THE BEST VEGAN CHILI & SKILLET CORNBREAD

The weather we've had in New York this season (see: Miserable) has caused me to crave pretty much every comfort food under the sun.  Usually, dinner is some thrown together arugula salad or hippie bowl, but lately I've wanted curry, chili, etc.  I assume I'm not the only one, either.  Although this could be us all eating our winter-depression feelings, I'll take it as an excuse to make bountiful amounts of hearty meals since I'm already stuck inside the house.  

This chili recipe was made for a party I hosted recently (hence the serving size), but it made the house smell amazing and fed MANY hungry guests.  I even had leftovers.  So, in between dreaming of a time when the sidewalks weren't made of slushy ice, we can take advantage of our cravings and make a (large) pot of chili.  It might not solve all our weather-related problems, but it will feed you well for the rest of the week.

OLD-FASHIONED BUCKWHEAT SKILLET CORNBREAD with WHIPPED HONEY BUTTER (Gluten-free)  Serves 6-8

• 1 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1 1/3 cup coconut cream and the juice of one lemon)
• 6 tablespoons clover honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Cube butter and add to a small saucepan over medium heat.  Heat gently until it just begins to melt, then whisk until smooth and set aside to cool.

In another bowl, whisk together egg, 5 tablespoons butter, buttermilk and honey.  Slowly add wet mixture to dry, making sure to mix well as you add.  Fold mixture well until combined, but do not overmix.  

Add 1 tablespoons of butter to your 10 inch cast iron skillet.  Add to oven for 5 minutes until melted.  Remove your pan and carefully add cornbread batter to the pan, smoothing over mixture evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes or until browned.  Let cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.  Top with a huge dollop of whipped honey butter, or dip in chili for a savory treat.

WHIPPED HONEY BUTTER

1 cup honey

Place 1 cup of honey in a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer).  Beat on the highest setting for 3-4 minutes or until honey is thick, creamy and opaque.  Place in the fridge to chill.

THE BEST VEGAN CHILI (Gluten-Free, Vegan) Serves 10-12

• 1 cup dried black beans, soaked, then drained and rinsed
• 1 cup dried jacob's cattle beans, soaked, then drained and rinsed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large carrots, diced
• 2 jalapeno, minced and seeded
• 2 large sweet onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 dried santaka peppers
• 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 2 (28oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons oregano, dried
• 5 whole bay leaves
• 32. oz. vegetable "no chicken" broth (I used Organic Imagine Foods)
• 2 (15oz.) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15oz.) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 (28oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal, fine
• 2 tablespoons cholula
• 4 limes, divided
• 2/3 cup green onions, sliced thin
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper
• *Vegetarian toppings (or find non-dairy versions of these!):
• 6 oz. sour cream
• 6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (Daiya is a great vegan brand)

Rinse and soak black and cattle beans overnight.  Place black beans and cattle beans in separate large saucepans covered in water (at least double the amount of beans).  Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are tender to the bite, but not mushy.  Both beans will take between 1-2 hours.  Set aside.  *You can also do this step the day or night before, fyi.

In a 8 qt. saucepan, add olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, santaka peppers and onion over medium heat.  Stew together until onions are softened.  Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomatoes, oregano and bay leaves.  Stew this mixture over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.

Add vegetable broth and and all the beans, including cattle, black, kidney, chickpea and hominy.  Bring mixture to a low boil then simmer.  Stir in cumin, coriander, paprika, cholula and the juice of one lime.  Then carefully whisk in brown sugar and cornmeal, making sure to mix well to avoid lumps.  Sea salt to taste.  

Cook this mixture low and slow, covered for up to 2 1/2 hours.  The longer you cook it, the longer the flavors will meld together (and it's worth it).  You can cook up to 1 hour or so, then refrigerate overnight which will also help the flavors come together.  Top this mixture with a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onion, lime wedges and more Cholula.  Enjoy!

SORGHUM BUTTERMILK PANCAKES WITH WHIPPED COCONUT CREAM & BLUEBERRY MAPLE SYRUP

Pancakes are usually that thing you order at brunch and regret later.  Since they're essentially dessert, you're terribly full after consuming them, then immediately hungry soon after.  We still seem to crave them in the way that they're inherently a "special" breakfast. It feels decadent compared to toast and coffee, and that's where I knew I had to make a longer lasting recipe.

These pancakes are filled with almond meal, sorghum, cinnamon and coconut oil -- making them easy to digest and a gift to your blood sugar.  Topped with a dairy-free and unsweetened coconut cream (like whipped cream but better), you will not regret making these for breakfast.

Buttermilk Poppyseed & Sorghum Pancakes with Whipped Coconut Cream and Blueberry Maple Syrup (Gluten-free, dairy-free)

Makes 8-10 medium-sized pancakes

• 1/4 cup sorghum flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tablespoon poppyseeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• *Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to fry (approximately 1/3-1/2 cup)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Whisk together all dry ingredients (or the first 7) in a large mixing bowl.  In a smaller bowl, combine almond milk and lemon juice to let stand for 5 minutes.  Then, whisk in eggs and vanilla into the "buttermilk."  Carefully whisk in wet ingredients into dry making sure to beat well to avoid lumps.  Chill batter for 20 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil before pouring approximately 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.  Once batter begins to bubble on the sides and the middle of the pancake, it's ready to flip.  Make sure pan always has enough coconut oil to coat the bottom, so add when needed.  

Once pancakes are fully cooked, add them to a paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess liquid.  Then, add finished pancakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet and store in the oven to keep warm while you continue frying.  Repeat until you have 8-10 pancakes.  Top with coconut cream, reserved fresh berries and blueberry maple syrup.  Serve warm!

