Bulgur Wheat Chili

Anyone who knows me knows I love my chili.  With a diet that is primarily plant-based, chili is truly a treat.   My friend Iris supplied me with what is likely to be a year's supply of bulgur wheat and I am enjoying playing with it.  This recipe was adapted from a thorough reading of the tome of bulgar veggie chili recipes on the web.

From start to finish this chili takes an hour to be on your table and it's easy-peasy.

START YOUR WHEAT
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups boiling water

Measure the wheat into a heat-proof bowl.  Add the boiling water and mix through.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Drain excess water when the time elapses.  Perfection isn't necessary here.

CHILI BASE INGREDIENTS
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cups green bell pepper/red bell pepper/hot peppers to your taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-0z can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 14-oz can black beans, rinsed
1 14-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed
~ 20 oz water
1 1/2 T ground cumin
1 1/2 T ground chili powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 t dried oregano
1 t unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or the zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Rinse and drain the beans in a colander. About 15 minutes after you begin steeping your bulgar wheat, bring a heavy stock pot to temperature over medium heat.  Add your olive oil.  When hot, sautee the onion and bell pepper until translucent.  Add the garlic and sautee another 2-3 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and add the bulgur wheat when ready.  If the chili looks to thick, add a bit more water.  Increase your heat to medium-high and bring the chili to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Top with your favorite: cheddar, zesty yogurt sauce, cilantro, and onion.  Serve with a deep green vinaigrette salad, whole wheat soda bread, and a wonderful malbec. I would not recommending serving this chili over pasta as it already has a substantial amount of grain.

Enjoy!

Quinoa -- light and fluffy

I am a fan of grains, but prefer them light and fluffy to chewy.  Quinoa is no exception.  I did some research and found this foolproof way to make quinoa of any type.

"Boil 10 Steam 10"

First measure your quinoa.  I add a great deal of veggies to mine and I find that 1/2 cup dry is good for about 4 servings.  Regardless, this method of cooking quinoa is very forgiving as you aren't relying on boiling off the water to be done.

Place the quinoa in a sieve and place the sieve in a bowl.  Cover the grain with water and rinse it well; lift the sieve to drain.  Repeat 3-4 times until, when agitated, the water remains clear.

Put the quinoa in a saucepan and add 1.5 - 2 times the water as your dry quinoa measure.  I also like to add two minced cloves of garlic to flavor the quinoa.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain into the sieve.

Fill the pot with 1" of water and bring to a boil.  Lay the sieve across the top of the pot, making sure the quinoa is not in the water.  Fold a tea towel or dishtowel to fit on top of the quinoa (be careful to ensure you don't have fabric falling out of the pot to eliminate risk of fire.  Place the lid of the pot on top of the towel.   It's alright if you don't have a perfect fit.  Steam for 10 minutes.

Remove the sieve with the quinoa and fluff with a fork.  Allow to cool and fluff.

Use with whatever sauce or accompaniments you like.  For an easy dish, try this recipe for Spicy Quinoa Salad.  

Spicy Quinoa Salad

Spicy Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is by itself a tasty complete protein and should be a staple in anyone's whole-body healthy pantry.  This recipe features quinoa and is a tasty way to get your protein your veggies and have a tasty party in your mouth.  I've adapted the recipe for 2-3 servings.

EQUIPMENT
chef's knife
cutting board
fine-mesh sieve, 4-5 inches in diameter
mixing bowl
silicone spatula
saucepan that the sieve fits over
tea towel or other smooth, clean kitchen towel
timer

QUINOA
1/2 c quinoa (I've used Inca Red, but any color is fine)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (about 1Tbsp)

DRESSING
zest and juice from 1 lime
1 Tbsp cider or red wine vinegar
pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 tsp)
1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey (optional)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne ground cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

VEGGIES
1 c black beans, well-rinsed
1 c chopped tomato
1 c chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped cilantro

RECIPE

First rinse the quinoa well.  Put it in a fine-mesh sieve and put the sieve in a bowl of water.  Add water to about an inch above the quinoa and shake the quinoa around.  The water will become cloudy as it removes a naturally occurring film from the surface of the quinoa. Lift the sieve to drain and repeat until the water is clear.  Bring a saucepan with enough water to cover the quinoa by an inch or two to a boil. While waiting mince about 1 tablespoon of garlic. Once boiling, use a silicon spatula or scraper to put the quinoa into the pot and add the garlic.  Simmer the garlic and quinoa for 10 minutes and then strain it through your mesh sieve. You may need to use your silicon spatula to get all of the wonderful bits out of the pot.

red and white quinoa with minced garlic 

Leave the quinoa in the sieve and place a clean tea towel (folded to a size that just covers and doesn't overhang the sieve much if at at) over the top of the sieve.  Add an inch and a half or so of water back to your sauce pan and place over medium-high heat.  Once the water is boiling, place the sieve over the water, supported by the rim of the pot.  If the pot has a lid, place the lid on top of the sieve to help trap steam.  It's alright if it only fits loosely. Steam the quinoa over a full boil for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the quinoa from the heat and allow to cool.

