Vegan Chili with Avocado

Vegan Chili with Avocado

Since moving downtown and kicking up the work hours, I have been finding myself spending less and less time in my gorgeous kitchen. Which is completely obvious by the lack of posts the last couple of months, right?

As the school year comes to a close and the realization that I am about to spend my summer living in dormitories hits me, I am racing back to my kitchen to kick it into high gear. However, I still don't have a ton of time during the weekdays. Thus, I am trying to prepare meals that can be reheated throughout the week. This one was a winner so I had to share.

Vegan Chili with (optional) Avocado - Serves 8

Ingredients
1 block of extra firm organic tofu packed in water (14-ounce package)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 small red onions, chopped
2 lb frozen broccoli
5 cloves of garlic, diced
1 15-ounce can of no-salt added pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can of no-salt added black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can of no-salt added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 4-ounce can of chopped chilies
2.5 cups frozen sweet corn kernels
2 large zucchini, diced

Instructions
1. Freeze the tofu. Defrost it fully. Squeeze all excess water and crumble.

2. Lay bag of frozen broccoli out on table. Beat to death with a meat cleaver. Feel better about life and get lots of broccoli crumbs in the process. I guess you could also just defrost and dice it but that's not what I did. My method was both tasty and therapuetic ;o)

3. Heat large stockpot over medium-high heat and brown tofu with chili powder and cumin for several minutes.

4. Add onions and cook for several more minutes.

5. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Bring temperature down to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 2.5 to 3 hours.

I mashed up an avocado and spooned some of it on top for a creamy element. Nutritional Information does not include avocado because I'll be honest... I can't measure that goodness!

Nutritional Information for 1/8 of recipe: 296 calories, 2.9g fat, 47g carbs, 14.5g fiber, 17.5g protein
Nutritional Information for full recipe: 2364 calories, 23g fat, 378g carb, 116g fiber, 17.5g protein

Mustard-Tarragon Tofu Steaks with Balsamic Mushroom Pockets

This recipe was crafted to pair with a California Zinfandel for my round three Project Food Blog challenge. Other than knowing I used a pound of mushrooms, a cup of vegetable broth, and a half-cup of balsamic vinegar, the rest of the dish was made by feel. It is really easy to make even if you aren't used to cooking without measurements.

Mix mustard that contains whole seeds with fresh tarragon and brush it over extra-firm tofu which has been pressed to remove excess water. Bake the steaks at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes.

The mushroom pockets are made by pan-frying a pound of sliced mushrooms (I used a local mix) in olive oil and then adding a cup of vegetable broth and a half-cup of balsamic vinegar. I cooked the mushroom mixture on medium-low until the sauce has reduced, about 10-15 minutes. Scoop mushrooms (save the liquid!) into whole wheat phyllo dough and fold into pockets. Baked at 450 degrees until lightly brown, less than eight minutes. You can drizzle the remaining liquid over the pockets once you have plated.

Tofu-Snap Pea-Rice Scramble

This is quick and easy. It doesn't look pretty but it is tasty and full of nutrients.

1 lb or so of snap peas*
1 vacuum-sealed package of lite firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
1 TBSP hoisin sauce
1 TBSP oyster sauce
powdered ginger to taste
2 cups of rice (I used Uncle Ben's brown and wild rice ready package)

Mix tofu, sauces, and ginger together. Let sit for a few minutes.

Stir fry the snap peas in a wok or high rimmed pan until they brown slightly and the water has evaporated out (You may need cooking spray to prevent sticking to pan). Add tofu mix and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Add rice and finish up until rice is heated through.

I added low sodium soy to my finished dish.

This can become a Core dish I believe if you use brown rice. The two sauces combined are 30 calories total for the whole dish so even if they are not Core, it should be okay.

4 servings = 3 points
3 servings = 4 points

I will report later how it reheats. It is my biggest concern since the peas are already slightly limp.

TWO DAYS LATER: Yesterday's reheat was great. As long as you don't expect the peas to be crisp. Today it was still quite tasty but I definitely noticed that I forgot to pull off some strings off the beans as it was a little chewier.

* Just a warning... I did not tally these into my points count. Some people count veggies, it might add a point based on serving size breakdown.