Red Kuri Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

It's fall, so you know, delicious fall soups are in order.  When I go grocery shopping, I have a general plan for my weekday meals.  A creamy fall squash soup was not on my mind at all until I saw this cute little organic red kuri squash.  At only $0.99 per pound (organic too!), this little squash was only $1.68 and makes an inexpensive starchy vegetable to base this lovely soup around.

I have been trying to move away from eating as many grains as I have been.  (Totally nothing wrong with whole grains!  But for me they often displace whole fruits and vegetables that pack more of a nutritional punch.) I feel like every fall my body says "all the rice and pasta!", so I have to consciously incorporate more starchy vegetables.  When I crack down and eat starchy vegetables like with sweet potatoes and this delicious red kuri squash, I am never disappointed.

Red Kuri Squash and Sweet Potato Soup 
Time: approx. 1 hour total
Servings: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
    1 small to medium red kuri squash
    1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (approximately 2 cups)
    1 large yellow onion, diced
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 cups vegetable broth
    1-16 oz can lite coconut milk (*see note below)
    1 Tbsp mild curry powder (**see note below)

Instructions:
1.)  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Wash the outside of the red kuri squash.  With a sharp chef's knife, carefully cut the quash in half.  Scoop out the seeds and stringy guts (these seeds can be saved and baked for a crunch snack).  Lay the squash halves face down on a baking sheet and place in preheated oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the outside of the squash halves are easily pierced with a fork.  Remove, turn over, and allow to cool.

2.)  While the squash halves are cooling, saute the onion and garlic in a medium saucepan (or in a pressure cooker), adding small amounts of vegetable broth to keep from sticking to the pan.  Once fragrant and soft add in the sweet potato and remaining vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. (Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, quick release.)

3.)  Once the squash is relatively cool, scoop out the soft flesh and discard the outer shell (compost!).  Add in the onion sweet potato soup, lite coconut milk, and curry powder.  Blend on medium-high until smooth and creamy.  Serve hot by itself or topped with some fresh cilantro or thai basil.

Amy's Notes:
*I used lite coconut milk in a can, but if you want to reduce your fat and calorie content further, you can use coconut milk from a carton, or any other low calorie unsweetened plant milk.

**For the curry powder, I used an African Curry blend that I had in my pantry, but any powdered curry will do.  If you'd like to use a curry paste, start with 1/2 tsp and add to taste as you are blending.  In case you're curious, my African Curry blend includes yellow mustard, curry leaves, fenugreek (holla at all the other breastfeeding mamas out there), onion, ginger, oriander, tumeric, cayenne, cumin, cilantro, garlic, green cardamom, black pepper, and cinnamon.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Quick Feel Better Vegetable Soup

As a Nutritarian, I rarely get sick with a common cold or any other illnesses.  On the rare occasion, my immune takes a hit if I've been traveling and not eating as well as I do at home, or if I'm under more stress than usual.  When that rare cold sneaks in, I take extra time to rest, stay hydrated, and keep my meals small and simple.

This is the soup I make myself if I feel a cold coming on because it's light, easily digestible, and full of nutrients.  You can make this on the stovetop in about 20 minutes, or use a pressure cooker and set for 2 minutes at high pressure. 

Quick Feel Better Vegetable Soup
Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
        2 cups vegetable broth (homemade, or no salt added store bought)
        2-6 garlic cloves, minced
        1/4 yellow onion, diced
        1 carrot, peeled and diced
        1 celery stalk, diced
        1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
        1 tsp no-salt seasoning
        1 tsp dried herbs of your choice (see note below)
    After cooking:
        1/2 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
        1/2 cup frozen green peas

Instructions:
1.)  In a medium pot (or in a pressure cooker) add all of the ingredients except for the rice and green peas.
2.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  (Set to cook on low pressure for 2 minutes, with a quick release following).
3.)  Add in the brown rice and frozen green peas.  Stir and heat on low until the peas are warmed through.  Serve hot!

Amy's Notes:

For the dried herbs, I like to sprinkle in dried oregano and dried basil.  Some other good options are dried parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and dill.

Adding the cooked brown rice at the end is optional.  If you are having this soup when sick with a stomach bug, white rice in this case may sit better in the tummy.


