Recipe: Vegetable Chili

This recipe is from Chef Jenny Brewer, guest contributor to the Tender Palate.  See her meal planning article that includes this Vegetarian Chili, and how you can plan your week around it.

Ingredients

 Serves 6

This chili is easy to make, low in fat and loaded with protein and fiber.  It is inexpensive, filling and makes great leftovers.

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups (about 4 ounces) fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 Tablespoon cumin powder

2 Tablespoons chili powder

2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo, minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste (save rest of can in another container)

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, not drained

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Put it Together

Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add garlic and onion; saute for a minute or two, then add peppers, mushrooms and zucchini, saute for a few more minutes, then add seasonings and tomato paste, stirring to make sure tomato paste is dissolved.

Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes (or longer, this is a great recipe for a crockpot!) and serve.

About Chef Jenny Brewer

Chef Jenny Brewer is passionate about making healthy foods flavorful and fun. For free recipes and more meal plan information, visit www.jennybrewer.com.

More from Chef Jenny

Not Your Mamma's Chocolate Mousse Tart (super allergen-free)

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan, DF, GF, Soy-free, Nut-free)

Plan Your Meals, Change Your Life! 

A Day of Meals for Tender Foodies!

Soy-, Dairy-, Gluten-, Nut-, and Egg-free

 

In keeping with the meal planning tips from Chef Jenny Brewer, here is the article I wrote for Women's Lifestyle Magazine's March Foodie issue.  This day of meals is free of the top 8 allergens and then some.

Variety is a "Must Have"

Variety is the spice of life.  Did you know that variety is also necessary for a healthy body? As we eat, each nutrient performs a set of very specific, highly complex tasks that keep us walking, talking and vibrant. Our bodies use magnesium, for instance, in over 300 biochemical reactions (according to The National Institutes of Health*).  

When you have multiple food allergies, it isn’t so easy to find the food that you need to be fabulous. You have to reject some habits and learn to cook new and different foods. Recipes that require no adaptation are scarce. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an entire day’s worth of recipes that are free of the top 8 most common allergens?  I asked Jenny Brewer, nutritionist and chef, to lend a hand in this delicious one-day meal plan.  Each recipe, even the dessert, is packed with nutrients.  Give it a try!

Quinoa Power Breakfast

From Elisabeth Veltman

See original post on tenderpalate.com


Prep Time:  5 Min.
Cook Time:  15 Min.
Serves:  2-4

Soak 1 cup of quinoa in water for 5 minutes. Run through a very fine strainer until the water is clear. Place quinoa into a medium to large saucepan. Add to 2 1/4 cups of water and bring the entire mixture to boil. Then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. White halos will appear around the grains when the quinoa is done. Keep a little liquid in the cereal to soak up the flax seed.

Add in 1/2 cup of ground flax seed.
Add 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon (add more, to taste)
Organic black raisins, organic dried cherries or cranberries
Continue cooking for 1 more minute until the flavors are mixed and the raisins warm.
Spoon into bowls with fresh strawberries, sliced (or your favorite fruit).
Top with 1 or 2 TBS of real maple syrup.  (Grade B or C.  No high fructose corn syrup should be anywhere on the label.)
 
Leftovers will keep 2-3 days. 

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Soup

From Chef Jenny Brewer

See original post on tenderpalate.com

Prep Time:  
20 Min.
Cook Time:  
35 Min.
Serves 6-8


1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 28-can whole plum tomatoes
1-cup water or vegetable stock
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
1 dried chipotle pepper (smoked jalapeño), seeded and chopped (easiest to do with scissors)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, pepper, garlic, and sweet potato chunks. Sauté, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
 Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon. Add water or stock, beans, chipotle, cumin, and chili powder, bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Lamb Chops

Adapted from About.com

See original post on tenderpalate.com

Prep Time: 12 Min.
Cook Time: 16 Min.
Yield: Serves 2 to 4


4 loin lamb chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (optional)

 
Preparation:
Combine the vinegar, rosemary, garlic and salt in a large glass bowl (or an 8x8 shallow pan). Slowly drizzle and simultaneously which in the olive oil. Place chops in bowl and turn repeatedly to coat well. You could put all of the contents into a Ziploc bag, too. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours. Once marinated, remove chops from fridge and bring to room temperature (15 minutes). Preheat grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Remove chops from marinade and place on a lightly oiled grill rack. Cook for 8 minutes on each side. Remove from heat, and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes.  Serve.

