texas-style red chili

   

Overview

Time: 45 minutes or 3 to 6 hours slow cooker
Dishes: large pot 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Excellent chili, folks! This Texas-style Red Chili is as meaty as a chili can get and still be meatless. And, yes, it has beans. I was going to skip the beans, but my husband, who worked for a chili cook-off  in Texas for many moons, begged me not to. He said, it's all at the cook's discretion, regardless of the bean-naysayers. 

Therefore, you heard it from a chili expert - beans or no beans is up to the cook; add it or not. If you skip the beans, increase the meatless meat by 3 cups or so. 

I used 1 block of Impossible Meat and 1/2 bag of Taco Crumbles by Butler Soy Curls in this recipe, but any ground meatless meat will be just fine. I rehydrated 1/2 package of the crumbles with about 1 cup of water. I browned them together and then added the rest of the ingredients. It cooked in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours. Nothing could be simpler, really.

And it was fantastic! We topped ours with Fritos, cheddar shreds, Follow Your Heart sour cream and jalapenos. This chili is only as spicy as your chili powder, so you can up the heat any way you like: cayenne, spicier chili powder or hot sauce. However you make it, just make a batch. 

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Rehydrate or thaw any grounds you'll be using.
• While browning the grounds, gather the rest of your ingredients.
• Dump and cook. Simple. Slow cooker is great here. 

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Texas-style Red Chili

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 6 servings 

weekday

May be cooked in a slow cooker.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 - 2 pounds vegan grounds (like rehydrated TVP, Soy Curls, Beyond Meat or Gardein) (5 - 7 cups, not packed)

1 tablespoon onion granules

1 tablespoon adobo seasoning

2 cups water

2 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon vegan broth mix (like Better Than Bouillon)

Toppings:

Frito or tortilla chips

Vegan shredded cheddar cheese

Minced onion

Minced cilantro

Nondairy sour cream

Thinly sliced jalapeno

1. Grounds: Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the grounds, onion and adobo seasoning. Stir well and cook to brown lightly, about 5 minutes.   

2. Liquid: Add the water, tomatoes, worcestershire, chili, paprika, cumin, sugar and broth mix. Stir well. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 40 minutes, covered. Stir as needed. Or cook in a slow cooker for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. 

3. Serve: Serve the chili with your choice of toppings: fritos, cheese, onion, cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno, etc. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

knoephla dumpling soup

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large pot, large bowl 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I bring you a German soup, which is byway of Minnesota and the Dakotas, where there are large settlements of German emigrants from the Russian Empire (source: Wikipedia). Although I gathered this tid-bit from Wiki, most of the recipes I researched also alluded to Germany, Russia and the middle United States. 

This is traditionally a chicken and dumpling soup, finished with cream or milk at the end. Of course, it takes nothing to substitute chickpeas and nondairy milk to make this soup. The dumpling recipe uses aquafaba (the liquid from your can of chickpeas) and does a beautiful job of keeping the dumplings together and billowy-soft. 

I rolled my dough too thick and wound up with huge dumplings. Make sure to roll them at most 1/2-inch or even better, 1/4-inch, to get smaller and daintier dumplings. Don't get me wrong - this was really delicious, even with my gargantuan dumplings. 

This soup is almost as thick as a stew, with all the vegetables and dumplings, and is very lightly creamy. It isn't as thick as a cream of broccoli soup (for instance), but instead has a hint with the milk. The dumplings and potatoes also help to thicken the soup a bit. It is rich and certainly classifies as a comfort soup. If it is chilly where you are right now, this is a perfect soup to make today. 

Although you can definitely have this soup on the table in 45 minutes, the ingredients list is a bit lengthy, so I've classified it for the Weekend. I leave it up to you to decide. 

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Remember to save the liquid from the chickpeas (the aquafaba)
• Peel and chop the potatoes while the soup comes to a boil.
• Prepare the dumpling while the soup cooks.
• Cut the dumplings at least into 1/2-inch disks, but if you have the patience to roll it into 1/2-inch rope, cut into 1/4-inch disks.