Health and Happiness,

Amy

Creamy Wild Rice and Lentil Stew

I threw this soup together one evening a while back and it ended up being BenBen's first not-just-one-ingredient food.  We are doing Baby Led Weaning, and you can read more about that here.  I think these pictures tell you how much he enjoyed it.

Made as written below it is a thick stew, but I have been thinning out individual servings with extra vegetable broth and having as a yummy soup.  This recipe is one of those set it and forget it recipes for a pressure cooker, but you can easily adapt it for a slow cooker or on the stove top.  Hope you enjoy half as much as Ben did!

Creamy Wild Rice and Lentil Stew
Time: 15 minute prep, 25 minutes high pressure
Servings: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
    Veggies:    
        1/2 onion, chopped
        2 carrots, peeled and chopped
        1 cup chopped mushrooms
        1 cup chopped tomatoes
        6 cups vegetable broth
    Dry ingredients:
        1/2 cup brown lentils
        1/2 cup black eyed peas
        1/2 cup black rice
        1/2 cup brown rice
    Spices:
         1 Tbsp no salt seasoning (I use Mrs. Dash)
         1 Tbsp oregano
         2 tsp parsley
         1 tsp cumin
         1/2 tsp corriander
         1/2 tsp onion powder
         1/2 tsp garlic powder
         1/2 tsp smoked paprika
    Optional after cooking:
         salt and pepper to taste
         1/2 cup cashew cream
         additional vegetable broth to thin
         fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions:
1.)  Place the vegetables, vegetable broth, dry ingredients, and spices in a pressure cooker and stir.
2.)  Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes and allow for a natural pressure release.
3.)  After the pressure has released, you can salt and pepper to taste, add 1/2 cup cashew cream (directions to make in my notes below), add vegetable broth to thin the recipe or individual portions, and add fresh parsley to garnish.

Amy's Notes:
To make 2 cups of cashew cream, in a high-power blender, blend together 1 cup of raw cashews and one cup of filtered water.  Blend on high, stopping and scraping the sides, and blend until smooth and creamy.  This will keep for a little over a week in the fridge, perhaps longer, but I generally go through it sooner than that.

Alternatively, you could thin the soup with an unsweetened plant milk of your choice rather than adding additional vegetable broth and cashew cream.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Loaded Black Bean Soup

How was everyone's New Years?  We spent ours going out to an early dinner at a nearby pizza place/bar, then headed home to watch Star Wars Return of the Jedi that Kevin had got for Christmas from my parents.  The days leading up to New Years Eve were spent around the house in sweatpants (me mostly knitting enjoying my new yarn, and Kevin writing the outline to the book he is starting to write).

Sweatpants time is soup time in our house, so I took this recipe written by Jill Nussinow that is in both the Instant Pot recipe book as well as her cookbook, The New Fast Food.  (Featured on this blog here as well.)  I've altered it a bit to include more beans, spices, veggies, and corn.  A soup can never have too many things in it in my opinion.  This recipe can EASILY be adapted for the stove top with a bit more cooking time and using only canned beans.  Please see my notes below the recipe.

Speaking of Jill... have you heard about Jill's new cookbook, Vegan Under Pressure that is being released on January 12th (pre-orders are available now)!?  I was lucky enough to be contacted by Jill's book agent to feature a recipe and a giveaway on the blog this coming month.  I have gotten a peek at the recipes and I can't wait to share one with you!  Stay tuned!

Loaded Black Bean Soup
(adapted from Jill Nossinow's original recipe, which you can find here)
Serves: 6
Time: 10 minute prep, 5 minute saute, 7 minute high pressure, natural pressure release, 1 minute high pressure, quick release


Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 large celery ribs, diced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
1 1/2 cups dried black beans, soaked for 8 hours
6 cups vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium preferred)
........................................................
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, non thawed
........................................................
salt to taste
cilantro to garnish
soy yogurt to top (optional)


Instructions:

1. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes in a heated pressure cooker, adding water as needed to prevent burning.  Add in the carrot, celery, and spices.  Stir well to mix and sauté for 2 more minutes.
3. Add in the soaked dried beans and vegetable broth.  Lock the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 7 minutes (those with an InstantPot can alternatively use the soup function for 7 minutes).  When the timer is done, allow the pressure to come down naturally.
4. After the pressure has been released, carefully remove the lid.  Use an immersion blender, or scoop several cups of the soup into a blender.  Blend until about half of the soup is creamy, leaving quite a few small chunks behind.
5. Add in the canned black beans and frozen corn.  Lock the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 1 minute.  Once the minute is up, carefully quick release the pressure.
6. Serve hot with cilantro to garnish and soy yogurt/sour cream to top.  Leftovers will thicken up in the fridge and the flavors will marinade to make the soup even better the next day!

Notes for adapting for the stovetop:

1. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
2. In a large soup pot, water sauté the onion and garlic.  Add in the carrot, celery, and spices.  Stir well to mix and sauté for 2 more minutes.
3. Add in 2 cans of washed and drained black beans along with the vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.
4. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup.
5. Add in the 3rd can of rinsed and drained black beans as well as the frozen corn and cook for an additional 10 minutes without the lid.
6. Serve hot with cilantro garnish and soy yogurt to top.  Leftovers will thicken up in the fridge and the flavors will marinade to make the soup even better the next day!

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Curry Carrot Soup

We just got back yesterday from a week long vacation on an Alaskan Cruise (a few pictures are at the bottom of this post), and I came home to a bare bones fridge without any willpower to make it to the grocery store.  I grabbed all of the surviving veggies out of the pantry and fridge and got to work.  Sometimes the best recipes come from those we throw together out of necessity, and this is a keeper!

It is ever so slightly starting to feel like fall in western Washington, so this creamy, comforting soup just hit the spot.  Along with an afternoon of football, knitting, and tea, this soup got me in the mood to cuddle up on the couch, wear fuzzy socks, and relax.  Ahhhh... :)

I made this recipe in my InstantPot Duo pressure cooker, but it can easily be done on the stovetop or a crockpot by adjusting the cooking times.  See my notes below for suggested adjustments.

Curry Carrot Soup
(Pressure Cooker Friendly)
Time: 10 minutes prep, 6 minutes high pressure
Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
        2 cups chopped onion
        2 celery sticks, chopped
        4 cups chopped carrots
        1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
        1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
        1 tsp minced ginger
        1 tsp cumin seeds
        1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
        1/2 tsp dried mustard powder (optional)
        1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubbed
        1 cup dried yellow split peas
        1 cup dried red lentils
        6 cups water (boiling water will bring pot to pressure faster, optional)
        2 Tbsp mild curry powder
        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

        3 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, deseeded, and chopped

Pressure Cooker Instructions:
1.)  In a large pressure cooker, saute the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, cumin, and fennel seeds for 3-5 minutes.
2.)  Add in the remaining ingredients except for the roasted red bell peppers.  Stir to distribute spices throughout.
3.)  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.  Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 15 minutes, and then release any remaining pressure.
4.)  Carefully remove the lid once pressure has been released.  Add in the chopped roasted peppers.  Serve chunky or use an immersion blender to cream the soup, adding additional water to reach the desired consistency.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Amy's Notes:
To make this soup on the stovetop, follow the same directions to saute, but simmer for 20-30 minutes in place of the 6 minutes cooking at pressure.

To make this soup in a crockpot, throw all of the ingredients in and cook on high for about 4 hours.

I would suggest topping with green onion, cilantro, parsley, basil, or nutritional yeast.  Again, I was running on empty cupboards, so mine pictured is merely garnished with fresh ground black pepper.

Now, here are a few pictures from our Alaskan Cruise last week... :)

Our first stop was in Ketchican.  We started the day by going to Creek Street (the old red light district), and then continued for a hike up Deer Mountain.  I hiked about halfway up (1500 feet) until we got to a beautiful overlook.  We met my parents halfway up the trail and Kevin and my dad decided to continue to the top of the mountain (3200 feet) while my mom and I slowly made our way down the mountain so I would have time to check out a yarn shop in town.

This is Kevin after the long hike.  The peak above is where him and my dad made it up to.  We were all a little sore the day following, but the views and scenery made it all worth it!

