Kale chips!

I did it. I let my kale grow way too big this time. I knew it would happen. I might get three rounds (that's two baking sheets full per round) of kale chips this time!

Ridiculous! Anyway, on to the kale chips!

(Please forgive this shot, we're replacing some cracked tiles in our kitchen at the moment)

You will need:

1 bunch of kale

Olive oil

Zatarains seasoning

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear kale leaves apart into "chip" sized pieces (about 2 inches in diameter, they shrink a lot when you bake them). Wash them under cold water. Discard the woody stems, they don't crisp up well. Pat kale dry with clean kitchen towel.

Lay out on baking sheets and drizzle with just a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with the seasoning (you can also use s&p with a bit of cayenne, but I've found Zatarains is a great all-in-one).

Put baking sheets in oven and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Take kale out and stir. Put back in oven for 1-2 more minutes and then turn oven off. Let sit in oven for 10 minutes or so or until kale is fully dry. Make sure to watch these baking steps as kale has a tendency to go from wilted to charred in about 30 seconds if you're not watching and every oven is different.

See how much they shrink up?

Enjoy!

 

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili (Vegan and Gluten Free)

1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more if you want it spicier)
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups frozen corn
1 can stewed tomatoes, chopped (I use a kitchen shears to cut them right in the can)
15-20 oz. vegetable broth

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Bring 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil in saucepan, let simmer for 15-20minutes until light and fluffy and set aside.
3. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into small squares and coat in olive oil and s&p. Lay out on a sheet pan and roast in theoven for 20-25 minutes.
4. In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add chili powder, cayenne powder, and paprika and sauté, while stirring, for 30 seconds.
5. Add remaining ingredients, cooked quinoa, and roasted sweet potatoes and cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Optional: I used an immersion blender in the chili for just a few seconds here and there at the very end. I wanted it to be a little thicker and denser. The consistency was perfect for me after this!

 

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Vegan squash bisque with pita chips

I got a new immersion blender for Christmas and I was SO EXCITED to use it. I just really wanted the first time to be special, so I waited for the right moment. I've been looking at squash bisque recipes for some time, and have been craving it for a while so, I thought this would be a perfect inauguration. I opted for vegan since I've just been trying to cut down on meat and dairy and found a couple recipes that seemed amazing. I also added home made pita chips at the last minute since I also like something crunch with my soups.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 butternut squash
One tetra box of veggie broth (I think it's 14oz.?)

Spices (which I never measure, but I know I used less cinnamon and nutmeg than the others because I didn't want it to be overly sweet): red pepper flake, s&p, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg.

Powdered soy milk (I mixed 1/8 of a cup of powder with about 3/4 cup of water)

I quarter the butternut squash, covered the cut parts with olive oil and s&p and roasted, cut side up in a 425 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until fork tender

During that time, I sautéed the onions, carrots, celery, and red pepper flake in olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes). Then I added garlic, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, and s&p and turned the heat to low.

During this time, I wondered what felt so odd about cooking tonight, and I realized I hadn't poured myself a glass of wine yet. So I remedied that by opening a bottle of 2 buck Chuck.

When the squash was done, I scooped it out and added it to the pot with the sautéed veggies and spices, leaving the skin behind. Then I added the veggie broth and brought to a simmer.

After simmering for a few minutes, I used my immersion blender to purée the mixture. Then I added the soy milk.

I decided it needed some crunch, so I cut up some pita bread into triangles, sprayed with olive oil spray and coated with garlic salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and oregano and put in toaster oven until crispy.

I served the bisque sprinkled with paprika and chopped fresh parsley.

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