Chili!

Although I wouldn't really consider myself a chili fan, I was really craving some the other day, so turned to Heidi Swanson (of course!). This recipe is a beast! It's actually quite easy, but she isn't kidding when she says to use your largest pot--it makes so.much.food. Which is great. Anyway, I'm excited about adding this to my rotation. Enjoy!

Roasted Root Veggies with Garlic-Lime Sauce, and Double Quinoa Cornbread

Megan's latest entry inspired me to (finally) add these two dishes that I've been meaning to post for a few weeks. Both are from Vegan Soul Kitchen (yay, Bryant Terry!)--I think this might be my favorite cookbook. Yum!

OK, roasted root veggies:
Pick a bunch of your favorites and cut 'em up. (I use approx. 1/2 pound each of carrots, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, two kinds of yams, and sometimes celery root or rutabaga.) Toss them with olive oil and sea salt, and roast in a preheated 450 degree oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes for even cooking.

Garlic-lime dipping sauce:
Roast garlic per Megan's instructions and then enjoy squeezing it out of the peel. (This is so incredibly gratifying to me.) Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 T. minced cilantro, 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice, 1/4 c. water, and 1/4 t. coarse ground sea salt. Combine in a blender and add to the veggies. Done!

Quinoa-quinoa cornbread:
5 T. corn oil
1/4 c. quinoa
3/4 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. quinoa flour (kind of pricey but worth it!)
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. unflavored rice milk
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. agave nectar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease an 8-inch square bread pan. Toast the quinoa over medium heat until the grains start to pop (about 3 minutes); transfer to a large bowl. Add the rest of the dry stuff and whisk to combine. In another bowl, whisk together the liquids and the 5 T. of corn oil. Transfer the bread pan to the oven to preheat until sizzling (about 5 minutes). While the pan is heating up, combine the wet mixture with the dry with a large spoon, and quickly mix just until the dry ingredients are moist. (BT's warning: Do NOT overmix!) Remove the pan from the oven and add the batter. Bake until set in the middle, approx. 15-18 minutes.