I think it would be very interesting to track the images I pin based on the time of day or my mood. When I’m hungry, my grub board gets a lot of attention; when I’m home on a Friday night, I tend to pin outfits I’d be wearing if I’d gone out; and when the winter weather gets to be too much, I take myself to Greece, or Mexico, or of course… to California.
So last night I decided to finally organize my grub board. It’s gotten so robust that I haven’t bothered to re-find and use a recipe in months. What a difference. These two, now tried and true, recipes are from my new and improved salad and soups boards, and they were both awesome (and wheat-free, Teeny!). The chili is vegan and the salad might as well be, so long as sriracha sauce makes the cut. Next up on Pinterest – how do I update my cover image in the new format???
Vegan Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili
I completely forgot to add the avocado or/and cilantro and it was still delicious. But what I loved most was that most of the ingredients were already in my cupboard. I pretty much prepared as I cooked and that’s what usually messes me up when I follow recipes. This one was just so simple. Plus, it’s going to make a great lunch today.
Vegan Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili
makes 6 hearty bowls of chili
one 29 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (I realized after the fact that I only had about half this amount in the cupboard, so I added garbanzo beans)
one 6 oz can tomato paste
32 oz vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced (per Caitlin, always add an extra clove)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks (mine were pretty small, so I did two)
1 cup dry quinoa
salt and pepper to taste
avocado, cilantro for garnish (optional)
Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium low heat. Add onions, and cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the beans, stock, and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper . Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes – 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick for your liking. Top with avocado and chopped cilantro.
Raw Kale and Avocado Salad with Lime Sriracha Vinaigrette
This one was very quickly and easily prepared while the chili cooked (once the quinoa had been added).
Raw Kale and Avocado Salad with Lime Sriracha Vinaigrette
- Kale leaves, rough chop (I used about 1-2 cups, raw)
- Juice of half a lime
- Extra virgin olive oil, roughly 1 tablespoon
- 1 small ripe avocado, sliced
- Couple squirts of Sriracha, roughly 1-2 teaspooons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Flavor to taste (I used the whole lime because it wasn’t very juicy – probably could have added extra sriracha, too). Serve at room temperature.