Not Your Mama’s Chocolate Mousse Tart

From Chef Jenny Brewer

See the original post on tenderpalate.com

Crust

1 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted*
½ cup popped millet**
½ cup raisins
1/3 cup dates, pitted
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 4 Tablespoons water and left to gel for 3-5 minutes           
Pinch of salt
In a food processor bowl, pulse pumpkin seeds and millet until seeds are ground. Add raisins, dates and pinch of salt and chop until everything is ground together. Add in flax mixture and pulse until sticky. Wet your fingers and press the mixture into 8-inch pie pan and keep refrigerated while you prepare the filling.

Chocolate Mousse Filling

2 LARGE ripe Haas Avocados 
(if your avocados are small, add another avocado or more and adjust the ingredients, since avocados vary quite a bit in size.)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
3-4 TBS maple syrup (taste after 3 and add to taste)
1 TBS vanilla extract 
Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Spread into crust and chill until ready to serve.

If you would like more naughtiness, double the filling for a more voluptuous tart.

*To toast pumpkin seeds, place them in a dry skillet over medium high heat, stirring until brown, about 5-7 minutes, being very careful not to burn.

**To pop millet, place in a dry, hot skillet over medium heat and stir constantly until you hear consistent popping.  Don’t burn.

Visit the recipes on www.tenderpalate.com for videos and more information.

About Elisabeth Veltman

Writer, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is a Tender Foodie. She started The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table. Find her at www.tenderpalate.com.

Plan Your Meals--Change Your Life! (plus a vegetarian chilli recipe)

Too Busy To Plan?  (Nah)

We all know that eating nourishing, healthy food can give us more energy and keep us feeling great in our bodies, yet have you found that the busy-ness of life got in the way of eating healthier? Have you ever felt so rushed for time that you ate something unhealthy just because it was convenient?  Isn’t it true that the times when we think we don’t have time to eat healthy are the times that we need healthy foods the most? The first way to start eating healthier is by planning out your meals and snacks for the week.

I truly believe that planning your meals is the key to making healthy eating a lifestyle instead of something you do occasionally. Planning meals can greatly reduce the stress in your life by preventing those last minute shopping expeditions or trips to the take out place down the street.  But more importantly, when you have healthy food to look forward to it becomes easier to make healthy food choices.  And when you make healthy food choices you feel better, increase your resistance to stress and have more energy to be active.

I know what some of you are thinking, but how much time is this going to take me? I suggest you INVEST 30 minutes at the beginning of each week to plan your meals and snacks and write your and shopping list for the week.  

Two Steps to Better Meal Plans

When deciding which meals and snacks to plan for, here are two things to keep in mind:

#1: Plan your meals according to how many nights you want to cook

Yes, you have to eat 7 days a week but you don’t have to cook everyday.  Instead of planning 7 nights of meals, getting overwhelmed and diving headfirst into a pizza, how about starting off with three?  This way, you can make large quantities and have a plan for your leftovers. No, putting them in a huge Tupperware container with a plate on top because you can’t find the lid is not a plan (am I the only one who has done this?).  Instead, take the time to separate out individual servings and freeze them for this week’s lunches or future dinners. 

Example

Night One: Vegetable Chili.  After dinner, pack up 2 containers of leftovers, keep one in the fridge and freeze one.

