Appetite for Reduction: Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili

Before learning to cook, I rarely ate beans. I didn't like the taste and texture of it. My first like of beans only happened in college when I bought a veggie burrito with black beans in it. Love! Since then, I bought canned black beans just to replicate that burrito at home.

So it was a departure from my regular eating routine to make Isa's Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili. I can count the number of times I've eaten chili on one hand, usually because they're spicy which I can't take. But I had to use up the leftover black bean from the quinoa salad and this seemed tasty.

For the veggies, I used corn, cauliflower, green bell pepper, carrot, and onion. As I was cooking, DH came over for a peek and commented, "Wow, looks really healthy." That's code for, "I don't think I'll like it that much." DH isn't a bean person at all.

Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili

My modifications:
1. I left out the chili powder since I can't take the heat. I guess I can't really call this chili now can I?
2. I didn't have diced tomatoes, canned or fresh, nor tomato paste. But I did have a jar of pasta sauce! Worked out okay, methinks.

Verdict:
I ended up eating the bulk of it since, ahem, someone really doesn't like beans. ;-) This works great in a tortilla wrap too, but then again, what doesn't? As I like to say, everything tastes better in a wrap!

*****
This funny video demonstrates why guinea pigs aren't a good choice for film. Thanks to Papua Piig for sharing!

Appetite for Reduction: Bhutanese Pineapple Rice & Masala Baked Tofu

Have you ever seen pineapple rice served in the shell of a pineapple? The first time I saw it, I was so amazed at the presentation. It's so clever, don't you think? And no dishes to do afterward, bonus! :-)

Though I didn't serve Isa's Bhutanese Pineapple Rice in a pineapple shell, it was nevertheless simple and delicious. The addition of fresh cilantro was a nice touch. I served it with Masala Baked Tofu.

Bhutanese Pineapple Rice & Masala Baked Tofu

My modifications:
1. used white jasmine rice, not Bhutanese red rice (never heard of such a thing!)
2. used curry powder since I was out of red curry paste
3. sauted the pineapple chunks at the beginning with the onion, garlic, and ginger instead of adding it at the end; I like my pineapple a little caramelized.

Verdict:
This is my favorite recipe from the book thus far. DH thinks it's a keeper too.

*****

I've been remiss in telling you about the TofuXpress gadget I won last year and that is not to say I haven't been using it. Quite the opposite! I'd never bothered to press my tofu before I got this handy gadget. Now tofu rarely gets cooked without going into the Tofuxpress first, even if just for a few minutes. The instruction tells you to press the tofu for an hour or more, but five minutes usually squeezes out enough water for my purposes. With the water out, the tofu fries much faster. DH also marveled at the difference it makes. I love this thing!  Does anyone else use the TofuXpress?

*****

"Move your butt!"

This is Bert and Belle squeezing for space along the crook of my arm while we cuddled in bed. I usually have just one at a time so they're not used to sharing the space. ;-)

Have a great week ahead!

Appetite for Reduction: Herb Roasted Cauliflower & Bread Crumbs

Isa's recipe for Herb Roasted Cauliflower & Bread Crumbs seemed similar to how I usually make roasted cauliflower but the bread crumbs were a new twist I had to try!

Herb Roasted Cauliflower & Bread Crumbs

Usually when bread crumbs are involved, there's a batter of some sort to make it stick to the food. But nope, not in this recipe! Isa just instructs us to lightly dampen the cauliflower and the bread crumbs would stick just fine. Brilliant!

My modifications:
1. I didn't use any oil or cooking spray.
2. I added onion and garlic powder to season the bread crumbs.

Verdict:
Yum! I brought it to work and a non-vegan said it tasted like there was Parmesan on them because of the seasoned bread crumbs, which surprised me since I didn't even add nooch. Hmm, that's another idea...  :-)

Appetite for Reduction: Quinoa Salad w/ Black Beans & Toasted Cumin Seeds + Giveaway Winner!