Our next stop should have been up the Tracy Arm Fjord, but unfortunately someone had a medical emergency that day on the ship and we had to proceed to Juneau instead of  seeing the Tracy Arm Glacier.  Huge bummer!  Thankfully, we didn't have any hard-set plans in Juneau and were able to take a shuttle up to Mendenhall Glacier.  The weather was perfectly sunny, but just cool enough that I got to rock some of my favorite knitted pieces.

Later in Juneau we took another shuttle to the Alaskan Brewery for a guided tasting.  Lots of fun to learn about the innovative ways the brewery has adapted to produce the quantities they do with more efficiency and less environmental impacts (recycling CO2 from fermentation and using spent grain biomass for energy).  The beer was delicious!

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Pressure Cooker Potato Leek Soup

In our house, we have potato leek soup a couple of times a month.  The facts that potatoes keep on the shelf so well, are often the last produce around before grocery shopping day, and cook relatively quickly have made this soup one of our main staples.

When I first became a Nutritarian, I really missed the creaminess of thick soups and sauces, so potato leek soup was one of my first favorites because it gives you that creaminess without any cow cream.  To make a similar recipe, but on the stovetop, refer to Katie's Creamy Potato Soup recipe here.  This was a recipe I adapted from my sister-in-law that I love love!

Now-a-days, I make my potato leek soup a bit differently, and in "my precious" pressure cooker.  Quite literally, I called it "my precious" in our move last weekend while a coworker of Kevin's was packing it.  Yep...  I went full-on LOTR Gollum with an appliance, but if you have one, you will know what I mean.

In the recipe I am about to share with you, I like to add lots of veggies besides potatoes and leeks.  I often throw in whatever sounds good in my fridge that needs to be used up, but this is my general recipe.  In the pressure cooker, this takes only 6 minutes at pressure with a quick release at the end!

Pressure Cooker Potato Leek Soup
Time: 10 minute prep, 6 minutes high pressure, quick release
Servings: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
        2 lbs mixed white, red, golden potatoes - peeled if not organic and cut into 2 inch cubes
        2 leeks trimmed, washed well, and sliced including most of the green portion
        2 cloves garlic, minced
        3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
        3 medium celery stalks, diced
        1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped, any variety
        1 Tbsp dried herb mix - see note below
        8 cups of water (boiling when added, if desired to reach high pressure faster)
        1-2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk (optional)

Instructions:
1.)  On the saute function, saute the chopped leeks and minced garlic for 3-5 minutes, adding water as needed to prevent burning.
2.)  Add in the remainder of the ingredients EXCEPT for the plant-based milk.  Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and cook at high pressure for 5-7 minutes.
3.)  After the allotted time, do a manual quick release of the pressure, or allow the pressure to come down naturally.
4.)  With an immersion blender or high-powered blender, blend the soup to your desired thickness, being cautious not to overprocess.  Potatoes can get a bit gummy if they are blended too much.
5.)  Stir in the desired amount of non-dairy milk.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm topped with fresh herbs, nutritional yeast, and/or green onion.


Amy's Notes:

Sometimes I substitute one leek with one yellow onion or two bunches of green onions, depending on the price of leeks during the year and my pantry stock of onions.  I find the flavor to be just as nice, and save me a bit of money as well.

For the dried herbs, I like to mix it up from batch to batch, but I generally add at least 1 Tbsp total of dried herbs.  My favorite lately is Herbs de Provence, but you could also do a mixture of thyme, rosemary, fennel seeds, basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, sage, etc.



Health and Happiness,

Amy

Aztec Corn and Quinoa Chowder

Fun Fact: February 4th is National Homemade Soup Day!

I know.  I know.  It is the dead of winter and I'm giving you guys a corn chowder recipe!?  I was just craving that sweetness of summer today, and when looking through my fridge (and freezer), a big bag of frozen corn just called to me.  Of course, you can make this with fresh-off-the-cob corn, but make do with what you have.

