The Healthy Librarian's Favorite Chili, Fries, Chowder, and Tortilla Casserole - from Veganomicon, Engine 2 & Dr. Neal Barnard's "Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook"

 

All-American Chili with Kick for a Crowd

"When you take these steps, good things happen in your body.

Your cholesterol level plummets, allowing your arteries to recover from years of abuse. 

Hormones within your body rebalance, bringing your blood sugar to a healthier level, trimming away excess weight, and reducing cancer risk.

Your digestion improves, and energy increases."

-Dr. Neal Barnard, physician & clinical researcher, adjunct associate professor at George Washington University School of Medicine & president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine & author of "The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook-

 

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OK, I'm finally going to spill the beans & post some of my favorites recipes--the ones that I keep promising to post--and never do.

So many of you have asked for cookbook recommendations, but one size doesn't fit all.  It all depends upon what you're looking for--if you're an experienced cook, a newbie, if your willing to modify recipes to make them heart-healthier, or you want recipes that already are plant-perfect.

1.  Do you want original, out-of-the-ordinary well-seasoned recipes, and don't mind cutting out the oil, nuts, or cheese to make them healthier?   Then, get yourself a copy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope-Romero's  Veganomicon - The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

Many of my favorite recipes come from Veganomican, and I can easily cut out the oil by sauteeing in vegetable broth, modify the dressings by nixing the oil, and I have no problem eliminating the nuts or vegan cheeses.  Favorites include: Spaghetti & Beanballs, Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Carmelized Onion and Sage Crumb Topping, and Quinoa Salad with Black Beans & Mango.  Consider also, Moosewood's Low-Fat Vegetarian Favorites.

 

2.  Do you want straight-forward super healthy nutritionist-approved plant-based recipes that use no oil, nuts, or cheese--and you don't mind adding more seasoning & spice?  Then get yourself a copy of Dr. Neal Barnard & Robyn Webb's The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook.  You can follow these recipes "straight out of the box"--and that's a good thing.  All the recipes use veggie broth for sauteeing.  All the dressings are oil-free.  There is nutritional information for every recipe.   Now, don't get me wrong--these recipes are tasty--but so far I've had to kick up the seasonings a notch to get the kind of flavor I'm looking for.  Not hard to do--but, "a word to the wise".  Favorites so far:  Three-Layer Tortilla Casserole, the Spicy Spinach Frittata, & Vegetable Curry with Whole Wheat Couscous--but I kicked up the spice & ingredients for both of these!

This book is a worth the purchase price alone for its excellent-easy-to-understand & science-based 50 pager Part One which explains exactly how plant-based cooking benefits weight-loss, diabetes, heart health, high blood pressure, cancer, and digestive problems.  Once you read it you'll understand why food matters to health. It also has the best section I've seen on stocking your kitchen for plant-based cooking.  It includes many of my all-time favorite products like, whole wheat panko bread crumbs, mirin, Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, balsamic syrup, and citrus zest.

 

An All-American Chili with Lots of Kick That You Can Eat All Week Long

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

I got this recipe from my friend Janet who uses it often when she needs to feed a crowd. The original recipe comes from Cooking Light, & was supposedly "made healthy" with Italian turkey sausage & ground sirloin.  The recipe has so much flavor that I figured I could cut out the meat, increase the beans, and still have a winner.  When I first made it, I planned to add a bag of frozen soy crumbles into the mix--but it was so good without it, I never bothered with the crumbles.

This chili keeps well for a week in the fridge, and it's great as is, as a topping for a taco salad, stuffed into a burrito, as a dip with crackers or pita, or any other way you can think of.

Yield:  8 generous servings

Ingredients

Vegetable broth for sauteeing the vegetables.  Start with 1/4 cup, and add as needed.

2 large sweet onions, chopped

1 red & 1 green bell pepper

8 garlic cloves, minced (yes, 8)

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 TBS. chili powder

1/4 tsp. ground chipotle powder (add more to taste, but start small)

1/4- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional) This makes up for the red pepper that would have been in the Italian sausage. Be careful if you don't like heat!

2 TBS. brown sugar (sub if you prefer)

1 TBS. ground cumin

1 TBS. whole fennel seed (this is the licorice-flavored seed found in Italian sausage--add it only if you like this flavor-I love it)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 TBS. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

2 bay leaves

1 1/4 cups of Merlot or other dry fruity red wine

2 (28-ounce) cans of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes (fire-roasted makes a difference!)

3 cans (15 ounce) of different beans, drained & rinsed (like black, kidney, or cannelini)

2 cups of frozen corn, thawed.  I prefer the taste of roasted corn, but I can only find it at Trader Joe's.

Preparation

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat & start with 1/4 cup of vegetable broth (instead of oil).

2.  Add onion, peppers, garlic & jalapeno to the pan & saute for about 8 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3.  Add all the spices, through the bay leaves and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4.  Stir in the wine, tomatoes, and all the drained beans.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat; and simmer for 1 hour; stirring occasionally.

5.  Uncover and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the two cups of corn during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Note:  Like most chilis, this one tastes even better the next day!  I'm really nutso about making certain that my food is fresh, but this still tastes terrific after one week.  Another advantage of eating plant-based.

