Wax Bean Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

3 cups wax beans, cleaned and ends removed

2 Tbs olive oil

3 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

pinch of sea salt

dash of freshly cracked pepper

2 Tbs panko bread crumbs

2 Tbs vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded (Follow Your Heart)

2 tsp Earth Balance butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Bring quinoa and water to a boil, cover with lid, reduce heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes, let stand 5 minutes, and fluff with fork

3. Meanwhile, steam wax beans for 3 mins until slightly tender

4. Mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper together

5. Mix quinoa, beans, and olive oil mixture together and place in a casserole dish

6. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, cheese, and small chunks of the butter

7. Bake for 20-25 mins

This recipe was inspired by my trip to the farmer's market, where I got the beautiful wax beans, and by my dear bearded friend:) who made me this dish, but without the quinoa. I was making a light lunch for Eric and I and I thought I would make it a more substantial meal by adding the quinoa, which is a complete protein. I also altered the meal so that it was vegan, which cut out some added fat. I really like the vegan mozzarella! It has a nice texture and a smooth flavor. Vegan cheeses can sometimes be scary, so I was glad that I got lucky.

Yummy Granola

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup unsalted cashews

1 cup coconut flakes

3 Tbs brown rice syrup

3 Tbs maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Melt coconut oil, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup together in a saucepan on low heat

3. Stir in spices and sea salt

4. Layer oats, seeds, cashews, and coconut flakes on 2 baking sheets and coat evenly with melted syrups

5. Bake for 15 mins, stirring halfway

This granola is amazing! It has such great flavor and it is not too sweet. I prefer to eat this as cereal and pour vanilla coconut milk over the top. Great for a snack! I have made this recipe a few different ways depending on what I have on hand. Last time I added dried cranberries, which I loved, almonds, walnuts, and sesame seeds. It's tasty way to get a ton of nutrients! Feel free to be creative with different nuts or dried fruits.

Chanterelle Mushroom Ravioli with Truffle Oil

Ingredients

1 pkg Chanterelle mushroom ravioli

2 Tbs white truffle oil

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup navy beans

1 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. Lightly boil ravioli for 5-8 mins until they float to the top

2. Fish out the ravioli and place in a frying pan with the truffle oil and vegetable broth

3. Add the peas to the boiling water for 1 minute, then add to ravioli

4. Add navy beans and saute for 3 mins

This was a super quick supper, which was great because I had spent most of the day baking bread and the cake, which went perfectly with the ravioli. I had some leftover vegetable broth in the fridge so that is why I added it, which I don't regret because it gave the navy beans a great flavor.

Old-Fashioned Wild Blueberry Molasses Cake

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
5 Tbs vanilla coconut milk
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs (vegan egg replacer)
3 Tbs Earth Balance butter

1 1/2 cups wild blueberries, frozen
1 teaspoon flour

Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl whisk together the cider vinegar with 3 tablespoons of the milk.

In another bowl whisk the molasses with the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk. Whisk the cider vinegar mixture into the molasses mixture, then whisk in the eggs.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until just barely combined. Stir in the butter. Toss the blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour and fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.

This turned out super moist and yummy! The molasses gave it such a great flavor! I adapted the recipe to be vegan and you didn't miss anything. This was super easy and quick!

Garlic Multi-Seed Soda Bread

Adapted from Heidi Swanson, 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

4 Tbs of each: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, & sesame seeds

1 3/4 cup spelt flour

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 3/4 cup buttermilk (another 2 Tbs for top)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place a rack in the center of the oven.

2. In a small bowl combine all the seeds and set aside.

3. Mix the flours, baking soda, garlic powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.

4. Stir in all but 2 Tbs of the seeds.

5. Make a well in the flour, pour in the buttermilk, and stir until the dough just comes together. If you need to add an extra splash of buttermilk because the dough is too dry, you can.

6. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly for about a minute, just long enough to pull it together into a loose ball but no longer

7. Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and mark it with a deep cross across the top, cutting two-thirds of the way through the loaf with a serrated knife.

8. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with the remaining seeds, making sure plenty of seeds make it down into the cracks.

9. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden crusted on top and bottom.

I was so excited to finally fine a bread recipe that was quick, easy, and actually tasted great! This is a recipe that I will be making regularly. I always wanted to make my own bread, but I hated the recipes that took several hours because you had to plan your day around it. I also love the variety of seeds in the recipe, especially since they were inside and outside. I found the original recipe from an amazing website that I found: 101 cookbooks. I highly recommend checking it out! I tweaked a few things on the recipe for what I had available and I substituted garlic powder for the fennel seed. I am more of a garlic lover. I hope that you try it out because it is worth it! Next time I think I am going to try making it with vanilla coconut milk and just add a little apple cider vinegar to make it like buttermilk.