This process for cooking the quinoa makes it light, fluffy and tasty.  I can prepare whatever ingredients I want to add while I'm cooking the quinoa.

While you are boiling your quinoa, make the dressing in a large mixing bowl.  Add together all of the ingredients aside from the olive oil and mix well. The mustard and honey serve as emulsifiers and help hold the dressing together.  Once combined well, add olive oil to taste.  Start with 1Tbsp, taste and add a little more if necessary. You want it a little acidic so that the flavor stands up to all of the ingredients.

Rinse and drain your black beans in a large colander. Shake them off and add to the dressing, allowing the dressing to give them great flavor.  Then chop and add the rest of your vegetables mixing everything carefully ensuring that the dressing covers every bit.

When your quinoa is cooler, add it to the veggies and stir completely.  Enjoy!

OTHER VARIATIONS

Lime-Chili Quinoa loaded with Veggies

Here I've made a lime-chili dressing (additional ingredients are the lime juice, 1-2 T sherry or cider vinegar if needed and 1 T extra virgin olive oil). If it's too dry when everything is mixed together, add splashes in equal amounts of your vinegar and olive oil until everything is just coated.  In this quinoa, I added artichoke hearts (quartered), tomatoes, black beans, edamame, peaches and cilantro. 

Dressing ingredients:

 

pinch of sea salt, 

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin, ground

1 tbsp dijon mustard

zest  and juice of of 1 lime 

1-2 tbsp cider vinegar

1-2 tbsp olive oil

Green Goddess Quinoa -- I've made a green goddess-type salad with white quinoa and a cilantro vinaigrette and the veggies were celery, scallion, garlic scapes, pea pods, zucchini and edamame beans. I've made it with grilled shrimp and asparagus making the dressing with fresh lemon zest and juice rather than lime (as well as a ton more garlic).  I've also added fruits such as peace and strawberry to my savory dishes.  Let your imagination be free!

Green Goddess Quinoa with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Spicy Lentil & Tortellini Soup

This is a fun and easy recipe and a great soup to make if you have wonderful homemade Puerto Rican sofrito. The freshness permeates the lentils and adds flavors usually not found in your standard lentil soup.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil

1t cumin seed

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 to 1 cup sofrito (and choose a Puerto Rican variety if one is available)

32 oz tomato juice

2 tbs tomato paste

3-4 cups of water

1 cup red lentils

1 lb cheese tortellini (I use whole wheat here as they stand up well to the flavors)

1/4 t cayenne pepper

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup chopped parsley

ground black pepper to taste. 

(optional) 1/2 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp cut into small bites

RECIPE

Bring a stock pot to temperature over medium high heat.  Add olive oil and then cumin seed.  Cumin should sizzle.  As soon as the sizzle dies down (about a minute), add the garlic and reduce heat to medium.  Stir continuously for another minute or two.  Add the sofrito, which will separate a little as it cooks.  That's alright.  Continue stirring for another 2-3 minutes until the sofrito becomes very aromatic. 

Add the lentils, cayenne pepper, tomato paste and tomato juice.  Add about 3 cups of water and bring the pot back up to medium high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes until the lentils are very tender.  You may need to add more water during this time depending on how moist the sofrito is and how much water the lentils absorb.   

After the 35 minutes have passed, check to ensure the lentils are cooked and that you have enough of a liquid that the soup can return to a nice boil. Add water if necessary (no more than a cup) and increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.  Add the lemon, parsley, freshly ground pepper and tortellini and cook according to the time on the tortellini package.  If you want to add shrimp, add them now.  

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and, if available, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and enjoy!

Serve with seeded whole wheat soda bread and a green salad.  

Pamela's Vegan Graham Crackers

Recently I have been trying to eliminate dairy products from my diet, so I tried these vegan crackers, and man, they are good!

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk

Combine in a large bowl the flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the oil, molasses, vanilla and milk. Slowly add the wet to the dry ingredients. Whisk together until you have a crumbly mixture. Roll into a big ball and place on a flat aurface on wax paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten out the dough. Take a knife and cut into even squares, cutting off ends. Depress crackers with a fork, to make holes. Use the exa ough off t he ends to make another cracker. Use wax paper to transfer crackers to bakig sheet. Place in pre-heated oven at 350 and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.