Vegetarian chili

I had a few roommates in college who would occasionally make tons of chili. The apartment would be filled the aroma, the windows would steam over, I would draw bizarre pictures with my fingers, and we would all enjoy huge bowls of steaming, delicious, turkey or beef chili.

Haha, I'm just kidding, I never ate it. It smelled ridiculously amazing but I was probably all NAW DUDES I DON'T EAT ANIMAL FLESH UNLESS I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO EAT AND IT'S FREE. WAIT IT'S FREE? I ATE ALREADY ACTUALLY BUT HOLY SHIT IT SMELLS AMAZING.
I don't know.

Fun bonus fact: I've never had non vegetarian chili.
I used to make vegetarian chili all the time, so I kind of just pour in whatever I can find.

Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jalapeno, diced
1 head garlic, roasted
1/2 cup kidney beans, soaked if you like
1 (yellow) bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder
2 cups stock, plus more water

Yeah, it's ugly. It's chili though.. what do you expect?

• Cook onion in a soup pot with olive oil until translucent 
• Add kidney beans, stock, and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, adding water as needed. It took me about an hour and a half for them to get tender. 
• Squeeze roasted garlic into the soup pot. Add the remaining items to the pot, and simmer until vegetables are tender. 
• Eat with CORNBREAD IF YOU GOT IT 

Beet - Carrot Salad

Beets are one of my favorite new discoveries. I never had them as a child, probably for one o f two reasons. Either my mother didn't know what to do with them since she probably never ate them as a child, or she was exposed to them in canned form when she came to the US. Either way, I never had them until the first time my friend and I held a vegan dinner party. We made couscous with beets and artichokes, and it was positively amazing. I've been a beet fan ever since.
When I found out I would get beets this week in my csa box, I was thrilled.
However, I spoiled my appetite by snacking, which is probably one of my worst habits. So instead, I just made a simple salad of roasted beet and carrot :)

Ingredients:
1 beet
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 scallion, green part only, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, because I'm lame and from the US. Wrap the beet in foil completely, and roast in the oven until it can be easily pierced by a complete weakling such as myself. If you happen to be lucky enough to have more upper body strength than a 2 year old, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour. When done, allow to cool, and then peel.
It's ridiculously easy.
Roughly chop the beet, then chop in a food processor with the carrot. Top with scallion, feta cheese and a bit of olive oil.

Broccoli Daikon Soup

Every wednesday, we have meetings at work that typically last for three and a half hours. I typically zone out, fall asleep, flirt with my (gay) soulmate via text, or browse reddit for most of the duration. Today, though, I was trolling the internet for yummy sounding recipes. I've come to the conclusion that the internet is generally not a big fan of broccoli in soups. I had a head of broccoli that had gone from delightfully verdant and firm, to limp, flaccid and jaundiced.
Maybe I just wanted to use the word flaccid.
I also had an equally floppy daikon radish sitting in the fridge, languishing alone on the bottom shelf.

Ingredients:
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1 small daikon radish, chopped
1 pitifully small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1/4 tsp bonito flakes

• Sweat the onion in olive oil in a pot until translucent
• Add garlic, and cook for one more minute  
• Add radish, broccoli, stock, and spices/miso paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes 
• Allow to cool, then blend to a consistency you find palatable. 

Apparently, that consistency is CHUNKY for me. 

Coconut Curry Squash Soup

I was whining all day that my throat is sore, my nose is congested and my sinus cavities ache. My coworker suggested I eat something spicy.
OF COURSE.
WHY HADN'T I THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE.
Not sarcasm.
Sort of.

I don't know I'm woozy from benadryl.

Ingredients:

1/2 a medium sized butternut squash, cubed
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
2 cups stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp olive oil

Sweat the onion in the olive oil in a pot. Add garlic, and saute for a minute more. When done, add the stock and butternut squash, and simmer until tender (10 - 15 minutes if the cubes are small enough :) ). Add curry powder, coconut milk, and blend. If using a standard blender, make sure that you let the soup cool a bit before blending.