The Sometime Vegetarian

Growing up with a vegetarian father, I learned to appreciate the many virtues of vegetarian cooking. While I will never support a diet that categorically excludes any food group, I do have to admit that vegetarian food has its virtues. It’s much lower in calories and fat (unless you fill that meatless hole with cheese), and can often be prepared without a trip to the store (beans tend to have a longer shelf/fridge life than meat…). My mother is the master of delicious, healthy vegetarian meals that can be prepared in the time between coming home from work at 5:30 and feeding her family of five by 7. I’ve shaved even more prep time by adapting this recipe for my beloved slow cooker. And made it lowbrow by substituting out her vibrant but more demanding onion cilantro relish for a handful of crushed Fritos. I’ll let you decide which you prefer.

Vegetarian Chili

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
2 15-oz can kidney beans
2 chicken bullion cubes in 1 c. water (use 5 cups if cooking stovetop)
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 oz corn
Optional: shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, Fritos, onion relish (diced red onion, cilantro, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar, tossed with white vinegar and olive oil)

1. Spray or oil bottom of crockpot. Toss onions, garlic, and spices and pour in bottom of pot. (If not using crockpot, sautee all together for this step).

2. Add tomatoes, beans, broth. Cook on HIGH for 9 hours (Stovetop: bring to a boil, cook about an hour.)

3. After 7-8 hours, add red peppers and corn. (For stovetop, cook additional 45 min).

4. Serve with grated cheese and/or the topping of your choice. The pictured chili is extra special as our building’s vending machine only had BBQ-flavored Fritos. Did I mention there was no grocery trip involved in the making of this recipe?

In Search of the Perfect Muffin

When your day starts at 6am and doesn't involve much sitting down, a hearty breakfast is important. I consider it one of my life's missions to come up with the perfect breakfast pastry – healthy, full of slow-burning protein and fiber, and easy to consume while running/driving to work (or concealable in the pocket of a white coat).

In my quest for The Perfect Muffin, I came across this one on epicurious. With a few modifications of my own (oats, whole wheat, and less sugar) I feel pretty confident that I’ve found The One. Chock-full of apples, raisins, walnuts, and pumpkiny goodness, it’s one of my favorite ways to start the day. A few lucky coworkers agree.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

1 c. vegetable or corn oil
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. Instant oats
1 T pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 t ground ginger, 1/2 t nutmeg, optional 1/4 t allspice)
1 1/4 t baking powder

1. Combined wet (first 4) ingredients.
2. Combine dry ingredients, add to wet.
3. Fold in apples and raisins, and walnuts if you like (that extra hit of protein might help you make it to lunch).
4. Pour into greased muffin tin. For huge, 300-calorie, overflowing muffins (with the nice tops) divide among 12 cups; for smaller (260-cal) bites divide among 18 cups. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar, or streusel topping (4 T butter, 2 T flour, 1/2 t cinnamon, and 1/2 c. brown sugar) for a fancier muffin.
5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until muffin tops are springy.
6. Let cool 5-10 mins in pan, then on cooling rack until room temp (or as long as you can wait).

Every Season is Pumpkin Season

When the weather turns chilly and the leaves start to turn, so do the seasonal menus become inundated with pumpkin concoctions of every kind – soups, cakes, lattes, beers, even ravioli gets a delightful new twist with the addition of everyone’s favorite gourd. I secretly believe that no one actually is that nuts over actual pumpkin flavor, but rather the almost-synonymous pumpkin spice bouquet: a sumptuous blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sometimes clove or allspice that conjures up fall scenes, no matter how warm the weather.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not knocking the pumpkin craze. In fact, I’m taking it one step further. Why limit this fantastic vegetable and its associated flavors to one season? Pumpkin is actually a wonderfully versatile ingredient, adding moisture and color to any baked good, often resulting in less fat/butter/oil. The flavor (combined with pumpkin pie spice) is also bold enough to hold its own against whole wheat flour, once again upping the healthy factor.
I came across this recipe on the King Arthur Flour blog (a solid test kitchen, by the way). It seems kinda fancy but it turns out even donut newbies like me can tackle it. Show up one Saturday morning with a box full of these puppies and your coworkers will love you forever. By the way, this donut pan is my favorite new baking tool. No sticking, no mess, and only $10.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

1/2 c. Vegetable or corn oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 3/4 c. + 2 T flour (white or wheat)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
Additional cinnamon sugar for dusting

*pumpkin pie spice = roughly 2 parts cinnamon : 1 part ground ginger : 1 nutmeg : 1/2 allspice (optional), I often err on the side of more cinnamon

1. Mix wet (first four) ingredients.

2. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. My mom always saves on time (and dishes) by using a large measuring cup:

3. Fold dry ingredients into wet.

4. Pour into greased donut pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

5. Let cool for 5 min, then shake in a plastic bag (or dip onto a plate) filled with cinnamon sugar. NOTE: the sugar tends to get absorbed and makes the donuts sticky, so I recommend dusting the day of and covering only lightly until ready to serve.