I made this recipe in the pressure cooker, but it can easily be made in a crockpot or on the stovetop.  In the pressure cooker, this recipe only takes 6 minutes at pressure, with 10 minutes before a quick release, meaning dinner will be on the table in about 30 minutes.  For the crockpot, I would estimate it would need 6 hours on low.  On the stovetop, it should be done after simmering for 30 minutes or so.

Serve this chowder hot or cold, with a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce or salsa.  This would also be wonderful with a bit of pico de gallo, like this recipe here, or some fresh cilantro.

Aztec Corn Chowder with Quinoa
Pressure Cooker Time: approx. 30 minutes total
(5 minutes prep, 3 minute saute, 6 minutes high pressure, 10 minutes rest before quick pressure release)

Servings: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
        1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
        1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
        1 large potato (approx. 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
        4 cups frozen or fresh corn, 1 cup reserved
        1/2 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
        1/2 cup dried quinoa, rinsed and drained
        1 bell pepper, deseeded and chopped (any color pepper)
        3 cups water
        3 cups vegetable broth
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1 1/2 tsp dried coriander
        1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
        1 tsp dried oregano

Instructions:
1.)  In the pressure cooker, saute the onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
2.)  Add all of the other ingredients, spices, and liquids, EXCEPT 1 cup of corn.
3.)  Lock the lid in place and set to cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.  After the 6 minutes, cancel the warming feature and allow to sit for 10 minutes while the pressure comes down.  After 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure.
4.)  With an immersion blender, blend the chowder until it is halfway creamy (2 cups in a blender will work too), being careful not to over-process and make the potatoes taste gummy.
5.)  Lastly, stir in the reserved cup of corn until it has warmed up with the rest of the soup.  Serve hot or cold with hot sauce, salsa, vegan cheese or sour cream, pico de gallo, cilantro, green onion, lime, etc.

Amy's Notes:
Yum!  I really love this chowder!  I went back for another half of a bowl.  For me, a bit of salsa and hot sauce really brought the flavors all together.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Quick Tomato Soup

How was everyone's Christmas?  I hope you enjoyed time with family and had save travels.  This year, Kevin and I went to his family's in Sequim, WA.  No White Christmas to be found, unfortunately, but still a lovely time.

I got quite a few kitchen goodies over Christmas from my parents, Kevin's family, and Kevin, including a large glass measuring bowl (8 cups! with a lid!), two cookbooks (Thug Kitchen and The New Fast Food), a Washington shaped cutting board, a large Kitchenaid mesh strainer, and a new pizza baking stone.  I'm so excited to try out and use all my new items....

But for now, we are spending some time relaxing and watching football.  (Have I mentioned that I'm in the Championship game for my Fantasy Football league?!)  So today, I needed a quick recipe that I could whip up in less than 15 minutes during the morning game's halftimes.  Since we have been traveling a bit, our fridge is a little bare, and no way was I going to run out to the grocery store. ;)

Quick Tomato Soup
Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
        1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1.5 cups pre-cooked)
        1 can diced tomatoes
        1.5 cups water (more to thin)
        1/4 cup raw cashews
        2 cloves garlic
        1 roasted red bell pepper
        1 tsp cumin
        1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
        black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1.)  In a high speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, adding water 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency.
2.)  Heat the soup using one of the following methods:
Blender heated option (Blendtek, Vitamix, etc.):  Continue to blend on high until the soup is warm and steamy.
Stovetop option:  Pour desired amount of soup into a saucepan and heat on medium heat on the stovetop.
3.)  Store leftovers in an airtight container.  When reheating leftovers, you may need to add more water to thin.

Amy's Notes:
This soup is wonderfully creamy, and surprisingly filling.  Feel free to top with fresh herbs, green onions, nutritional yeast, etc.

Note that there are two different options to heat the soup once it is blended.  Those with a crazy-powerful blender will be able to heat the soup by blending in just a few minutes.  I have a blender that is great for making things creamy, but doesn't quite have that umph, so I heated mine on the stove.

One thing I love about this soup, other than how quickly it comes together, is that it doesn't require any cutting or chopping.  Just toss the ingredients in, blend and yum!

After finishing the soup, I realized that it would also be an excellent pasta sauce if it isn't thinned by water too much.  This soup would also be very easy to freeze.