 

Engine 2's So-Easy Oven-Fried Sweet Potato Fries with Cajun Seasoning

As I was about to leave the house on Saturday night, the phone rang.  It was my friend Janet (yes, the same Janet who gave me the sausage chili recipe).  She was about to make these sweet potato fries for the third time, but had forgotten how high to heat the oven.  I didn't remember either, so I checked  Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet book (page 190) for her.  That's the source for these tasty fries. 

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes with skins on, scrubbed and sliced into strips (or Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Spears--all ready cut--but you'll pay for that convenience--find them in the produce section)

Your favorite Cajun or Southwest style seasoning.  I use Emeril's Southwest seasoning.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper--and cut off any excess that overlaps the cookie sheet.  Yes, it will brown a bit, but it won't burn.  Parchment paper really keeps food from sticking, and it helps with browning.

Option 1:  Lightly wet the fries, before placing them on the cookie sheet so the seasoning will stick to them.

Option 2:  Lightly spray the fries with a canola spray so the seasoning will stick to them.

Arrange the fries on the cookie sheet, sprinkle one side with the Cajun seasoning.

Cover the fries with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Important step.

Uncover the fries, turn them over (this is the hardest part), and sprinkle the other side with the seasoning.

Continue baking for another 10-20 minutes or until they are nicely browned.

Enjoy.  These make great snacks, and you can use the same technique for rounds of Yukon gold potatoes, or rounds of sweet potatoes.

 

Veganomicon's Fabulous Baked Potato and Greens Chowder with Potato-Wedge Croutons

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

I've yet to make something from Veganomicon that disappoints.  Yesterday, was cold and dreary, and my husband asked me what cookbook I'd recommend for a good soup recipe.   "Check out Veganomicon!" I said without a monent's hesitation.

Oh boy was I rewarded with this fantastic soup when I got home from work!  He had no problem eliminating the oil used for sauteeing, and he used just a teensy bit of canola oil spray to make the potato wedges.  This recipe is definitely a keeper--and it's a meal by itself.

Serves 6

Time:  30 minutes, not including baking the potatoes

Ingredients

Do ahead.  6-8 potatoes (3 1/2 pounds), baked and cooled.  (preheat oven to 350 degress, poke the potatoes with a fork a few times, wrap them in foil-or not.  Bake for about an hour or until they are easily pierced with a fork.)

1/4 cup of vegetable broth for sauteeing.  Add more if needed.

1 large yellow onion, sliced into short strips

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed  (really makes this recipe a stand-out)

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1 tsp. salt

Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine (or just more broth if you prefer)

4 cups of vegetable broth  (might want to use a bit more)

4 cups of kale, torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 leaves, tough stems removed)

1/4 cup plain unsweetened soy milk

Potato wedge ingredients

2 heaping TBS coarse cornmeal 

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. paprika

Pinch of salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

Canola spray

Preparation

Once your potatoes are baked and cool enough to handle, preheat a large soup pot with 1/4 cup of veggie broth and saute the onions over medium-high heat until good and brown, about 12 minutes.

While the onions cook, prep the potatoes:

1. Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise.  Reserve three of the halves to make the potato wedges.  Slice the rest into 3/4 inch chunks.

2. Once the onions are browned, add the garlic, fennel, thyme, sage, black pepper, and salt.  Cook for 2 more minutes, then add the wine to deglaze the pan.

3. Add the chunks of potatoes and the broth, cover, and lower the heat a bit to bring to a low boil.

4. Add the kale, cover & cook for 15-20 more minutes.

While the soup cooks, prepare the potato wedges:

1.  Slice the reserved potato halves in half length-wise so you have six pieces.

2.  Preheat a good non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

3.  Combine all the ingredients for the wedges (except the oil spray) on a plate.

4.  Wet the potato wedges with a little bit of water and dredge the two cut sides in the cornmeal mixture.

5.  Lightly spray the wedges with the canola spray on all sides, and cook for about 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy.  Turn, and cook the other cut side.

Finishing the soup:

1.  The soup should be done at this point.  Either use a potato masher to "mush up" about 1/2 the soup--Warning: do not use an immersion blender for this!  It will make the soup pasty & yucky!  My husband did a very quick blend of 1/2 the soup in our VitaMix & that worked out fine.

2.  Add the soy milk to the soup and mix.

3.  If it's too thick for your taste, add additional vegetable stock or water.

4.  Ladle into bowls & top with potato wedge "crouton"

Dr. Neal Barnard's Go Vegan Double-Bean Three-Layer Tortilla Casserole (revised by me)

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

I love this recipe--and I really didn't change it that much.  It's quick & easy to make.  With beans, corn, & squash, Barnard says it's the perfect nutritional balance of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and vitamins.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Canola cooking spray (just to keep the casserole from sticking to the pie plate)

1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (16 ounces) Bearito Fat-Free Green Chile refried beans.

