Palak Dal

Palak Dal is basically Indian beans and greens.  I like this recipe because it gives just a bit more depth and texture to the beans and I love the flavor of ginger.  I substituted the asafetida with garam masala, which I had on hand already.  I serve this with coconut curry cabbage and naan.

1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed

6 cups water, plus more if necessary
1/2 pound spinach, washed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium green chile peppers, minced (I may have left these out)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chile powder
a pinch of asafetida, optional
more salt to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

In a large pot over medium-high heat combine the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then add the spinach, ginger, turmeric, 3/4 of the green chiles, and all of the tomatoes. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the lentils are extremely soft. You may need to add a bit more water during the cooking process to keep the lentils soupy. After an hour and a half, stir in the salt.

In a separate pan, heat the butter and cumin and fry until the cumin seeds start to pop. Now add the red chile powder (and asafetida if you're using it) and fry for another 30 seconds. Taste and add more asafetida if you like. Add this butter mixture to the lentils and allow to cook for another five minutes. Taste, and season with more salt if needed. I also enjoyed a touch of lemon juice added at this point. Serve topped with the cilantro and the remaining green chiles.

Pumpkin chocolate chip bars

Nabbed this recipe from a post in one hundred dollars a month (thanks, Tori, for sharing this blog with me) and made them for Halloween.  They were wonderfully simple!  I considered making them again for Thanksgiving, but instead went for pumpkin pies and apple stack cake (will post recipe soon, it's a good 'un).  If you use soy chocolate chips, it's vegan.  I used regular chocolate because that's what I had on hand, and though I'm pretty open to this vegan stuff, you can pry the chocolate out of my cold dead hands.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 cup canned (or pureed) pumpkin  (I pureed a small pumpkin, and then froze what I didn't use and made pumpkin pies for thanksgiving)

1 1/2 cup {soy} semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line  a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper {for easy removal}In a medium sized bowl sift together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.  In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin. Once mixed gradually stir in flour mixture until smooth.  Fold in the chocolate chips and bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.  Cool 1 hour. Slice into 2 inch bites and store in an airtight container.

Mexican Chowder

This has become a family favorite!  Ok, so Nicolina doesn't enjoy it so much...yet.  She's got a thing against beans.  But that doesn't stop us.  It's a great substitute for chili during these cold winter nights and definitely the recipe we've made the most as we have begun our journey into the world of plant-based eating.  I made the happy discovery of nutritional yeast with this one, too!  

Mexican Chowder
adapted from "Everyday Happy Herbivore" by Lindsay Nixon .  Serves 3.  This recipe is also very easy to double for a crowd.  It would also be very easy to substitute various types of peppers, beans etc and you can spice it up as much as you want!  

1 small sweet onion, finely diced
 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 c. nutritional yeast (found in the bulk section of your favorite alternative grocery)
1 c. non dairy milk (I use almond)  
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. yellow miso (found in the refridgerated section of y.f.a.g.)
1 can yellow corn
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes (not in the original recipe, but is a great addition)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnishes (any/all of the following):  cilantro, sliced green onion, diced avacado, jalapeno slices, lime wedges

Line a large pot with a thin layer of water and bring to a boil.  
Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion becomes translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add bell peppers and spoices and reduce heat to medium, continuing to cook. Meanwhile, whisk 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast with the nondairy milk and ketchup, then pour over bell peppers, stirring to combine everything.  
Add miso, corn, black beans and tomatoes and stir in.  Squeeze in lime juice.  For a stronger cheese flavor, whisk in 1 to 2 more tablespoons of the nutritional yeast.  Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes, then ladle into bows.  Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread and garnishes.  

Here is a link to the original recipe, from the Forks Over Knives website (a great resource)!