*Sorry for the untidy photo.
 I got about halfway through my bowl when
I realized that I NEEDED to share this with you guys. :)

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Three Bean Chili (Pressure Cooker Friendly)

As I'm sure you guys have seen on my blog, my Facebook, and my Twitter and Instagram accounts, that I am OBSESSED with my new pressure cooker, the Instant Pot IPDUO-60.  Here are some of my favorite things about it:

It has made my kitchen cleaner.  Not only do I not require different pots and pans to saute, steam, and cook everything, but I haven't had to cook separate meals for my husband because he has been enjoying a lot of what I have been making. (More about the husband in another post.)  Also, as the Instant Pot is heating up, cooking, and depressurizing, I can easily have time to clean all of my prep dishes, set the table, and set out Tupperware for any leftovers.  The Instant Pot itself is also super easy to clean!  I made oatmeal the other day with not quite enough liquid, so some stuck to the bottom.  I had it washed out in just a few minutes with soap and water.  No scrubbing!

It has made me more sane.  Not only has cooking with the Instant Pot been easier to clean, it has given me back some sanity when I'm in the kitchen.  Instead of running back and forth between sauteing, chopping, and stirring, I can set my meal to go and leave it until its ready (or when I'm ready, thank you warmer).  No stirring involved!  And because the Instant Pot cooks faster than other methods, I don't feel like I NEED to multi-task to get a meal on the table in a timely matter.  I have been enjoying getting all of my ingredients ready to go, then starting with the Instant Pot, rather than jumping from the cutting board, to the stove top, then sink, and back again.

It has made my kitchen quieter.  When I imagined getting a pressure cooker, I was thinking it would be loud and make noises similar to a steaming teapot.  Wrong!  The only time the Instant Pot isn't perfectly quiet is when the lid opens and closes (happy little notes), it beeps to let me know it has started and finished, if you are sauteing something (which goes really quickly because it can get so hot), and if you do a quick release of pressure rather than a natural release at the end of cooking.  I'm sure Kevin would tell you (as he is trying to watch football) that my old kitchen cooking with pots and pans was much more disruptive.

It has helped me to be better organized.  Many of the recipes I have made so far include dried beans.  Because of this, I have been planning what I will be making a day or two before so that I can soak the beans while I am at work the day that I plan on using them.  I feel like I can also plan for the perfect amount of leftovers for lunch the next day for Kevin and I.  When I used to make things on the stove, I would have a difficult time estimating quantities and end up with too much food.  I would get sick of the leftovers and have to toss a lot out.

It makes meals more flavorful.  When cooking meals in the pressure cooker, you often have to add more amounts of spices, probably due to the lack of evaporation in the recipe and the reduced time in cooking.  That being said, once you do add the extra spices, your food comes out cooked perfectly and wonderfully flavorful.  I have found that I haven't wanted to add salt to anything I have cooked in my Instant Pot.

It has saved and is going to save us money.  Let's do a little bean math!  Just in this last week alone, I have made recipes with the equivalent of about 15 cans of beans (Keep in mind that my husband has been eating 1.5+ cups of beans a day, and we had my parents over to visit for the weekend).  At my grocery store, a can of low sodium beans costs around $1, making our weekly bean consumption equal to $15 worth of cans.  BUT, because of the pressure cooker, I have been using dried beans in all of our meals.

15 cans = 22.5 cups of beans
1 lb dried beans = 8 cups cooked beans
1 lb dried beans = $2
22.5 cups beans = 2.8 lbs dried beans = $5.63

That saves almost $10 in one week alone!  That equates to over $500 in savings over a year.  That number alone makes the pressure cooker worth the money!

Now, on to the recipe!  I made this in my pressure cooker as adapted from Lorna Sass' Black Bean Chili recipe from Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure.  I started with her recipe and added in extra veggies, different beans, and different spices.  While this recipe was made in a pressure cooker, it can easily be done on the stove top or in a crock pot with pre-cooked beans (amounts in parenthesis).  Please see the instructions below for each adaptation.

