Last night I made my chili recipe with a bit of a twist. I added some different veggies, mainly carrots and potatoes. It was very well recieved! Here is the recipe:

T's Very Veggie Slow Cooker Chili

1 can light red kidney beans, drained (15 oz)
1 can pinto beans, drained (15 oz)
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 medium red potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small or 1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz)
3/4 to 1 cup water
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Chili seasoning
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp dried, minced onion
1 Tbsp dried, minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoons salt (or more, up to 2 teaspoons, but I salt my veggies before frying instead)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tsp paprika (or a little more, I am not huge on paprika)
1 tsp ground corriander
1 veg boullion crushed

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a medium sized pan. Add green pepper and onion and saute until onion is translucent. Transfer onion and pepper to slow cooker. Add beans, carrots, onions, potatoes and tomatoes.

In a separate bowl mix Chili seasoning mix. Add to the slow cooker and mix well with the veggies and beans. Add the water last, add as much as you need reach desired consistancy. . Cook on medium for a few hours or until veggies are soft. I usually cook it 3 hours. But, that is my slow cooker. You know your slow cooker best.

Well, no recipes tonight. But, I made this little illustration for you. Coming soon though, will be my Spinach Artichoke dip. It works so well with so many things in stuffed shells, lasagna, or ravioli. I just have to transcribe the recipe from my memory.

This is Liam.

Sine, I don't have any new food pictures. I thought I would post a few of my veggie kids making vegan cookies.

Tonight we are having falafel, fattoush, vegetable pot pie(made with puff pastry), and spinach artichoke dip w pita chips. I will give you my fattoush recipe and maybe later I will post my spinach artichoke dip recipe. Pictures should be on their way later tonight or tomorrow.

Fattoush (Lebanese Bread Salad)

bread:
2 stale pitas
2 tsps olive oil

split pitas in half and brush with olive oil. Broil these 6 inches from the heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Take care not to burn, set aside to cool.

dressing:
2-4 Tbsps olive oil
juice of one lemon
2 tsps of sumac berries(crushed)
salt and pepper to taste

salad:
4 cups romaine lettuce torn
2 small tomatoes chopped
1 small red or mild onion (diced)
1 small cucumber(peeled, seeded, and chopped)
2 stalks of celery(chopped)
1 red pepper(chopped)
2 Tbsp of mint
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Mix together salad ingredients. In a separate bowl mix dressing ingredients (mix well with a whisk). Add dressing ingredients into the salad ingredients and toss well to coat the salad ingredients. Put in the refrigerator until time to serve. Just before serving break up pitas into smaller pieces and mix into the salad.

Here is a group picture.

Here is a photo of the chocolate chip. We also made orange walnut shortbread, gingersnaps, and decorated sugar cookies. I will make double chocolate sometime, probably tomorrow. But, this is the only pic I have so far. I can post more tomorrow after I charge the camera batteries. But, as for recipes, I will give you two tonight.

Double Chocolate Chip
(just wanted to note that these cookies are not pictured yet. But, they are delicious. Definitely a favorite here.)
3/4 Earth Balance (or equivalent)
1 cup vegan sugar (I have used turbinado, florida crystals, and beet sugar sucessfully)
1 egg replacer
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour (if the dough is too sticky after adding the flour mixture initially, I add just a bit more flour)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt (depends on your own taste)
1 cup of vegan chocolate chips
Oven temp: 350 Baking time: 8-9 minutes
Preheat the oven. Mix the Earth Balance and sugar until creamy. Add the egg replacer egg(mixed to package instructions) and the vanilla, mix well. In a separate bowl prepare the flour mixture by mixing the flour, cocoa, baking soda and poweder, and salt together. Add the dry to the wet and mix well. Form into balls, place on the cookie sheet. Smoosh them down just a little. Bake until the tops look set (8-9 minutes).

I am not sure where I got that recipe. But, I got it somewhere. I did change it just a bit here and there.

Vegan Gingersnaps- I just veganized a non-vegan recipe for these. These are sooooo good.

1 cup brown sugar ( I have used beet sugar to which I added a bit of molasses) or you can get your hands on some vegan brown sugar.
3/4 cup of oil ( I used corn and canola sucessfully)
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg replacer
2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/3 cup white sugar for rolling

Oven temp: 350 Bake time: 10-12 minutes
Preheat oven. Mix together brown sugar, oil, and molasses. Add in the egg replacer egg (made according to package directions). In a separate bowl prepare the flour mixture by combining the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and combine well. Take teaspoon size bits of dough and roll them into balls and then roll into sugar before placing on the cookie sheet. Leave room between cookies as these do spread.

I will give you pictures tomorrow, I promise. heh

It's cookie day tomorrow. I will have pictures and everything :) On the agenda so far are: Double Chocolate, which will be accompanied by a recipe as I have made them a billion times and I know how I like that one. We will probably do chocolate chip, as well. I don't know what else. So, yeah right now my agenda consists of 2 cookies. It surely will grow as I need to bake a crapload by this weekend. Yes, a crapload.

Here is the soup. The more I think about it, the less I think it is broccoli cheese like. I mean, I haven't ever eaten broccoli cheese, so I can't say for sure. I am thinking mostly of consistancy. It is a thick creamy soup. I am still workin on the particulars for the recipe, though. So maybe one more go at it and I will post the full recipe. It was delicious though, there was not a drop left. We served it with a mixed fruit bowl, and some garlic bread. Basically this is broccoli, onions, celery, veg broth, soy milk, and nutritional yeast. I have another variation in the works of a beer soup.