Perfect Hominy White Bean Chili and Cornbread

I have been wanting to make this recipe Robin Roberston's Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker cookbook for a long time.  I know the point of a slow cooker is to help when you don't have time to cook, but I haven't even had time to throw this stuff in a slow cooker! 

I finally made it, and added some kidney beans in addition to the Navy beans and hominy.  I topped the warm, spicy chili with fresh slices of avocado and made vegan corn bread on the side.

The cornbread recipe came from the back of the package of Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Meal.  Super easy. 

If you want the recipes, go buy this book because it is amazing, and maybe pick up some of that corn meal.

Mac and Cheese Florentine

I don't know what my deal with Mac and Cheese is, but for the past couple years, I just can't get enough of it.  Maybe it's because I finally figured out dairy-free ways to make this ultimate comfort food, because before the first time I made the vegan version about two years ago, I literally hadn't had Mac and Cheese since I was a kid.

This is actually a recipe from my vegetarian slow cooker book, but I made it in a regular casserole dish and baked it in the oven.

I'll go ahead and just put the original slow cooker recipe and directions in here, but these are my modifications:

I used whole wheat elbow pasta
I used fresh spinach instead of frozen (mainly because Sprouts didn't have ANY frozen spinach?!  I found that a little odd.)
I added four chopped and sauteed mushrooms.
I added 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and 1/2 cup vegan Daiya cheddar

Everything else is the same!

(Courtesy Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson)

Ingredients:
8 ounces elbow macaroni
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to package, well drained and set aside
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews
1 3/4 cups water
One 15.5 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon white miso paste (optional)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions:
1.  Cook the macaroni in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Drain and place in a large bowl.  Add the spinach and toss to combine.  Set aside.

2.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.

3.  Ground the cashews to a powder in a blender or food processor.  Add 1 cup of the water and blend until smooth.  Add the onion, beans, miso paste, if using, the remaining 3/4 cup water, the lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, and nutmeg and season with salt.  (The amount of salt you need depends on whether or not you use the miso paste, which tends to be salty.)  Blend until smooth, then taste to adjust the seasonings.  Pour the sauce over the macaroni and spinach and mix well.

4.  Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 4-quart slow cooker.  Cove and cook on low for 3 hours.

5.  Close to serving time, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the bread crums, stirring to coat them with the oil.  Cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  When ready to serve, sprinkle the roasted crumbs on top of the casserole.

Singapore-Style Noodles

As I gazed at the contents of my pantry and kitchen, I pondered what I could make with the huge bag of rice noodles that's been sitting there for months.  I went to google and found this recipe from vegan.com:  Singapore-Style Rice Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables

It's from one of Robin Robertson's cookbooks.  I have one her other cookbooks, and I love it, so I knew this recipe would be good.

Below is the recipe.  It was spicy and delicious, and very filling!  It makes a lot, so we have tons of leftovers now.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rice vermicelli (mei fun)
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into strips
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons good-quality curry powder (mild or hot)
• 1 small yellow onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin matchstick strips
• 1 small carrot, shredded
• 1 ounce snow peas, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 cups small broccoli florets, lightly steamed
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Directions

Soak the rice noodles according to package directions until softened. Drain well and set aside.
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and stir-fry until browned, adding 1 tablespoon of the soy and a sprinkling of curry powder sauce while cooking.

Remove and set aside on a plate. Reheat the skillet with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and snow peas, and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes to soften. Stir in the remaining curry powder and stir-fry 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, along with the mirin, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes, stirring to mix well. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the drained rice noodles and return to a boil, stirring to coat the noodles in the sauce. Add the steamed broccoli and reserved tofu, and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed by the noodles. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot sprinkled with minced cilantro.
Serves 4