Chili Mac on the 4th

Today is hotter than when I’d normally make this but we want to get to the fireworks this evening...

Chili Mac Recipe

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 bell pepper (I used green but any are ok), diced

1 med onion, diced

2 jalapeños, sliced (spines/seeds removed if you don’t love spice)

1 pk Gardein vegan beef tips, halved

a couple tsp ea. cinnamon, cocoa powder, and cumin

1-2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2- 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)

1 cup vegan beef broth 

2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can ea. of kidney, pinto, and black beans, rinsed & drained

1 box macaroni pasta

Cook macaroni in water with some olive oil and salt after you’ve chopped the veg & beef tips. Drain when al dente.

Put oil in a large pan and heat till shimmery.

Add veg and sauté until softened. Add beef tips to brown outsides. Sprinkle cinnamon/cocoa/cumin & 1/2 chili powder over veg mix and sauté a few more min. to cook spices a little.

Add vegan beef broth, stirring well. Let reduce a little, then add tomatoes and beans. Taste and add more chili powder and flakes if you want. Add to noodles, stir and serve. Bon appetite!

Sorry the pic is so dark- had the light blocking curtains down to attempt to keep house cooler.

Playing in The Kitchen- Stuffed Portobello on Spinach Redux (no pictures ☹️)

In my post here,  http://gillvegfood.blogspot.com/2015/05/sorry-it-been-so-long.html , I shared a hummus stuffed portobello recipe....It was in regular rotation at my house and still is. This recipe allows for so much playing around which makes it *so* budget-friendly....I made it the other night using:

regular spinach (cheaper than baby spinach)- I just tossed it with some oil, crushed garlic, wine

roasted garlic hummus, to which I added-

                             1/3 can of diced tomatoes, cut even smaller

                              1 TBS of sofrito

                              1/2 minced jalapeño 

                              2-3 TBS rehydrated minced onion

                              a little garlic powder, paprika, S&P

As you can see, it’s different than the recipe but so tasty. I was in a Southwestern flavor mood. But this is easily adaptable for Italian (Italian seasoning, garlic,  even fresh basil could be mixed in with spinach and some good Olive Oil and you could add a couple of splashes of red wine....use a white bean hummus, tomatoes, garlic, onion, bell pepper, etc.) Indian (Curry and coconut milk in the spinach, lentil hummus with cumin, chili peppers, carmelized onions, etc.).....You see where I’m going? Playing around in the kitchen can be so fun. My husband teases me for watching the food network, because it is NEVER vegan friendly, but it has helped me come up with ideas for vegan dishes and flavor profiles, and sometimes even different techniques to play with. 

Excuses, Excuses

It’s been FOREVER.

Life’s been busy and I’ve maybe not been able to keep all of my balls in the air.


My husband had back surgery #7 last summer (I think he’s had 4 or 5 since the last time I blogged here 😿)

My mom died shortly after that, I spent a lot of time last year in hospital and care homes

The kids are getting older and daring to want to do things

I went back to work outside the house a couple of times for a span

I’ve lost a good friend and really don’t have any IRL

I’ll try to start adding content- we are still vegan and I still enjoy cooking & baking.

Sorry It's Been So Long....

Life blows by and I am trying to do 16253839 things at any given time, when I last posted, I think I was adjusting to being back home after working overnights...I have other web presences I try to keep up with, as well- social media, personal blogs, etc.

Last night was laid back- I made a variation on this recipe- http://eattothrive.org/recipes/main-dishes/portobello-mushrooms-stuffed-with-sun-dreid-tomato-hummus-on-a-bed-of-spinach/

I used 2 bags of Aldis spinach, which is more than the recipe calls for....I drizzled olive oil and shook some lemon pepper seasoning in between layers of spinach, pressing it down to try to keep it in the dish. I used red pepper hummus that I added a Tbs of olive oil, 2 tsp of Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp of chili powder to stuff the portobellos. I use a 9 x 13 baking dish, and the spinach fills it, so the portobellos are "perched" on top of the spinach. That's ok, though, because the spinach seriously shrinks during cooking. I don't cover with foil, as there is no way to not waste hummus and make a mess doing so. It works just fine that way- this is a recipe I make on a regular basis and I have NEVER covered it.

As for a side dish, I made:

Cherry Almond Italian-Inspired Rice

1/2 bag Lundenburg Rice

Vegan "Chicken" Broth Powder

1/2 c dried cherries, chopped

1 c slivered almonds

1 Tbs Italian seasoning

2 scallions, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Follow broth powder instructions to make enough for the water you need for your rice. Toast almonds in a little olive oil in a heated pan, once fragrant and brown, set aside. 

Add rice and the rest of the ingredients to prepared broth and cook as per the rice package instructions, adding water if needed (mine still had a 'bite' after following instructions, so I cooked a little longer, adding a little water to stop it from drying completely).