Night Two: Baked Potatoes with Vegetable Chili on top

Over the Weekend: Nachos made with the chili from the freezer

#2: Have a high protein refrigerator staple in the fridge.

Protein is what keeps us satisfied and keeps us from grabbing tons of food, yet it is typically the last thing (besides maybe broccoli?) that we reach for when we are really hungry. Be sure you have a high protein fridge staple, like hummus or pate that you can enjoy when you come home and are really hungry.  This way, instead of reaching for chips or cookies, you can have your delicious spread with some raw veggies as a powerful snack.

Example

Snack Planned in Advance:  Sunflower Seed Pate on cucumber slices—YUM!

Snack in the Moment:  Peanut butter spread on anything crunchy--even on stale rice cakes you found in the back of the pantry.  (Come on--admit it, I know it is not just me who has eaten this!)

Remember, planning your meals will insure you have satisfying, healthy food prepared and ready to go. This advanced planning will help you to make healthier choices when you are super hungry…a very good thing! 

Start with This Easy Recipe

Vegetable Chili

 Serves 6

This chili is easy to make, low in fat and loaded with protein and fiber.  It is inexpensive to make, filling and makes great leftovers.

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups (about 4 ounces) fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 Tablespoon cumin powder

2 Tablespoons chili powder

2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo, minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste (save rest of can in another container)

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, not drained

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add garlic and onion; saute for a minute or two, then add peppers, mushrooms and zucchini, saute for a few more minutes, then add seasonings and tomato paste, stirring to make sure tomato paste is dissolved.

Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes (or longer, this is a great recipe for a crockpot!) and serve.

If you're thinking this kind of meal planning would take too much time, you might like to try my free meal plan which will make it easy for you to shop and cook healthy, delicious gluten and dairy free foods.  Allison from Santa Cruz recently tried it and says,

“I love this meal plan! My grocery bills have actually come DOWN, we’re eating healthier, and I don’t have to think about what I’m going to make every day- that part is done for me!”

About Chef Jenny Brewer

Chef Jenny Brewer is passionate about making healthy foods flavorful and fun. For free recipes and more meal plan information, visit www.jennybrewer.com.

More from Chef Jenny

Not Your Mamma's Chocolate Mousse Tart (super allergen-free)

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan, DF, GF, Soy-free, Nut-free)

RECIPE: Black Bean & Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan, DF, GF, Nut-free, Soy-free)

Here is another great recipe from Chef Jenny Brewer, that uses the winter powerhouse called "Sweet Potato".  Chef Jenny will start guest blogging for us in March (2012), with cooking tips and recipes for Tender Foodies of all kinds.  I'm very excited to have Chef Jenny lending her expertise! 

Prep

Serves 6-8
Preparation Time:  
20 mins
Cooking time:  
35 mins

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 anaheim pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 sweet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs),peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 28-can whole plum tomatoes

1 cup water or vegetable stock

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained

1 dried chipotle pepper (smoked jalepeno), seeded and chopped (easiest to do with scissors)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Recipe

Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, pepper, garlic, and sweet potato chunks. Saute, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon.  Add water or stock, beans, chipotle, cumin, and chili powder, bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.  Stir in cilantro and serve.

About Chef Jenny Brewer

Jenny Brewer is a nutritionist and chef who believes eating healthy should be easy, delicious and fun! She inspires individuals to stay committed to eating healthy with her free healthy eating resource, Tasty Bites with Chef Jenny available at www.jennybrewer.com.

More Recipes from Chef Jenny

Not Your Mamma's Chocolate Mousse Tart (super allergen-free, healthy & delish, delish, delish)

RECIPE: Roast Chicken with Figs, Thyme, Garlic, & Sweet Potatoes

Thyme from the garden - picked in Michigan in January.

