hawaiian one: tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, ham, pineapple, and cheese.

Let me know how this goes for you...enjoy!!

ohhh my...it's been TOO long!!

veggie black bean burgers & lime "sour cream"

Lately I've been cooking a lot and sharing a little. not sure why..but I'll try to be better about sharing what's going on in my kitchen. I made these for our small group for the first time last week and they were a hit! I made another big batch of them just for Ryan and me and put the leftover patties in the freezer for sometime soon..tonight maybe?

Veggie Black Bean Burgers (12 servings...serve to a crowd or freeze what you don't eat):
3 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1.5 onion, cut into wedges
9 cloves garlic
4 eggs
3 T chili powder
4 t cumin
1 T Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
2 c panko bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash beans with a fork until thick and pasty. 
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Remove excess water from vegetables. Stir into mashed beans. Add a little cilantro and corn if you'd like!
4. In a small bown, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce.
5. Stir egg mixture into mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into 12 patties.
6. Bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Lime Sour Cream:  (I put sour cream in quotes in the title of this post because I used light sour cream the first time I made it and 0% fat Greek yogurt the second time...use which ever you prefer)

The amount of each ingredient could have "ish" at the end of every one of them! There is a lot of freedom in how you make this. More lime, okay! Less cilantro, okay! More red peppers...fewer jalapenos....more yogurt....you get the point. Play with it until it tastes just right to YOU :)

combine all ingredients and lightly stir:
1 cup nonfat greek yogurt or light sour cream
1.5 T fresh lime juice plus a little bit of grated lime zest
10 sliced jarred jalapenos, minced
sea salt to taste
small handful chopped cilantro
a few T finely chopped red pepper

Serve black bean burgers (topped with lime sauce of course!) over brown rice, on a bun, by itself, over mixed greens, accompanied with a salad (roasted beet salad recipe coming soon!), or sweet potato fries. Or anything else that sounds great to you!

enjoy every bite!

vegetarian chili

This recipe says that it makes 6 servings, but I think it made more like 12. We ate chili for lunch and dinner for several days. Next time, I'll half the recipe probably. It was very easy and good!! Enjoy :)

what you need:
1 (12 oz.) package frozen burger-style crumbles (I used Morning Star brand)
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 oz.) cans dark red kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can light red kidney beans
1 (29 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (12 fl. oz.) can tomato juice
2 onions, chopped
3 T chili powder
1.5 T ground cumin
1 T garlic powder
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

what to do: 
In a large pot, combine meat substitute, black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, onions, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cover. Let the chili simmer for at least 1 hour before serving.

Top with crumbled tortilla chips and a dash of cheese. Mmm!