Refried Beans Recipe (Vegan)

I used to buy Safeway Vegetarian Refried Beans because they were just beans, oil, salt, and water.  Now they have all kinds of ingredients including chilies and onions in them, and I can't buy them anymore.  So I started making refried beans myself.  It's a very simple recipe, and a good arm workout at the same time.  You'll need a potato masher utensil (pictured below) and a cast iron pan to make them as described.  The end result is creamy with a bit of texture.  If you don't like the texture, just blend them with a hand-blender in the end.  You can also make them ahead of time, refrigerate them, and heat them up in a small pan at meal time (this is what I do).

Refried Beans Recipe

1 can pinto beans (15 oz.)
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

In a cast iron pan over High heat, add the oil and a whole can of beans (including liquid).  Use the potato masher to mash the beans into a creamy paste while it boils.  It takes about 5 minutes of mashing for the beans to get to the right consistency.  You can serve them right away as they are, or pour them into a mixing bowl and use a hand-blender to blend them even creamier.  You can also refrigerate them until a later time, reheating them in a small pan on the stove.  Serves 4 as a side dish.

This is the potato masher utensil I use:

Soulful Vegetarian Chili

Soulful Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian chili that is full of soulful flavor and hearty enough to stick to your bones??? Say it aint so!!!!

I'll admit vegetarian chili didn't sound that appealing to me at first. I guess I'm just not a real veggie lover (although I'm trying to be) I'm a meat & potatoes,  (cakes, cookies, ice cream, pies, candy,) kinda girl and it just seemed like a cruel thing to do to chili...you know, adding all those vegetables and stuff.

My oldest sister, who is a vegetarian, has been telling me how fabulous her vegetarian chili recipe is for the longest. Even though she is one of those "healthy people" I trust her when she tells me something vegetarian tastes good. She was raised on my mothers and grandmothers soulful cooking and knows how to doctor up those vegetarian dishes like a seasoned pro.

Since so many of us are trying to watch our weight this time of year, I figured you would appreciate a hearty, savory, yet healthy dish to add to your recipe collection. (you can thank for my sister Nikki, although I did tweak this recipe a bit from the original)

This vegetarian chili recipe does not disappoint! It's hearty, mild enough for my toddler, yet my spicy, meat- chili-loving husband gave it 5 stars!  I found myself eating my second bowl without even noticing it.

It's loaded with fresh vegetables like zucchini, peppers and corn, three kinds of beans, and a perfect blend of savory spices! This vegetarian chili can easily be customized with your favorite veggies or kick up the heat to your liking.

Serve it up with a hunky square of buttermilk cornbread and a crunchy green salad..magnificent...and healthy to boot!!

Watch me make this vegetarian chili  recipe from start to finish

(this stuff is AWESOME when eaten the same day, but it's AMAZING when eaten the second day when all of the spices have had a chance to soak up in the beans and vegetables.)

INGREDIENTS

1 zucchini, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalepeno, seeded and diced (optional but so yummy)

3 Tablespoons of oil (for sautéing)

1 cup frozen sweet corn

1 (12 oz) bag Morning Star Meal Starters (grillers veggie crumbles)

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz) can whole Italian Stewed Tomatoes, chopped

1 (15 oz) can Tomato sauce

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

3 T. chili powder

3 T celery flakes (or fresh celery)

1 1/2 t. seasoning salt

1 1/2 t. ground cumin

1 t. paprika

1 T. oregano

1 T. cilantro

2 t. sugar

1 T. parsley

2 t. thyme

1 T. basil (optional)

A few dashes of black pepper (optional)

A few dashes of liquid smoke (optional)

Taste and add more seasonings if desired!

 Just don't go too crazy with the seasonings if you plan on having leftovers because the flavors will really intensify overnight.

Southern Black Eyed Peas

Southern, Soul Food Black Eyed Peas

Nothing says Happy New Years better than a pot of southern black eyed peas & soul food collard greens! Whether you buy into the hype that eating these dishes will bring wealth & a slew of other good things, just enjoying them with family and being thankful that I've made it into another year is MORE THAN ENOUGH for me!

This is my grandmothers soul food recipe (that I've tweaked a bit). It's a basic recipe for a pot of good ol, southern black eyed peas.  She blesses us with these throughout the year but on New Years they tend to taste a bit better.  Talk about flavorful!!! Forget the bland, mushy black eyed peas you may have tasted in the past. This recipe always gets a "wow, these are some good black eyed peas!" from newbies that have never tasted hers before.  Like always my grandmother just smiles and say "well...it could be better" lol (she's adorable!)

