*Vegan* Cocoa-Coconut Chili

Personally, I am not a fan of chili. At all. It always seems to be over cooked or over stirred or over oily or too beanie or something. But part of what I love about cooking is tackling the obstacles of foods you don't love. This chili recipe has helped me over my anti-chili hurdle in a beautiful way. The mix of ingredients creates a very balanced yet decidedly different chili. The coconut milk and cocoa balances the beans in the recipe, and the hot sauce adds the perfect amount of kick. The icing on the cake was cooking the chili in my slow cooker, and having it come out perfectly. Not over cooked or mushy or anything. I love the fact you can look at your bowl and identify every single ingredient, and relish in its simplicity. Plus, did I mention the cocoa? How can you resist...

*no vegans were harmed in the making of this chili.

What's in it

1 14oz can light coconut milk (unsweetened)

2 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp sea salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 Tbl mild chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

3 Tbl Dutch process cocoa powder (or regular if that is what you have)

2 28oz cans diced tomatoes

1 14oz can black beans, rinsed

1 14oz can kidney beans, rinsed

1 14oz can pinto beans, rinsed

1 14oz can canellini (white) beans, rinsed

1 14oz can corn, drained

1 or 2 carrots diced (size them the same as your beans)

1 onion diced (size them the same as your beans)

1 1/2 C celery diced (size them the same as your beans)

1/2 C diced bell peppers - optional (size them the same as your beans)

How it's made

Grab your large slow-cooker. Whisk together first 9 ingredients in slow cooker until blended (coconut milk through cocoa powder). Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Turn your slow-cooker on low for 8 hours. Go away (to work, school...) and come home to delicious chili. If you have time or inclination, buy a box of corn bread mix from TJ's and make it up, or make some honey cornbread from scratch. Enjoy chili for dinner, then lunch the next day, then freeze the rest for another day. Or just invite over all your friends!

Thai Dumpling Soup

This recipe is from Food Network Magazine, from their quick and easy dinner section. Seeing as the weather has finally started to get very chilly, and I've been itching to cook thai food, it seemed the perfect opportunity to try this recipe. What I found out is that not only is this soup easier and faster to make than Tom Ka Gai, one of the simplest thai soups, but it is even more delicious. I've never made dumpling soup, and what I realized is unlike in a restaurant, I don't have to ration the 2 or 3 dumplings your soup will have, because when you make it yourself, you can have as many dumplings as you'd like! So do yourself a favor and try this one out in the next couple weeks. You will not regret it.

What's in it

2 Tbl oil

3 stalks celery, sliced thin

1/2 onion, sliced in 1/4" wedges

dried (or fresh) shittake mushrooms

1 Tbl curry powder

4 C chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

1 C water

1 Tbl fish sauce

1/4 lb fresh green beans trimmed and cut in half

optional: sliced crimini mushrooms, sliced bell peppers

1 lb frozen thai dumplings (I found delicious frozen chicken cilantro mini dumplings at Trader Joes)

lime and sliced green onions

How it's made

Boil 2 cups water and pour over dried shittake mushrooms in a bowl, if using. Use another bowl or cup to weigh them down under water. Let sit 30 minutes until re-hydrated. Prep other ingredients in the meantime.

In a large dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add celery, onion, shittake mushrooms and curry powder. Stir until curry powder is toasted and vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce and water (use water from re-hydrating mushrooms if you'd like more mushroom flavor, but be sure to strain out bits). Bring to a simmer and add crimini mushrooms if using. Add green beans (and bell pepper if using) and simmer about 3-5 minutes until green beans are crisp tender. Add frozen dumplings and bring back to simmer until dumplings are cooked through. Serve garnished with lime juice and chopped green onions.

I highly encourage you to adapt this recipe to your taste. Clearly I like mushrooms so I load up on them, but maybe you'd like to see tomatoes or galanga and lemongrass for a more authentic flavor, or more green beans. The great thing about soups is they are very flexible to adaptation, so have fun with it!

