Archive for December, 2009

Holiday Feast

Dec 24

Posted by Jessie in Jessie Bea Eats! | No Comments

I’m in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida for the holiday!

Since I threw together my suitcase at the last minute, I left my camera cord back in New York :(  I will have plenty of recipes (including my mom’s famous apple pie!) to share when I get back home, I promise.  For the time being, I thought I’d share what I’m planning for Christmas dinner.

My mom is making a ham and my grandmother’s raisin sauce for the omnivore’s, so I’m going to make some sides for everyone to enjoy.

  • Savory bread pudding with roasted red bell peppers, mushrooms, and goat cheese
  • Provencal Tomatoes ala Julia Child
  • Roasted Carrots
  • Seitan Bourguignon (this one is just for me!)

I will recap our holiday dinner, mom’s apple pie, and maybe even have a product review or two for you come the new year.  In the mean time, enjoy your holiday!


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Vegetarian Chili with Winter Squash

Dec 6

Posted by Jessie in Jessie Bea Eats! | 1 Comment

Chili is something that I make pretty often, but I never make it the same way.  That might change with this recipe.  I had a package of frozen winter squash in the freezer that I had been meaning to use up for a while now, so I defrosted it in the fridge overnight.  The problem was that I didn’t have any idea what I was going to make with it, and forgot about it when I had a hankering for chili for dinner.  I found it in the fridge when I was getting the chili ingredients out and decided to see what it would taste like in the chili.  It was fantastic!  It adds a nice body to the chili and gives it an almost creamy texture.

The spices in this recipe are (as always) “a bit of this and a bit of that” so if that’s tough for you, feel free to use a package of chili seasoning mix, but read the labels as many brands have artificial and non-veg  ingredients.

Vegetarian (Vegan) Chili with Winter Squash

  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 box of winter squash (thawed in the fridge or microwave)
  • 1 large can tomato puree (or any other canned tomato product, really)
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained
  • 2/3 cup rehydrated tvp or boca burger crumbles (optional)
  • oregano
  • cumin
  • cayenne pepper
  • chili powder
    • Frank’s Red Hot (optional)
    • Lime juice, cilantro, minced onions, (vegan) sour cream or plain yogurt, tortilla chips for garnish (optional, of course)

    Sautee onion, bell pepper, and carrots with a bit of salt and pepper in a small amount of olive oil or water in a large pot for a few minutes, until the onion is soft.  Add garlic and sautee for a few more minutes, being careful not to brown garlic.  Add the winter squash, tomatoes, and both beans.  Add a bit of each of the spices and hot sauce and bring to a bubble.  Turn to low and simmer for as long as you have, preferably at least 30 minutes.  Add the tvp or boca burger crumbles during the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Taste for seasoning as it cooks, adjusting for your taste.

    Topped with Tofutti Sour Cream and crushed tortilla chips

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    Israeli Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts and Cranberries

    Dec 4

    Posted by Jessie in Jessie Bea Eats! | No Comments

    Israeli Couscous

    This recipe came together the way most of my dinners come together: I had an idea of what I wanted to make and then realized I only had half of the ingredients I thought I had, so I improvised.  I initially wanted to make quinoa with lentils or chickpeas and vegetables, but I had no quinoa.  While going through my container of grains I found some Israeli couscous that I bought a few weeks ago on a whim, and decided that would be the bulk of the dish.  I had never cooked with it before, so I looked up some recipes to get ideas.  One of the recipes I found had toasted pine nuts, which I happened to have on hand so I figured I’d throw some of those in.  The cranberries came into play because I had some in my fridge from thanksgiving, so those were thrown in as well.  I’d imagine dried cranberries would work fine in place of fresh though.

    Israeli Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts and Cranberries

    Serves 2.  You can probably double it without a problem.  The vegetable amounts are approximate, the couscous and broth amounts are not.

    • 1/4 cup chopped carrots
    • 1/4 cup diced red onion
    • 1 clove minced garlic
    • 1 tbsp pine nuts
    • 1 cup Israeli couscous
    • 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
    • handful fresh cranberries (or dried, if you’re a wimp)
    • handful baby spinach

    Toasting Israeli Couscous

    Saute the onions in a very small amount of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper until soft.  Add the carrots, garlic, and pine nuts.  Cook for 3 or 4 minutes over medium heat.  Add couscous and toast for a few minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the broth and cranberries and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the couscous is tender.  Add baby spinach and salt and pepper.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

    I served mine with Sauteed red bell pepper and soy curls, to round out the meal

    I served mine hot with sauteed red bell pepper and soy curls, to round out the meal

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