This recipe could easily be turned into vegetarian-friendly black eyed peas by omitting the meat and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can even get all fancy smancy and throw in some chopped tomatoes, celery and all that other jazz.

Either way they taste fabulous! Pour on some hot sauce and give me a fat piece of cornbread on the side and I'm a happy woman!

Watch me make these black eyed peas from start to finish!

Ingredients

4-5 green onions, chopped (or 1 medium white onion, chopped)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag of dry black eyed peas
Smoked Turkey or Ham (as much as you desire. I used half of a fully cooked, smoked turkey leg. Just chopped the meat up into bits. You can leave it whole if you do not like meat in your black eyed peas but like the flavor)
6-8 cups of chicken broth (or enough to cover the beans)
Red pepper flakes, black pepper (optional)


Step 1.) Sort & wash the black eyed peas. Set aside.
Step 2.) Chop onions & garlic.
Step 3.) In a large pot, add in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until tender.
Step 3.) Add in the chopped meat, black eye peas, & chicken broth
Step 4.) Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or  until black eyed peas are tender.
Step 5.) Remove from heat and let sit covered for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 6.) Season with red pepper & black pepper if desired.

Enjoy!!!

Chunky Spicy White Chicken Chili

Spicy Chunky White Chicken Chili

I was first introduced to white chicken chili through my mother-in-law and simply fell in love with it. It looked like such a complex chili that would take all day to make, but I knew that if she made it then that most definitely wasn't the case. She is the queen of all recipes quick, easy and delicious!

This chicken chili is adapted from her recipe and makes one BANGIN pot of white chicken chili. Everyone has their preference on the consistency of chili. Some like it soupy and some like it chunky. I prefer the latter but if you like a more soupy white chicken chili them simply add more chicken broth to the recipe.

This white chicken chili recipe is so hearty and the PERFECT chili to serve on a cold day when you're not in the mood for a heavy traditional style chili. It has that spicy kick, juicy chunks of chicken, flavorful onions, celery, garlic & cheese! You really can't go wrong with this stuff!  Even bean haters tend to tolerate this chili.

Pair this bad boy up with some cornbread or  crusty, buttered french bread and you got something going on!!!

Watch me make this easy, quick White Chicken Chili Recipe from start to finish!

Ingredients (makes about 10 servings)
1 lb of chicken (about 3-4 breasts), cubed
3-4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
7 oz can of chopped green chiles
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 (16 oz cans) Great Northern beans (undrained)
3-5 cups of chicken broth (depending on the consistency you prefer)
3 cups of Monterey jack cheese

Step 1.) In a large stock pot, melt 3-4 Tablespoons of butter.  Add in cubed chicken and cook over medium heat just until the outside is white.
Step 2.) Add in chopped onions & celery. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until very tender.
Step 3.) Add in the garlic, green chiles, cumin, paprika, oregano & cayenne. Stir until well combined. Saute for about 2 minutes
Step 4.) Add in the beans and chicken broth (add in enough broth to reach the consistency you prefer. I added in 4 cups)
Step 5.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add in the cheese!
Step 6.) Taste the broth. Add in salt & pepper to kick up the taste more if desired.
Step 7.) Ladle into a bowl and sprinkle on a lil more cheese.  Yumm!!!

Enjoy!!!

Beef Bean and Bacon Stew

Beef Bean and Bacon Stew

Another winter warm-up recipe to take the chill out of your bones. This one is a smoky flavored close cousin to chilli but with out the heat if you so choose. I like it just as it is but we sometimes serve it on a bed of brown or basmati rice; very tasty and very healthy too.

• 2 to 3 pounds of blade, chuck or round roast, cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 pound thick cut smoked bacon

In a large heavy bottomed frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp and remove from pan. Drain off the bacon fat and add

• 3 tbsp olive oil

Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Over medium heat, brown all of the beef pieces in small batches being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Add the browned beef to a covered roasting pan. De-glaze the pan with 1 cup orange juice and add the liquid to the roasting pan along with the beef. Also add

• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic

Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and then the cover to provide a good seal. Roast in a 300 degree F oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours before adding:

• 32 ounce can diced tomatoes (or use 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes and 1 cup tomato juice)
• 1 1/2 cups cup beef stock (low salt version)
• 16 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
• 4 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 tbsp molasses

Increase the temperature to 350 degrees F and return the roasting pan to the oven without the aluminum foil and continue to cook for an additional 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the beef pieces are tender and the sauce is thickened. In the last half hour of cooking time add

• 1 1/2 cups sweet corn (fresh or frozen)

Serve on its own or over rice or pasta.