Meatless Mondays » Living Lou

Vegetarian Chili

We’re getting a lot of rain and wind from Hurricane Sandy here in Toronto – as in, it’s raining every single day this week. I looked at the weather app on my phone the other day, and while I do love rain, I’m not sure I love it enough to deal with it every day. When it’s raining, and cold, I love to indulge in chili. It’s so comforting and flavorful and keeps you warm. I think it’s safe to say that it’s my favourite Winter meal.

About a month ago, I was invited to an event at Whole Foods Market in Yorkville where I got to taste their amazing Thanksgiving prepared foods. It was on this day that I learned one important thing about myself. I’m not a vegan, but if I were to become a vegan, I would eat their Vegan Pumpkin Pie every single day.

Other than tasting the yummy foods, the bloggers were asked to participate in the Blogger Gobbler Challenge. And I love a good challenge. We were given two secret ingredients – a la Iron Chef style – sweet potatoes and balsamic vinegar. The possibilities were endless but I could only think of one thing – chili. So I made a Vegetarian Chili that is so good you won’t even miss the meat and it’s packed with so many delicious vegetables I guarantee you will feel fabulous after this one. This chili is also vegan, but I like to add a lot of sour cream when serving because I’m that kind of girl.

Vegetarian Chili
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups diced sweet potatoes
1 green pepper, chopped
7-10 button mushrooms, quartered
1 jalapeno, diced and seeded
2 large carrots, diced
1 19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 tbsp chipotle hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream for serving

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.

Saute onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until softened.

Add in spices and herbs, stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add all vegetables, cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, crushed tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes then simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chipotle hot sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream.

I hope everyone stays safe during the hurricane and if you have power, I highly recommend making this Vegetarian Chili.

- Lou

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini is everywhere right now, but after looking at hundreds of recipes online on other blogs, I realized that I’m really lacking in zucchini recipes on here. Gasp! But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’ve got a couple of zucchini recipes up my sleeve for those of you with bountiful zucchini growing in your garden or for those of you like me, who just really like zucchini. Zucchini Fritters are a pretty typical way to enjoy zucchini, I wanted to make mine a little different and I added fresh basil which compliments the zucchini wonderfully.

There aren’t many foods, other than the holy trifecta of bacon, eggs and toast, and we can’t forget pizza that you can eat for dinner and breakfast, but you can add these Zucchini Fritters to that list. I feel like these would even make a good packed lunch because they taste amazing when they’re cold. I like to eat mine with a little ketchup mixed with sriracha – it’s so good.

Zucchini Fritters (makes 6)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 small onion, shredded
2 zucchini, shredded
1 tbsp minced fresh chives
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 egg
2 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 + 1/4 tsp salt
Oil for frying

Directions

In a colander lined with paper towels, place zucchini with 1 tsp of salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, using more paper towel if necessary, squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible.

Combine zucchini with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Cover the pan with oil, heat over medium-high heat. Using an ice cream scoop, drop one scoop per fritter into the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. If you find that the fritters are cooking too quickly, turn the heat down to medium and continue frying.

If you’re looking for more ways to use up your zucchini, try my Stuffed Mushrooms.

- Lou

Eggplant Salad

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for a somewhat, purple dish: Eggplant Salad. It is an easy meatless, and vegan dish that is perfect to bring to a potluck. Fresh tasting, it goes well on its own or served on a piece of toast as a little crostini type dish. It’s got a little bit of a Mediterranean flare, and makes a super healthy and easy appetizer or side dish.

A little side note from the yummy recipe, March 26th is Purple Day - The Global Day of Epilepsy Awareness. Epilepsy is something close to my heart because my sister is one of the 1% of people that have epilepsy. Epilepsy is a disease that has been mistreated and condemned for centuries, but it’s something that is very real for many people. I wanted to write a little something about Epilepsy in hopes that my little spot here on the internet can help raise awareness. If you want to learn more about Purple Day and what you can do to raise awareness, take a look at the official website, Purpleday.org

Eggplant Salad
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
1 large tomato, diced
1 tbsp diced onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vinegar
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking dish, bake eggplant for an hour. Allow to cool and cut into bite sized pieces.

Add tomato, onion and garlic to bowl. Add in the eggplant.

Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and parsley.

I hope you enjoy this Eggplant Salad.

- Lou

French Canadian Pancakes

I don’t know if these are considered a “traditional” French Canadian Pancake but this is an old family recipe. My Dad has been making these pancakes for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, he used to roll them up, almost as you would a crepe. While I do love the thicker, fluffier pancakes, these ones will always hold a special place in my heart. As you can see, they are thin, not as thin as crepes, but thinner than you typical, fluffy pancake. The texture is a little bit chewy and magically, they soak up all of the maple syrup on the plate. My favourite part is when they get this delicious browning on all sides which adds a nice texture and sweetness.

There’s just something that is so much fun about eating a big stack of pancakes for dinner. It’s as if you’re beating the system or rebelling against society. I can just imagine a little kid stamping their feet saying, “I want pancakes for dinner, not salad.” After a long, exhausting and defeating day, pancakes are the perfect dinner to shine a little light on your day. You might even say that these can cure a case of the Mondays.

Man, Mondays are not my favourite.

French Canadian Pancakes (serves 2-4)
Old family recipe

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 tbsp melted butter + more for frying
2 cups milk

Directions

In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Beat in remaining wet ingredients. The mixture may be a little lumpy.

Heat butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Ladle the thin batter into the pan. Cook for one to two minutes or until bubbles appear, flip and repeat until fully cooked.

Who is going to beat a case of the Mondays with these pancakes?

- Lou

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

I can’t think of a better way to start the week other than with this Roasted Sweet Potato Soup. It’s utterly packed with vitamins and goodness and of course, flavour! It’s a dark and gloomy morning as I sit to write this post, and all I can think about is enjoying a warm and bright bowl of this soup when I get home tonight.

Sometimes, I get bored of soups – actually I get bored of most things at some point. However, I think I get bored more easily by soups and sandwiches. I don’t really know why since there are hundreds of flavor combinations to enjoy, but sometimes they’re just dull. Not this soup though – packed with rosemary and a touch of natural sweetness; it’s quickly become one of my favourites. This soup was my Mom’s idea – we both love sweet potatoes, and were craving soup, so, this soup was developed. It’s perfect for Meatless Monday and any weeknight in general. Here’s the thing people, soups are so easy to make and nice and healthy. This one is vegan but if you wanted to add a little cream or milk, I don’t see why not.

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup (serves 4-6)

Ingredients

3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried rosemary
3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Place chopped vegetables and garlic in a roasting pan – toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and 1 tsp of rosemary.

Roast for 20 minutes.

Remove from pan and add to a large soup pot. Cover with broth and add the remaining rosemary. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40-45 minutes.

Puree with the soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender. If using a regular blender, puree the soup in batches.

Stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Well I’m off to battle the gloominess outside but am eagerly awaiting this bowl of this sunshine when I get home!

Here’s to a great week,

Lou