Coconut Stir Fry

Every week I schedule our dinners out in advance, shop accordingly and look forward to certain meals. I was excited to eat stir fry this week, but at 5pm last night I realized I didn't have my staples. No soy sauce, no sesame oil and no curry of any kind. What kind of stir fry could I make without these key flavors?

I searched around my pantry which has been pretty bare since we moved (I gave everything in our previous pantry to my sister). I found a can of coconut milk, some rice wine, rice vinegar and pepper jelly.

What came out was really delightful. Here it is:
(The ingredients that I used last night are in bold)

Protein, one of the following
-12+ shrimp
-2 sliced chicken breasts
-drained and cubed tofu

Chopped fine
-Garlic, 2 cloves
-Ginger, 2 Tb fresh

Chopped veggies, any of these work well
-Carrots
-Bell peppers, red
-Asparagus
-Onions
-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
-Cabbage
-Bok Choy

Garnishes
-Green onions, chopped
-Lemon Zest (lime would also work)

Sauce, whisk together
-1 cup coconut milk
-1/4 cup white wine or rice wine
-1-2 teaspoons rice vinegar
-2 tablespoons of pepper jelly
-Fresh ground pepper
-2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Heat a few tablespoons of peanut or canola oil in a wok until very hot. Add ginger and garlic. Before the garlic begins to brown, add protein and toss a few times until just cooked. Remove protein from pan and set aside.

Add veggies and toss a few times to ensure they are thoroughly coated with oil. Let cook for about 2 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add sauce and stir. When sauce is bubbling put the protein back in and add garnishes, cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from the heat and serve over rice while hot.

I've never really had pepper jelly before in foods. You usually find it over cream cheese served with crackers at a party. But I knew I needed something with a little bit more intrigue. It worked!

This would be awesome with some basil or red curry paste.


Here are pictures of Molly's dinner plate. This little girl doesn't know how good she has it! This is my attempt to get her to each the meal.

And this is with the peanut butter sandwich and banana wheels I had waiting for her in the kitchen. One day she'll eat all the delicious foods I make for her.

Cajeta and Coconut Tres Leches Cake

This was a birthday present to a dear friend. It may seem odd, gifting food which won't last past the day it is given---but, what is better? It may be easier to grab a book or something, but that doesn't require the investment of hours of your time. And it is definitely not as satisfying as producing something with your own hands. I like to give food because it is thoughtful and personal and won't clutter up a person's house after you are done. Besides, if all goes according to plan, the memory of your gift will probably last longer than some trinket anyway.

This cake came together as a cross between techniques from my Dona Tomas cookbook, multiple online resources and my own tweaking.

The Cake

• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Line a round cake pan with a piece of parchment, then grease the paper and sides of the pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
   
3. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and both extracts. Beat well.
5. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until well combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Turn the cake onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Remove paper.

Cajeta

• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• A rounded 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cold water

1. Put the milk, sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk occasionally to prevent boiling over.
   
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in water. Rapidly whisk the baking soda mixture into the saucepan, removing it from the heat if it looks like it will spill over.
3. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until the mixture has cooked down and turned dark brown and thick.
4. Remove from heat and pass through a fine-mesh strainer.
   

The Sauce and Fillings

• 1 1/2 pints strawberries, sliced (reserve a few unsliced for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup cajeta (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  
• 3/4 cup coconut milk

• 1 quart heaving whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more to taste)
  
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract (or more to taste)
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

• Shredded coconut as needed

1. In a bowl, toss the strawberries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the cajeta, condensed milk, 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream and coconut milk. Mix well. Set aside.
   
3. In another separate bowl, use an electric mixer on high to whip the 1 quart whipping cream to medium peaks. Add both extracts and the powdered sugar towards the end of the whipping process.

The Assembly

1. Slice the cake in half crosswise with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom half on the serving plate. On a separate plate, place the top half of the cake with the cut side up. Using a tablespoon, spoon half of the milk mixture over the bottom of the cake, letting it soak in evenly and completely. (This may take awhile. I used a toothpick to prick little holes throughout the cake so the sauce would soak into the cake more readily.)
2. Using half of the remaining milk mixture, soak the top half of the cake.
3. Spread a 1/8 inch layer of the whipping cream evenly over the bottom half of the cake. Sprinkle a good layer of shredded coconut over the whipped cream. Arrange a layer of the strawberries on top. Sprinkle with more coconut.
   