Acorn Squash with Apple Bacon Stuffing

Ingredients

1 acorn squash

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp ground sage

1 apple, diced

1/2 pear, diced

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

4 slices tempeh bacon

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

2 Tbs Earth Balance butter

4 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes

Enough bread to fill a 9X13 pan, cubed (mix of wild rice bread & sunflower bread)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice squash in half, spoon out seeds, place in baking dish flesh side up, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic powder, thyme, and sage; bake 1 hour

3. Meanwhile, place bread cubes in 9X13 pan and toast in oven with the squash for 20 mins

4. Boil 4 cups of water, add vegetable bouillon cubes to make broth

5. Saute onion in butter for 5 mins, then add apple, pear, bacon, walnuts, garlic, sage, and thyme; saute 4 mins

6. Add broth to the bread cubes until lightly moisten and not soggy (about a little more than half of the broth)

7. Mix bread cubes with apple bacon mixture, stuff into cooked squash, put remaining stuffing back in lightly oiled 9X13 pan, and place both pans back in oven for 20 mins

This was the perfect fall dinner for a rainy evening! It warms up the house and fills the air with the smells of Thanksgiving! Eric was a huge fan of this meal and the best part was that I was able to keep the food in the oven on warm until he got home from work. This was my first attempt at home-made stuffing and I found out that it was really easy! I went searching through my freezer for random bread slices, which was a great way to clean out my freezer. I actually used 2 large wild rice hoagie buns. The leftover vegetable broth is also nice to sip on while your waiting for the rest of the meal to cook. I really like the flavor of the broth! The half pear was leftover, so feel free to skip it or add more. The acorn squash was from the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to find the perfect recipe for it. Good thing they last a long time! If I were to make this again I would definitely add mushrooms. Unfortunately we were out of mushrooms tonight, but even without them it was great!

Baked Tofu with Hoisen infused Veggie Noodles

Ingredients

1 block firm tofu, drained

1 cup hoisen sauce

2 Tbs sesame oil

1/2 pkg wheat spaghetti noodles

1/2 onion, sliced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 inch of fresh ginger, minced

1-2 cups diakon radish, thinly sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

1/2 cup corn

1 cup frozen peas

3 Tbs sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Slice tofu into 1 inch slices

3. Spread 1 Tbs of sesame oil onto a baking sheet

4. Evenly layer tofu slices on baking sheet

5. Brush each side of tofu slices with hoisen sauce

6. Bake tofu for 30 mins, flipping halfway

7. Meanwhile, saute onion on medium low heat with 1 Tbs of sesame oil for 5 mins

8. Add jalapeno, daikon radish, and ginger-saute 4 more mins

9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook as directed, 10 mins-add frozen peas the last minute, and drain

10. Add corn and sesame seeds to veggie mix, saute 1 minute

11. Mix pasta, veggies, and remaining hoisen sauce together

This meal was created out of limited food options and with food that needed to be used before it expired. Just when I thought we didn't have much to pick from, I found out I had some gems in the fridge. I absolutely love baked tofu and I could eat it everyday, but I try to limit my soy intake. I was going to make the dish with rice noodles to make it a more traditional Asian dish, but I decided to go with a hearty comfy pasta instead. This was my first time using hoisen sauce and I really liked the flavor! I would be picky with choosing a brand because they can all have a different flavor. I found this one at the Co-op and it was made out of fresh ingredients with no funky additives like most pre-bottled sauces. I ended up chopping up my tofu slices and mixing them into the pasta just because I wanted it to mix in better. This is a pretty easy meal and it is delicious!

Pear Bacon Sandwich with Beet Salad

Ingredients

4 slices of sunflower wheat bread, toasted

1/2 can navy beans, rinsed

1 Tbs veganaise

1 tsp garlic aioli mustard

3 slices tempeh bacon

1/2 pear, thinly sliced

Beet Salad

2 cups roasted beets, chopped

1 Tbs veganaise

1 tsp garlic aioli mustard

Serves 2

Directions

1. Saute bacon for 2 mins on each side until crispy

2. Mix beans, mayo, and mustard together

3. Mix beet salad ingredients together

4. Layer sandwich: bread, bacon, pear, and bean mixture

I was craving a pear sandwich so I came up with this recipe. I had some beets I roasted the other day in the fridge, so this salad was super easy! I recently purchased the garlic aioli mustard at Trader Joes and it has an amazing flavor! You only need a little bit because it is so strong and flavorful.