Three Bean Chili
Time: 
    Pressure Cooker: 10 minutes prep, 12 minutes high pressure, 10 minute natural pressure release
    Stove top: 10 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking (with canned beans)
    Crock pot: 10 minutes prep, 4 hours high/8 hours low (with canned beans)
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

    Soak:
        2/3 cup dried black beans, soaked for 8 hours (or 1 1/2 cup cooked black beans/1 can)
        2/3 cup dried pinto beans, soaked for 8 hours (or 1 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans/1 can)
        2/3 cup dried red beans, soaked for 8 hours ( or 1 1/2 cup cooked red or kidney beans/1 can)

    Saute:
        1 tsp cumin seeds
        2 cups onion, chopped
        1 Tbsp minced garlic

    Add:
        3 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth, boiling
        3/4 cup carrots, chopped, about 2 carrot sticks
        1/4 cup celery, chopped, about 1 celery stick)
        1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped
        2 Tbsp mild chili powder
        1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
        1 1/2 tsp cumin
        1 tsp smoked paprika
        1/2 tsp coriander
        1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

    After Pressure Cooking:
        1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
        1-14.5 oz can tomato sauce

    Topping Ideas:
        fresh cilantro
        fresh parsley
        cashew sour cream (recipe from Helyn's Healthy Kitchen)
        green onions
        nutritional yeast
        roasted red peppers
        black olives
        favorite hot sauce
        shredded vegan cheese

Pressure Cooker Instructions:
1.)  Rinse and pick over all of the dried beans.  In a large bowl combine all of the dried beans and cover with water.  Allow to soak for at least 8 hours.  Drain and rinse after soaking.
2.)  In the pressure cooker, saute the cumin seeds, onion, and minced garlic for 5 minutes, adding vegetable broth or water to prevent burning as needed.
3.)  Add the remaining ingredients, reserving the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for after pressure cooking.  Stir well and lock lid into place, with the venting valve closed.  Set to manual high pressure for 12 minutes.  Once 12 minutes are up, allow the pressure cooker to go into warming mode for 15 minutes.
4.)  After 15 minutes, turn the warming unit off and quick release any remaining pressure, OR allow pressure to come all the way down naturally.  Stir in the can of diced tomatoes and can of tomato sauce.  Allow to cool and thicken with the lid off if time allows.  If you find the chili isn't thick enough, blend 1-2 cups in a high speed blender and return to the pot, or use an immersion blender.
5.)  Serve hot with any of the topping ideas above.

Stove top Instructions:
1.) Drain and rinse the 3 cans of beans.
2.) In a large dutch oven, saute the cumin seeds, onion, and minced garlic on high heat for 5 minutes, adding vegetable broth or water to prevent burning as needed.
3.)  Add the remaining ingredients including the diced tomato and tomato sauce.  Stir well to incorporate.
4.)  Bring to a boil, and then lower heat.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  You may need to add more liquid as needed to achieve your desired chili consistency.  If you find the chili isn't thick enough, blend 1-2 cups in a high speed blender, or use an immersion blender.
5.)  Serve hot with any of the topping ideas above.

Crock pot Instructions:
1.) Drain and rinse the 3 cans of beans.
2.) In a frying pan on the stove top, saute the cumin seeds, onion, and garlic for 5 minutes.
3.) Add all ingredients, including the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, to the crock pot.  Stir well to incorporate.
4.)  Cook covered in the crock pot on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  You may need to add more liquid as needed to achieve your desired chili consistency.  If you find the chili isn't thick enough, blend 1-2 cups in a high speed blender, or use an immersion blender.
5.)  Serve hot with any of the topping ideas above.

Amy's Notes:
I have not tried this recipe on the stove top or crock pot, but I assume the results will be deliciously similar.

With the pressure cooker method, you can decrease the cooking time even more by using canned/cooked beans.  If this is the case, I would reduce the cooking time at high pressure to 7 minutes with a natural pressure release.  Just use your best judgement as you change the recipe!

This chili is wonderfully flavorful!  I have been enjoying it on its own with some of the toppings above, but it would also be great served on any type of baked potato; with a cooked whole grain like brown rice, barley, or quinoa; or with tortilla chips on the side.  This time, I served mine with nutritional yeast, cilantro, green onions, and roasted red pepper.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Vegan Red Beans and Rice

While Kevin and I were on our (year and a half later) honeymoon last month, our cruise left out of Galveston, Texas, and we were determined to try some Cajun food before we headed back home.  We planned on staying two extra days after our cruise made it back to Texas so that we could check out the Houston Zoo and NASA Space Center.