COCONUT CREAM:

• 1 can coconut milk, chilled for 24 hours  (*I recommend the Thai Coconut brand

Once mixture is chilled very well, open the can and scoop out the thick cream settled at the top.  You will be left with a clear syrup which you can discard or save to bake with.

In a stand mixer, beat coconut cream well until fluffy.  Feel free to add lemon zest or powdered sugar as well.

BLUEBERRY MAPLE SYRUP:

• 1 pint blueberries (reserve 1/2 cup for garnishing
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 lemon, juice + zest

Bring blueberries, water and lemon to a boil, then simmer until blueberries burst and thicken.  Stir in maple syrup and set aside to cool.  Use hand blender to puree until smooth or desired texture.

SALTED CARAMEL ROSE APPLE PIE + CHERRY WALNUT CRUMBLE

Last Thursday, I spent the entire day surrounded by people I love while doing the things I enjoy.   I prepped, shopped, styled and cooked my heart out, somewhat seamlessly, thanks to insane amounts of listmaking and feverishly re-reading my "hosting tips" post.  Everything turned out, my pie-anxiety finally subsided and we feasted on a huge meal followed by too many cocktails. 

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE ROSE PIE (Gluten-free) Serves 6

To make crust:

• 2/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1/3 cup oat flour
• 1/4 cup sorghum flour
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold & cubed
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch

1.  In a large food processor, add flours, powdered sugar, xanthum gum and salt.    Pulse a few times until well combined.  Carefully add in 1 egg and cold, cubed butter.  Pulse until the mixture comes away and forms a dough.    Use your hands to form a disk, dust with tapioca starch and wrap in syran wrap.  Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Once your crust is chilled, roll out your dough between two pieces of parchment paper, making sure to flour EVERYTHING well.  I used brown rice flour and sorghum.  Roll out to about 10 inches or so, adding more flour if your dough gets sticky.  Peel off the top parchment layer, put your (GREASED) pie plate face down on the dough.  Hold the pie plate and one hand under the parchment (use help if you have it!) and flip the pie plate right side up, making sure to keep the pie as flat and intact as possible.  I did this in one go, so the method worked well for me!  Use whatever works for you.  

3. Peel off the last sheet of parchment and fit your dough to the pan, using your hands to press into the pan.  Choose your favorite pie crust design, I did a "pinch" design, shown visually here, along with other ideas.

To make caramel:

• 1 cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (maldon)

Combine sugar and water over medium low heat in a medium saucepan until sugar dissolves.  Add unsalted butter and bring mixture to a low boil.  Let dissolve and keep at a low boil until mixture darkens to a copper color.

(Note: this may take a while, don't turn up the heat! If it's too hot, it will burn and be ruined. Be patient)

 Once the mixture reaches it's golden color, remove from heat and slowly pour in heavy cream.  The caramel will steam, so be careful -- it's hot.   Bring saucepan back to the stove over very low heat and stir in sea salt.  After 5 minutes, remove from heat and let cool for at least 30 minutes.  (This recipe will make a large amount of caramel, you might have some leftover, but I made extra so I could drizzle on each pie slice upon serving.  Plus, if you have leftover apples, you have yourself an indulgent snack.)

To make filling:

• 6-7 apples, sliced paper thin (I used a mix of granny smith and honeycrisp)

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2/3 cup turbinado sugar
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

Using a mandolin, slice your apples into paper thing slices and add to a large mixing bowl.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and mix very carefully with your hands.  Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Mix again with your hands making sure not to damage your apples (we're making roses here!).  

To assemble roses:  Lay out about 4-5 apple slices in a line.  Once you lay one down, overlap the next one about 1/2 inch and continue doing so for each slice you add (overlapping each just slightly).  Then, you will roll up the line of apple slices tightly making sure to carefully keep the "rose" in-tact.  Place each rose in your pie and continue until filled!  This process takes patience, but it's not hard.  Just go slow, and experiment with adding different sizes or colors :)

 As soon as you fill your crust with apple roses, drizzle caramel over top and garnish with a pinch of sea salt.  Chill the entire pie in the freezer for 25 minutes or so, before baking.  While you wait, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Once pie is chilled, add to 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender.  Be sure to drizzle more caramel over top once pie is cooled and again before serving ;)  Serve a la mode or with fresh whipped cream (or both).

CHERRY AND MIXED BERRY OAT WALNUT CRUMBLE (Gluten-free) Serves 6-8

For Filling:

• 12 oz. raspberries
• 10 oz. sweet cherry (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
• 12 oz. blackberry
• 2 teaspoons flour (I used sorghum)
• 4 teaspoons tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt + cinnamon

Add all berries and sweet cherries to a large colander and rinse well.  Let drain for at least 25 minutes.  Once drained, add fruit to a large mixing bowl.  Stir in tapioca starch and flour first, making sure to fold in and coat the mixture well.  Then mix in sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.  Immediately add to a cast-iron skillet and set aside.

For Topping:

• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• Pinch of sea salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen & grated or chilled and cubed

In another large mixing bowl, whisk together all flours well, then add sugars, spices, and salt.  Combine well making sure everything is evenly distributed.  Add walnuts and grate in frozen stick of butter (if you use chilled butter, cut in butter to the mixture and mix well).  Use your hands to mix the topping until butter is evenly distributed and mixture is crumbly.  Top your fruit filling with the crumble evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then up the heat to 375 for 10-12 minutes or until topping is browned and fruit is bubbling.  Serve warm!