4. Cover with another layer of whipped cream, coconut, strawberries and more coconut.
   
5. Finish with another thin layer of whipped cream. Carefully place the top half of the cake on top of the last whipped cream layer, cut side down.
6. Soak the very top of the cake with the remaining milk mixture. (I had some left over, which I drizzled over the slices of cake.)
7. Cover the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream, spreading evenly over the top and sides. Sprinkle cake with shredded coconut and decorate with whole or sliced strawberries on top.
   
8. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. (Refrigerate any leftovers.)

* The cake part of this recipe can be substituted with any white cake that is spongy enough to soak up the milk, but strong enough to hold up and not become too soggy. I've read online that boxed white cake mix works well and cuts down on the time involved.

Rich Chocolate Truffles (vegan)

This is from a co-worker's vegan cookbook called "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan". Apparently these are unbelievably rich, but I won't know until Sunday afternoon when Michelle and I make them (before having to count our store's inventory till midnight).

What's in it

3/4C regular coconut milk (not light)

10-10.5 oz good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped (about 2C)

1/2 tsp almond extract (or 1/2- 1 tsp other extract of choice)

1 Tbsp liquor (e.g. brandy, Grand Marnier, Kahlua)

2-3 Tbsp Dutch-processed or regular cocoa powder or ground nuts

How it's made

In a small pot on medium heat, heat coconut milk, stirring until very hot but not boiling. Place chocolate in a glass bowl. Pour hot milk over chocolate and use a heat-proof spatula to stir until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is well combined. (If chocolate needs more melting, place bowl on top of a pot of boiling water and stir continually until melted). Stir in extract and liquor.

Refrigerate for one hour or more, until completely cooled and firm. Scoop using a melon baller or small spoon, then lightly roll into balls using your hands. (You will need to rinse your hands a few times). Place truffles on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place cocoa or nuts on a plate and lightly roll truffles on to coat. Serve as is, or refrigerate until serving.

Tom Kah Gai: Chicken Coconut Soup

I've always been a fan of Thai food, but Thai cooking somehow seemed rather mysterious. Then Amber told me about a wonderful cookbook called Quick & Easy Thai. (Now, I've seen some "easy" Indian food cookbooks that don't seem to have a quick recipe in them, so I was a little hesitant.) But, the author--previously a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand--wrote these recipes for busy people to cook on a weeknight.

As it turns out, many Thai recipes are not difficult to prepare and can be made any time, not just on fancy special occasions. The recipes I've tried are pretty amazingly simple, but still incredibly delicious. Some of the recipes call for exotic ingredients (that is, if you live in Oregon and not California), but most of the time you can substitute or skip an ingredient and your dish will be fine.

This is an impressively flavorful soup! It pairs well with other recipes in the book, like chicken satay or crab cakes.

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 6 wild lime leaves, cut into quarters (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (a light version is available at Trader Joe's)
  
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
• 10-12 slices galanga (this is a relative of ginger--I substitute fresh ginger slices)
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (available at Whole Foods and Safeway--do not leave this out!)
• 3/4 pound boneless chicken cut into bite-sized chunks (or tofu!)
• 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce and green onions (plus half of the wild lime leaves--optional). Set aside. Put chopped cilantro in a separate small bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the coconut milk and the chicken broth. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the galanga or ginger and lemongrass (plus remainder of lime leaves, if using.)
   
3. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil and simmer until the chicken is cooked--about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Pour the lime juice mixture into the pot and mix well! Ladle soup into serving bowls and sprinkle chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
   

*Serves 4*

I substituted the chicken for tofu only because I was also serving another chicken dish, but if you use vegetable stock, tofu and leave the fish sauce out this would be vegan. The fish sauce does add a distinct depth to the soup, though, as it does to a lot of Thai dishes. If you have vegetarian friends who eat fish, leave it in for best results.