 

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Knoephla Soup

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 to 6 servings 

weekend

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, reserve the aquafaba (liquid)

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Easy Savory Broth Mix or 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon

1/2 teaspoon thyme  

8 cups water

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

7 tablespoons soy milk

3 tablespoons reserved aquafaba 

2 cups soy milk

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1. Base: Add the oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas, carrot, celery, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir as needed. 

2. Seasoning: Add the garlic, bay leaves, broth mix and thyme to the Base. Stir and cook for 1 minute.   

3. Broth: Add the water, potatoes and chickpeas. Increase heat to high, bring to boil, reduce to strong simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  

4. Knoephla: Combine the flour, baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. Add the milk and aquafaba. Knead in the bowl until the dough is smooth. Add 1/2 - 1 tablespoon more flour only if needed. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rope. Cut off 1/2-inch pieces and add to the simmering Broth. Cover and continue to simmer the soup for 10 more minutes.   

6. Finish: Add the milk and parsley to the Broth. Taste for seasoning. Discard bay leaf. Serve. 

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

mexican breakfast burrito with salsa fresca

 

Overview

Time: 35 minutes
Dishes: air-fryer or oven, medium skillet, medium bowl 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I wonder if every family has members who have as strong food opinions as mine does. Until now I did not realize how divided we are when comes to sweet potatoes. One camp thinks it is way too sweet for savory dishes and the other camp believes that it is perfect, especially when paired with its food affinity, such as black beans.

This intense emotion runs so deep that my son went to the trouble of removing the sweet potatoes from his prepared burrito! After I patiently and painstakingly explained to him that the flavor profile is very much a "thing", and pointed out that he omitted the Salsa Fresca, which would have balanced the sweetness of the potatoes with its acid and heat, he gave it a second try. 

The burrito is stuffed with Breakfast Tofu, black beans, cheese, sour cream, avocado and Salsa Fresca.

So, dear readers, if you are in my son's camp, thinking that sweet potatoes are too sweet in savory dishes, by all means - use regular potatoes! Regardless of the potato you choose, however, please don't skip the Salsa Fresca. It truly does add the final touch that pulls all the flavors of this breakfast burrito together into …sweet... harmony.  

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Preheat the oven and gather your ingredients.
• Start the potatoes first. 
• If you need to make the Breakfast Tofu, prepare it after the potatoes are cooking.
• Make the salsa before warming the beans and tofu.

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Mexican Breakfast Burrito with Salsa Fresca

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

2 medium sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 small onion, finely minced

1/2 small jalapeno, finely minced

1 tablespoon lime juice 

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained  

2 cups mashed Breakfast Tofu (1 recipe) 

1/2 cup shredded or 4 slices nondairy yellow or orange cheese

4 fajita-size flour tortillas

1/2 cup vegan sour cream

1/2 cup salsa

1 avocado, sliced 

1. Potatoes: Preheat air-fryer or oven to 400F. Peel and dice the potatoes. Spray with oil. Season with chili powder, cumin and salt.  Bake until tender. Air-fryer: 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket as needed. Oven: 30-40 minutes.

2. Salsa Fresca: Combine the tomato, garlic, onion, jalapeno and lime juice in a medium bowl. Salt to taste.  

3. Beans and Tofu: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, tofu and cheese. Cook until heated through, about 4 minutes.     

4. Burrito: Warm the tortillas in the microwave (between two plates for 1 minute), oven or over the stove. Divide the baked sweet Potatoes and the Beans and Tofu among the burritos.  Add sour cream, Salsa Fresca and avocado. Season generously with salt. Roll up and serve. 