The evening after the zoo, we explored a small pier area near our hotel close to NASA, called Kemah Boardwalk.  The little rides and shops were wonderfully picturesque, but unfortunately, it started to downpour with a huge thunder storm passing through.  In the distance about a half a mile from the boardwalk, we could see a place called the Swamp Shack.  With no taxis in sight, we decided to hike it through the storm to get our taste of Cajun food.

By the time we arrived at the restaurant, we were soaking!  We rewarded our daring hike through the storm with a pitcher of beer and ordered some delicious food.  Kevin got a giant platter of crawdads, while I ordered a big bowl of red beans and rice.  These beans were not Nutritarian-friendly and contained meat, but after a long trip, I was happy to have some beans in my system, and boy they were delicious!

Once we got home, I knew I would be able to recreate the Red Beans and Rice in a vegan version.  After doing some research on red beans and rice, I came up with my own recipe.  WOW!  This will be a new regular recipe for our household for sure!

Vegan Cajun Red Beans and Rice
Prep time: 12 hours, or 1 hour quick-soak
Cook time: 2.5 hours
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
        1 lb dried red beans, soaked over night or using the quick-soak method (see directions below)
        1 medium sweet/yellow onion, finely chopped
        1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
        3 celery stalks, finely chopped
        4 cloves garlic, minced (approximately 1 Tbsp)
        4 cups vegetable broth
        2 cups water
        1 Tbsp chili powder
        1 tsp smoked paprika (or add regular paprika and a drop or two of liquid smoke)
        1 tsp thyme
        1/2 tsp oregano
        1/2 tsp parsley
        2 bay leaves
        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
        Fresh ground black pepper to taste

        Cooked brown rice or whole grain of your choosing
        Sliced green onions to top
        Favorite hot sauce to top

Instructions:
    Bean Pre-Soak:
        1.)  In a colander, rinse the dried beans and pick out any sticks, stones, or wrinkled beans.
        2.)  Place the sorted beans into a large pot and add water until the beans are covered by two or three inches of water.  Allow to soak overnight, or do the quick-soak.
        3.)  If you are choosing to quick-soak, bring the pot of beans and water to a boil.  Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and cover.  Allow to sit for 1 hour.
        4.)  After pre-soaking with either technique, drain the beans and rinse with cool, clean water.

    Red Beans and Rice:
        1.)  In the empty pot that the beans were soaking it, water saute over medium-high heat the finely chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic for several minutes, until fragrant and tender.  Add small amounts of water to prevent the veggies from sticking to the pot.
        2.)  Add in the spices, vegetable broth, water, and beans.
        3.)  Bring to a boil on high heat, then turn to low, COVER, and simmer for 2 hours.  Make sure to maintain a good simmer, increasing the heat as needed.
        4.)  After cooking for 2 hours, the beans should be very tender.  Cook for 30 minute increments at a time and test if they are not.  When tender, use an immersion blender or a hand-potato masher to mash some of the beans.  Do not puree the whole pot, you want most beans to remain intact.
        5.)  After lightly blending or mashing, allow the pot to simmer for 30 more minutes with the lid off, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent the bottom from burning.
        6.)  Serve hot with a hefty serving of the beans in a bowl and top with a few scoops of rice, green onion, and your favorite hot sauce.

Amy's Notes:
The traditional southern dish of red beans and rice, obviously, comes with rice, but feel free to use whatever whole grain you want.  I would suggest trying brown rice, wild rice, barley, farrow, or quinoa!

Feel free to make this dish as mild or as spicy as you want it by adding more cayenne pepper while cooking, or hot sauce when serving.

This recipe could work perfectly for a dinner party with vegans and non-vegans alike.  It would be really easy to cook up some andouille sausage on the side for meat eaters, like my husband, to add in to their liking.  some excellent side dishes could be corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and corn bread.  Yum!