Cincinnati Chili

I love a good bowl of chili and the added chocolate to this served over pasta is really different, but in a good way.

• 1 box uncooked spaghetti
• Cooking spray
• 1 package Boca Ground Crumbles
• 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped and divided
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Daiya cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add crumbles, 1 cup onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes.

Stir in chili powder and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon); cook 1 minute.

Add broth, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; stir in chocolate and salt. Serve chili over spaghetti; top each serving with remaining onion and some cheese.

Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf

This is so delicious and moist I've made it twice in the last 3 weeks.

I found this recipe on the Post Punk Kitchen blog - one of the blogs I follow on a regular basis. The only thing I did different was to add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts! Yummy! Go get the recipe, you won't be sorry! I do believe you could use the batter for muffins, or small loaf pans to make nice gifts.

Green Chile Cornbread

Yesterday the weather was cool and my daughter had requested Red Beans and Rice for dinner. About an hour before we ate I decided that some cornbread would be delicious with dinner. The original recipe can be found at Simply Recipes, but this is my vegan version. It is so good and makes a large skillet so there will be leftovers! Enjoy!

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened Earth Balance vegan butter
• 1/2 cup Toffuti sour cream
• 2 egg replacement (Ener-G)
• 1 3/4 cups soy milk
• 2 7-ounce cans of chopped green chiles, drained)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (Diaya - 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Add about a tablespoon canola oil to a large cast iron (mine is 10 5/8 inch) skillet. Put skillet in oven to be getting hot.


In a medium bowl mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar.

Beat the sour cream and eggs to the butter sugar mixture.

Add the milk and the dry ingredients, a third at a time and alternating wet/dry.

Mix in the green chiles, corn, and shredded cheese.

Take hot skillet (be careful) out of oven and pour off any extra oil. Pour mixture into prepared skillet. Bake for 35 minutes, until top is browned, the center springs back when pressed down, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool almost completely before serving.

Makes about 12 serving pieces.