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

one pot chili mac - dump dinner

  

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large pot or large skillet

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

As promised, another meatless, vegetarian and vegan dump dinner. It makes complete sense to make this dish as a dump dinner, as long as you keep an eye on the pasta to not over cook. Mine did, but I'm not sure I mind in a 30 minute meal. If this is important to you, just check on it periodically. The pasta should be al dente when the spinach and cheese are added (if using).

This was ready fast. I tend to like casserole dishes with lots of vegan cheese, so I was a happy diner. If you don't like vegan cheese, skip it! 

I love how fast this came together. I didn't have to make a separate batch of chili to have this ready and it was delicious. You can tweak it with more spices or heat, but the base is easy and simple. 

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Add the frozen grounds to the pan before you chop the onion. Use a lid.
• Add the pasta and stir well before adding the broth. This will keep the pasta separate to cook properly. 
• I used water with a few teaspoons of broth mix or vegetable bullion. 
• Test the pasta after 7 minutes to avoid overcooking. It should be al dente before the spinach and cheese gets added, if using.

 

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

One Pot Chili Mac

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups (about 1 bag) frozen grounds

12 ounces elbow pasta 

4 cups vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach (optional)

1 cup vegan shredded yellow or orange cheese (optional)

1. Protein: Add the oil to a large pot or skillet, over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and grounds. Cover and cook until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir as needed. 

2. Pasta: Add the pasta to the Protein and stir well to coat the pasta evenly. 

3. Beans and Broth: Add the broth, beans, tomato, chili powder, cumin, and salt to the Pasta. Stir well. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Spinach and Cheese (optional): Stir in the spinach. Mix well to wilt. Add the vegan cheese, cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Serve. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

tex-mex tortilla bake - dump dinner

 

Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: 9x13 baking pan, jumbo bowl, strainer 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I bring you another easy meatless, vegetarian and vegan dump dinner to prepare (about 5 minutes prep time). This is a Tex-Mex variation that includes corn, tortillas, beans and tomatoes. The flavors are helped out by my Easy Savory Broth Mix, but Better Than Bouillon or your favorite broth mix will do. 

This dish has black and pinto beans and diced tomatoes. If you can find the tomatoes with added chilies, so much the better. If not, don't stress; it'll still taste great.

I added about 1 1/2 cups nondairy cheese, but using the nondairy milk adds some creaminess on its own, so you can use as much or as little as you like.

I started mixing this in a medium/large bowl, but had to transfer it to a jumbo bowl, so keep that in mind. I tend to underestimate the size of bowls I need to mix in, thinking I will cut down on the dishes. Instead, I wind up having to wash two bowls, instead of one - or wind  up making a huge mess. Don't be me.

This was very fast to prepare and got some great reviews at home. I added vegan sour cream, jalapenos and cilantro for garnish, but, as always, customize to your taste.

NEW TO PLANT-BASED EATING? Get my free zines and check out the wrap-up of Fall 2020 recipes HERE. Great way to set yourself up for success!

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Preheat the oven.
• Use a jumbo sized bowl to mix ingredients.

 

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Tex-Mex Tortilla Bake

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

easy

Preheat oven to 425-F

1. Bake: Combine the tomato, beans, corn, milk, tortillas, cheese, chili powder, broth mix and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and add to a 9x13 baking dish (or equivalent). Cover and bake for 20 minutes. 

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (with chilis, if available)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup nondairy milk

12 corn tortillas, chopped

3/4 cups shredded yellow or orange nondairy cheese**

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons Easy Savory Broth Mix or Better than Bouillon

Salt to taste

2. Finish: Uncover, add the rest of the nondairy cheese and bake until cheese melts, about 5 to 10 minutes.  

1/2-1 cup shredded yellow or orange nondairy cheese**

3. Serve: Garnish the dish with nondairy sour cream, onion and cilantro, if using. 

1/2 cup vegan sour cream (optional)

1/4 cup diced red onion (optional)

1/4 cup minced cilantro (optional)

** Need a total of 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 cups shredded yellow or orange nondairy cheese

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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