Thyme in January

When I first moved to Michigan 6 years ago, thyme was one of the first herbs I planted.  I was so grateful to have dirt to play in (15 years in the concrete jungle makes you appreciate stuff like that), that even in winter, I stepped out to stare at my garden and plan for the coming summer.  To my surprise, the thyme was thriving under the snow.  It had also turned a deeper green, and the most exposed leaves sported a beautiful hue of purple. 

Thyme and roast chicken are a classic combination winter-wise.  But since it stops growing when Jack Frost comes to town, I only harvest a few sprigs during its dormancy.  So one day in January,  I made an unusual garden trek in my wellies, without a coat, and on an unseasonably warm day...to pick some thyme. Then stuffed the butt of an organic chicken with this precious herb, along wtih lime, figs, and garlic.

Thyme grows best in July and August, so during the summer I put it into glass jars or ziploc bags, then "just" cover the thyme with olive oil, and freeze.  When I remove from the freezer, I use the infused olive oil as well as the thyme for diferent dishes.  This recipe has become a favorite means of making beta-carotene loving sweet potatoes as well.  They soak up the chicken juices and the beta carotene is activated by the olive oil.

 

Ingredients

1 -- 5-6 lb organic, roaster chicken (choose organic to be sure that the chicken has not been injected with a gluten-based solution)

CHEF TIP:  one method to get the skin crispy when roasting is to place it in the refrigerator prepared in the pan and leave uncovered for a few hours.  This gets the excess moisture out of the skin which helps it brown.

2 cups of organic parsnips (rough chopped into 2 inch pieces)

2 cups of organic carrots (rough chopped into 2 inch pieces)

3- 4 sweet potatoes (ends sliced off, and chopped into 1 inch x 2 inch pieces)

1 head of garlic (root sliced off, head rough chopped in half)

1 lime (or lemon), cut in half

Dried figs  (stems chopped off, 5 per chicken butt, 1 handful to mix with veggies)

25 sprigs of thyme (20 per chicken butt, 5 with veggies)

*if you don't have thyme, this recipe actually works well without it, too.

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.  Place the racks low in the oven so the roaster can fit.  

Vegetables:  Spread the carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and figs along the bottom of the pan.  The veggies act as a rack for your chicken.  Sprinkle the 5 thyme sprigs throughout.  Place about 1 TBS of olive oil and 1-2 tsp. of salt into your hands and toss the vegetables with it. 

Giblets:  Pull out the giblets and neck and throw into a hot pan with a little olive oil.  Fry them up (brown on all sides) and put aside for another use (the cat likes them).  I use the neck and carcass of the chicken in the Nourished Kitchen's slow cooking, immune-building bone broth, a recipe I have come to love and use often.  Pan-fry the neck as well and refrigerate overnight and then toss it into the bone broth the next day with the left over chicken and bones.

Frying Giblets

Chicken:  Rinse the chicken inside and out and remove any pin feathers.  Cut excess flabby fat from the chicken, but leave the skin on.  Pat the skin dry with a paper towel.  I always rinse my chicken, however, I've noticed that not all chefs do this.

Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil, and salt the outside and the inside of the chicken.

Stuff the chicken cavity (the butt end) with the 20 sprigs of thyme, 5 or 6 figs and the whole head of halved garlic, and the halved lime (or lemon).  Then place on the vegetables and tuck the wings under its body (or they could overcook).

CHEF TIP:  one method to get the skin crispy when roasting is to place it in the refrigerator prepared in the pan and leave uncovered for a few hours.  This gets the excess moisture out of the skin which helps it brown.

Place the roaster in the oven at 425 degrees F for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

When the juices between the leg and the thigh run clear (not bloody or thick), your chick is done.

Remove from the oven and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes before carving. 

Joy!

Serve a Healthy Dessert

Serve the 14-Allergen-Free, Not Your Mamma's Chocolate Mousse Tart for dessert.  MMM.

 Not Your Mamma's Chocolate Mousse Tart is Nut-free, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Sesame-Free, Oat-free, Egg-free, Corn-free, Coconut-free, & Soy-free...