Tortilla Stew (Vegetarian or Vegan)

This is a thick savory stew that is good for a slow Sunday or for that "wow" factor at a dinner party (it never sticks around for long)!

As this stew can be made both vegan and vegetarian, I am going to include both versions below - listed separately...and, yes, they are both amazing!

Vegetarian Tortilla Stew:

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) can green enchilada sauce
1 cup water
1 vegetarian bouillon cube
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp chili powder (increase this if you want to increase the spice factor)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 (16oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups Quorn 'chicken' tenders (or another vegetarian chicken substitute...but, this is the best! Can be found in the frozen food section of your local market)
salt & pepper to taste (probably will not need to much salt, but pepper is nice!)
3/4 package cream cheese
1 bag tortilla chips
shredded cheese & sour cream for topping

Directions:
1. In a large pot, mix the enchilada sauce and water. Heat on low and mix in the bouillon cube until dissolved. Add the garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Mix in the beans, tomatoes and corn. Simmer until heated through.
3. Add the Quorn tenders and cook until heated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Keeping the heat on low, add the cream cheese in chunks until you reach your desired consistency (I usually go for 3/4 to full package). Again, heat until this is back up to a steamy temperature.
5. Pour into bowls and serve topped with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream...yummmm.

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Vegan Tortilla Stew:

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cube vegan bouillon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup+ frozen corn (can be generous with this)
1 to 2 Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausages, pan seared and diced (can be found in the fridge section of a your local natural food store)
salt and pepper, to taste
tortilla chips
1 tub vegan cream cheese (I recommend, Tofutti brand)
vegan shredded cheese & sour cream for topping (I recommend Daiya cheddar-style cheese and Tofutti for the sour cream)

Directions:
1. In a large pot, mix the enchilada sauce and water. Heat on low and mix in the bouillon cube until dissolved. Add the garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Mix in the beans, tomato and corn and simmer until heated through.
3. Add the Field Roast and continue to simmer until heated through, adding the salt and pepper to taste. Based on the consistency, you may want to simmer an additional 10-15 minutes on low - you should have a thicker rather than runnier consistency.
4. Keeping the heat on low, add the tub of cream cheese in chunks and mix until incorporated. Heat through one final time making sure you have the desired consistency...remember, this is a stew!
5. Dish into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, Daiya cheese and sour cream.

I hope you enjoy...I fed the vegan version to a full room of carnists and it was gone before I could get back for seconds...sad face!!

"Chik'n" Noodle Soup (Vegetarian)

Alright, so we're vegetarian...what do we get to eat when we have a cold, huh? I vote this no-chik'n noodle soup...it is home-made and tastes so much better than anything coming from a store! Even if you are not vegetarian, this is just one heck of a good soup!

Vegetarian Tip: Quorn, an English company, makes a great line of faux-meat/protein products that are sold in the vegetarian frozen foods section of most grocery stores (look for the orange box). The "chicken" products are fantastic to work with because they have a good flavor on their own, but will also absorb the flavors they are cooked with to become juicy, tender and tasty morsels that can compliment any meal. Unfortunately, many of their products are not sold in American markets, but my favorite staples include the Quorn tenders, Quorn cutlets and the Quorn roast! Also, these are not suitable for a vegan diet as most, if not all, include egg whites.

"Chik'n" Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 bay leaf
7.5 cups prepared bouillon water (use enough vegetarian bouillon cubes to match up, for example - if using the Rapunzel brand, you would use 3 cubes (1 cube to 2 cups of water), you can purchase boxed veggie broth...but, I don't recommend it)
salt & pepper to taste (salt content will largely depend on your bouillon cubes, about 2+ tsp pepper)
1 bag of Quorn Tenders (let them thaw somewhat)
3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced (dry isn't going to work for this one)
1/2 lb eggless flat noodles

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook until soft...10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add the bay leaf, bouillon broth, salt and pepper to the pot. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Add the Quorn chunks, parsley and noodles and return the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and leave for 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
3. Remove the bay leaf and serve with crackers.

I bet you feel better already!