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 large red onion, chopped

2 cups of chopped zucchini

1 cup frozen corn, thawed (I prefer the taste of roasted corn--available at Trader Joe's)

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Kosher or sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 (8-10 inch) whole wheat tortillas (I like French Meadow Bakery sprouted grain)

1 1/3 cup prepared chunky salsa

Preparation

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 10+ inch pie plate (I used a 10 inch square Corning Ware baking dish) with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  Add the beans, 1/4 cup of lime juice, garlic, oregano, and cayenne to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth & thick.  Now add the can of refried beans to the mixture & pulse mix to combine if you are using  a processor, or mix it together by hand in a bowl--whichever is easiest for you.

3.  Heat the 1/4 cup of broth in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.  Put in the zucchini and corn and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the cumin and cilantro and saute for 1 minute.  Season with salt and black pepper.

4.  Place one tortilla in the prepared pie plate or baking dish.  Spread about 1/3 of the bean mixture over the tortilla.  Using a slotted spoon, add one-third of the vegetable mixture on top of the beans.  Add one-third of the salsa over the vegetables and top with another tortilla.  Make two more layers in the same fashion, to make a total of three layers.  The last topping will be salsa.

5.  Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.  Cut into wedges to serve.

Nutrition information based on 1/5 of the casserole. 

Nutrition Facts Dr. Neal Barnard's Three-Layer Tortilla Casserole
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	308
Total Fat	1.2g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	905mg
Carbohydrate	58.3g
Dietary Fiber	12.7g
Sugars	8.1g
Protein	16.8g
Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 51% Calcium    5% Iron 24%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Carol Stephanson]

Delighted to see your favourites - there's a soup from Veganomicon that's known in our house as "the yummy soup", on page 138. The sum total of the flavour is greater than its parts, somehow. It has almost a buttery taste, and I'm not really sure why it's so delicious, but I highly recommend it.. We use Vogue Vege Base powder to make the broth (just one TBS), and no oil at all. I also add a can of white beans to increase the protein.

Thanks again for all the great posts!

[Cynthia Bailey MD]

I really appreciate that you've taken these books out for a test run. I've been looking for good low oil vegan cookbooks and the Veganomicon and Neal Barnard recipes look so good. I tend to just wing-it in the kitchen, blessed as I am to have a big veggie garden, but I love cooking beyond my imagination and need inspiration every so often. These ought to do it.

Cynthia Bailey MD
http://www.otbskincare.com/blog/

[Betty Amer]

Thanks for some of your favorite recipes and cookbooks. I enjoy your evidence-based posts immensely (as a Registered Dietitian who used to live in Cleveland Heights, and was familiar with Dr. Esselstyn's work).
The cookbook I turn to most often is Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. Recipes are easily adapted by omitting oil, for instance (although I've not yet reached that point). I've made more than two dozen of her recipes, including Portobello Fajitas, Red Bean and Sweet Potato Curry, and Black Bean Croquettes with Yellow Pepper Coulis.

[Emily Elizabeth]

My favorite addition to chili is a can of drained hominy. I've found (through many attempts at vegan-izing my favorite chili recipe) that it adds the right amount of chewiness which is essential for texture. Love your site!

[Healthy Librarian]

Carol,

Thanks for the soup recipe suggestion from Veganomicon. I must made it & it's delicious. BTW, everyone, it's called, Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs (Hope I made the right one)--and the fresh herbs are mint & dill + dried tarragon) I took your suggestion & added a can of beans for extra protein.

Thanks, Cynthia for your show of appreciation; Betty for your cookbook suggestion--which I hope to test-drive via a library copy--those recipes sound right up my taste alley; and Emily E. for you suggestion of hominy--never tried it before, but it sounds like a good chewiness substitute.

[raye lankford]

Hey, thanks for the cookbook recommendations! It's as if you read my mind. We have a fantastic vegan cafe in our hometown, and every time I eat there I think, "If I knew how to make food like this, I'd have no problem eating this way on a daily basis." I keep telling her she should come out with a cookbook. But in the meantime, I'll try one of these.

[Betsy]

I was surprised to see the cooking oil spray in some of the recipes. So you can use a little oil on your diet?

[Healthy Librarian]

Hi Betsy,

I sort of adlib a bit--but not too much, since I am following this diet for health & prevention--not as a heart disease patient.

I do not saute anything with cooking spray, and rarely use it. But my husband used a little bit to help brown & "secure" the crumbs to the baked potato wedge "croutons" for the Baked Potatoe Chard Chowder--and Dr. Barnard suggested using some so the Tortilla casserole wouldn't stick to the bottom of the pie pan.

In that case, it probably would be fine without the spray.

I don't spray my sweet potato fries--but I was putting that option out there for others, who want to cook without oil, but still make a healthier version.

I can see many benefits from cutting out oil--and certainly, for others who aren't interested in going that strict of a route--just cutting it down significantly is better than nothing.

[Pam]

Just about my favorite recipe ever is from Vegan With a Vengeance, the Punk Rock Chick Pea Gravy. Again, it is easy to saute the onions without oil.

fiddler3

[Penny]

There is a pot of All American Chili simmering on my stove right now. I can tell it's going to be delicious!

Since you like spicy food I recommend Vegan Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson. I'm liking spicy foods more and more all the time.