For my third recipe from Appetite for Reduction, I chose Quinoa Salad w/ Black Beans & Toasted Cumin Seeds since there was leftover quinoa in the fridge. It was only after it was all put together that I realized how similar it is to how I already eat black bean quinoa salad, minus the cumin seeds. I didn't have cumin seeds so I substituted with regular cumin powder. It did add a little pizazz to the dish; I liked it! How much nicer it might have been with toasted cumin seeds. :-) I served it on tortilla because to me, everything tastes better in a wrap.

Quinoa Salad w/ Black Beans & Toasted Cumin Seeds on Tortilla

Now on to the guinea pig calendar giveaway winner! Thanks to all who entered; I loved reading about your pets. :-) And the winner is...

Shannon! I'll send you an email soon. Congratulations!

Appetite for Reduction: Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette & Raw Kale Salad

Bert

Happy President's Day! I hereby thank all the Presidents for giving us an excuse for having this day off. It's another glorious day, warm enough to throw open a few windows to let the fresh air flow in. Breathe in and ahhhhhhh...

Today's Appetite for Reduction recipe was chosen to accommodate my sudden craving for raw kale. I chose "Sushi Roll Edamame Salad" thinking I could sub the kale for the romaine lettuce suggested. But I ended up subbing or not having a few key ingredients and now I no longer dare to say I made "Sushi Roll Edamame Salad" for fear of offending Isa. Let's just say I was inspired by it! :-)

I did however make the accompanying "Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette" to the letter.

Sushi kale salad

Not sure if you can see it, but the vinaigrette is a lovely light green color from blending the green onion. The recipe recommended 1-2 cups of chopped green onions; I used one cup (2 stalks). The recipe called for red miso but I used white since that was all I had. Isa did say that was okay though (pg 12).

And the verdict? Whoa. I can say it's not a light tasting salad dressing. I should have known better because when I use miso for soup, I only use 1-2 tablespoons for a big pot of water. This recipe called for 1/4 cup of miso with only half a cup of water. Whoa. So a little of this dressing goes a long way. I usually like my salads smothered with dressing but I couldn't take much of this one. It's also my fault for pairing it with raw kale which is kind of bitter. I shall try it with lettuce next time.

What I do like very much about this meal is adding seaweed to salad. That's a wonderful way to eat more seaweed without making sushi. Yum!

*****

As I was finishing this post, I read about the 6.3 earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand a few hours ago. Living in an earthquake zone and having been through a severe earthquake, I can relate. Very scary stuff. My thoughts are with the people who are affected by this earthquake. May they remain unharmed and recover quickly from the damages.

In related news, there was a sad report yesterday of 107 Pilot Whales that died on a New Zealand beach. I wonder if there's some sort of connection to today's earthquake or is it pure coincidence? Hmm...

Appetite for Reduction: Curry Laksa

I've had Isa Chandra's new cookbook Appetite for Reduction for quite some time now and finally got the chance to cook from it. First up: Curry Laksa!

Curry Laksa is a popular spicy coconut curry noodle dish in Singapore and Malaysia. Laksa refers to the herb often used in Southasian cooking. It looks like a slender version of mint and is sometimes called Vietnamese mint or coriander. It can be found in Asian groceries but since not everyone has access to that, Isa replaced it with regular coriander instead.

Curry Laksa

Some things I would do differently next time I make it:
- Add less lime juice. I recommend taste testing as you add when you make it.
- Add more coconut milk. Even though that would make it less of a low fat recipe, I like my broth creamier.
- Make sure not to overcook the the bok choy! That was totally my fault because I didn't prep everything beforehand. Thank goodness I followed Isa's tip of cooking the leaf and stem separately, otherwise I'd have some mushy leaves in my soup.

If you can find the laksa herb in your local market, definitely give it a try in this recipe. And if you ever travel to Singapore, I have it on good authority that the Loving Huts there have really good vegan laksa. :-)