Mom's Potato Soup (Vegetarian)

This is a classic in my family and never lasts long enough for leftovers!! It requires relatively few ingredients, is not terribly time consuming and anyone can make it (though, I might not advise putting the family dog to the task...)

Mom's Potato Soup

Ingredients:
5 pounds russet or golden potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 stick butter
2 cups milk (might need a tad more, I recommend 1% or 2%)
salt & pepper to taste (we are very liberal with both)

Equipment:
potato peeler
pressure cooker
potato masher
blender stick (optional)

Directions:
1. Place the peeled and cubed potatoes in the pressure cooker. Top with the onion and fill with the amount of water required by your pressure cooker (usually either 1 or 2 cups water...PLEASE check the directions, we don't want anyone's house to explode, eh?). Secure the lid and add the 'top hat'.
2. Turn the heat on high. When the sh-sh-sh-sh-sh dance begins with the toggle hat on top (about 20 minutes), turn the heat down to medium and set a timer for 10 minutes. (The sh-sh-sh-sh dance should still happen, just not as intensely.)
3. When the timer does its thing, drain the water and return to the stovetop (burner should be off at this point). Add the stick of butter and attack the pot with the potato masher...I like to call this part - 5 minute arms. When the butter is completely incorporated and the potatoes are creamy, begin adding the milk until you reach your desired consistency. (I love thick soup, so I usually only add around 2 cups.). Add salt and pepper to taste - it is probably at least a tbsp of salt and about that for pepper as well. If you are not sure...add in increments and taste test!
4. At this point, you have two options - reheat the soup or puree for a creamier consistency. If the second, whip out that blender stick and work to get a smooth consistency. If no blender stick, proceed to step 5.
5. Turn the burner on to medium low to bring the soup back to a proper level of warmth. Keep an eye on things and stir occasionally...you don't want to scald the botton. Re-heating shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.
6. Spoon into bowls and serve! We usually serve with slices of cheddar and fresh french bread. I like to break-up the cheddar and drop it in so I can find tasty bits of cheese amidst my creamy soup.

Bon Appetit!

Living in Loo's Life...

...it was nearly a month ago that my last post went up, . Alas, Loo-life has recently become slightly busier but not all for bad reasons. I look back and remember that this last month has been filled with adventures...the least of which include, of course, food!

In the short version of a recap, we went to a fantastic dinner party where a friend sliced off the top of a bottle of champagne with a sword in honor of our engagement...another friend moved in with her boyfriend (lots and lots and lots of flights of stairs)!...I started a different job - much improved upon my initial jump back into the world of suits, I now have my own office with a view...I sent my fiancee on a scavenger hunt to locate his engagement ring (guys with engagement rings are totally hot!)...and last but not least, we have decided to buy a condo/house in Salem and I have spent a considerable amount of time researching.

Other than that, I think the remainder of my free time has been spent decanting from work, cooking and going to sleep at obsurdly early hours - some would swear I am a 50 year old woman stuck in a 26 year old body! And I have a personal vendetta out to the tv executive who though 10pm was a good time slot for Project Runway...how unfair!

In other news, we have decided to push the wedding to 2011 as both my fiancee and I have absolutely no intention of letting a wedding ceremony rule our lives and run us into a frenzy...in the end, all we really want is a super fun party with our favorite people. Which to us can only mean a few things - victorian garb, a castle, amazing food and steampunk! I look forward to many hours of project-time creating fun additions to wow our guests! And if anyone knows any good vegan/vegetarian caterers in the Boston area...shout it out!

The first PROJECT post will be up soon (cloth napkins); however, in the meantime, I am going to post 3 great soup/stew recipes. I know we are coming to the end of the cold/rainy season - so try these soon! Don't forget to post comments if you try a recipe out...

And lastly, whether you're a vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, carnist or just plain human - I really recommend reading, "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows: An Introduction into Carnism, " by Melanie Joy. She takes a refreshing look at the age old debate between those who don't eat meat and those who do - her attempt is to create a line of communication between the various categories of consumption so that while we may all have different ways of approaching what we eat, we can all understand each other in a better way.

I bid you adieu for now and leave you with these recipes...