Vegan Yack Attack

Squash & Leek Soup with Caramelized Apple Chips

I used this recipe for the soup but I used half Delicata squash and half Butternut Squash because that is what I had on hand. I also substituted the butter for a smaller quantity of Earth Balance and omitted the sour cream. The soup turned out great, and I am so happy that I have an immersion blender now, it makes a huge difference.

Mixed Green Salad

I also made a mixed green salad of lettuce and delicious arugula; topped with dried cranberries, satsuma tangerines, and chopped almonds. For the dressing a mixed together a homemade vinaigrette using this recipe and it turned out delicious, the fresh garlic really has an impact on taste.

“Cheezy” Oatmeal topped with Sauteed Swiss Chard

I saw this recipe today and thought, “I have a surplus of oatmeal that I need to use, I am making this for dinner!” Nerdy? Yes. Tasty? Hell yes.

So I decided to top it with some greenery, which is a simple mixture of:

1/2 One White Onion (turned pink by the Chard)

2 LG. Cloves of Garlic

1/4 Cup of chopped Walnuts

3 Cups Freshly Chopped Swiss Chard

These two together were SO GOOD! The oatmeal really wasn’t that cheesy tasting but it had great flavor and went well with the veggies. I went back for seconds and a half even, I’m terribly full but I don’t regret it!

Sidenote: I tripled the oatmeal recipe because I was not the only one eating; I also reduced a lot of the liquid out for more of a mashed potato consistency, but you can make them as runny as you’d like!

Quick and Easy Vegan Chili

This is a recipe I made up tonight, but it turned out really good and was extremely filling! Here’s a pretty accurate recipe of what I created.

Makes Roughly 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb Butternut squash (cooked and scooped out); Roughly 1 1/2 Cups
2 Tbsp. Grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
1 Large onion (diced)
1 Red bell pepper (diced)
3 Stalks of Celery (chopped)
3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
1 15oz. Can garbanzo beans
1 15oz. Can black beans
1 15oz. Can corn kernels
3 oz. Tomato Paste
1 1/2 tsp. Liquid smoke
2 tsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. Ground Cumin Seed
1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/2-1 Cup of water or Vegetable broth (depending on how thick you want it)
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Daiya Cheddar Cheeze for topping (optional)

Directions:

Cut your butternut squash in half, de-seed it and place both halves (cut side down) into a casserole dish and use a fork to poke holes in the rind. Put 1/4” of water in the dish and put in the microwave for 12-15 minutes. While that is cooking dice your bell pepper, onion and celery; mince the garlic and also, open your canned goods, drain, rinse and drain again. Your squash should be done by now so scoop it out into a bowl and give it a light mashing.

Get a medium to large sized pot and put the grapeseed oil in on medium-high, throw the chopped veggies + garlic in and saute until the onions are clear. Turn down to medium and put the beans, chickpeas, corn and tomato paste in plus all of the spices and liquid smoke. Stir until everything is mixed well and cooked throughout, add water/broth to get desired consistency. Taste and add salt/pepper until it is to your liking, or add more of the other spices.

Put in bowl, top with cheddar cheeze and enjoy!