Buttery Pumpkin Sage Ravioli

Ingredients

1 can pumpkin puree

1/4 cup walnuts, roasted and chopped

2 slices tempeh bacon

pinch cardamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp sea salt

1 pkg wonton wrappers

3 Tbs Earth Balance butter

15-20 fresh sage leaves

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil

2. Meanwhile, saute bacon for 2-3 mins on each side until golden, then dice into small pieces

3. Mix pumpkin, bacon, walnuts, and spices together

4. Place a wonton wrapper on a cutting board diagonally and place a small amount of the pumpkin mixture in the center

5. Dip your fingers in a glass of water and run your finger along the edges of the wonton wrapper

6. Bring the corners of the wonton wrapper together to make a triangle, pressing along the seams

7. Repeat with remaining wontons and place raviolis on a baking sheet once they are made

8. Place about 4-5 ravioli at a time in the gently boiling water for 2-3 mins until it starts to float (some may stick to the bottom, so make sure you scrap them off)

9. Continue to boil the raviolis in batches while you are shaping the raviolis to cut down on time

10. Once the raviolis are cooked, fish out the ravioli with a small mesh strainer, and place back on baking sheet (not touching each other because they will stick)

11. Melt butter in a large cast iron pan until it starts to bubble, then add the sage leaves

12. Add the cooked ravioli to the pan and coat with the butter

13. Simmer on low heat for 2 minutes and serve

This was my first time using wonton wrappers for ravioli and it won't be my last! It was super simple and quick! Making ravioli can be a bit tedious, but it is worth it in the end. I had a tendency to overstuff the ravioli so it made it more difficult to seal them up, but if you only put a small amount in they seal up easily. I think I was just trying to get done faster. I ended up not using all of the wonton wrappers and the pumpkin mixture because I had made more than enough for Eric and I. I also just wanted to hurry up so I could eat them while they were fresh and not dried out. I saved the leftover pumpkin mixture, so if I am feeling ambitious I will make more or maybe I'll come up with something else to make with it. Eric was a huge fan of the buttery sage. He enjoyed just eating the sage pieces. You could make a bunch of these raviolis and freeze them for a quick dinner some other time.

Baked Apples

Ingredients

2 Honey Crisp apples

2 Tbs walnuts, chopped

2 Tbs brown rice syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch cardamon

pinch sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut the cores out of the apples, but don't cut through to the bottom because you want the juices to stay in

3. Mix brown rice syrup, walnuts, cinnamon, cardamon, sea salt, and nutmeg together

4. Stuff each apple with the mixture

5. Place apples in a baking dish with enough water to lightly coat the bottom of the pan

6. Bake apples for 30 minutes

This is a super easy and healthy dessert perfect for fall weather! You also get to warm up your house because of the oven use. I actually like to open the oven once I am done cooking and it's turned off, just to let the excess heat warm up the house and make it cozy. I started to cook these apples before I started the main course, that way when the main course is done, dessert is also done. If your main course takes longer to cook, just leave the apples in the oven to keep warm, but make sure you turn the oven off. I prefer to keep the apples in the oven until I bring them to the table to eat so that they are warm. You can use honey or maple syrup in place of the brown rice syrup if you prefer. I just wanted to try to make it healthier since the brown rice syrup has a low glycemic index and is a healthier alternative to refined sugar.

Roasted Dill & Balsamic Beet Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

Ingredients

2 cups red leaf lettuce

1 beet, peeled and diced

1 cup fresh green beans

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp Vegan Parma (optional)

Dressing

1 Tbs lowfat veganaise

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Serves 1

Directions

1. Place diced beets on a baking sheet covered with tin foil

2. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dill, salt and pepper with the beets

3. Spread out beets evenly on baking sheet and top with a second sheet of tin foil, pinch the edges together to make a pouch

4. Bake in 425 degree oven for 30 minutes (or until fork tender), stirring halfway

5. Meanwhile, steam green beans for 2-3 minutes until tender, set aside to cool

6. Mix up dressing ingredients

7. Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan for 3-4 mins on low

8. Layer salad: greens, green beans, beets, pumpkin seeds, vegan parma and dressing

This dinner is a little more time consuming because of the baking time with the beets, but it is super simple. You can start with the beets and organize the rest of the ingredients with plenty of time to spare to do other tasks while you are waiting. I actually cooked 2 beets because I figured if I was going through the work I might as well have leftovers. The beets have a great flavor with the fresh dill and balsamic, so you can just eat them by themselves if you prefer. The dressing is very garlicky, so if you are not a huge garlic fan like me, than only use 1/2 clove of garlic. The Vegan Parma is optional. It's a condiment that I got at the Co-op that is made out of walnuts and nutritional yeast, which is a good source of Omega 3s and B12.

Millet with Garlic Dill Veggies

Ingredients

1 cup millet

2 cups water

1 Tbs safflower oil

1 cup fresh green beans

2 cups savoy cabbage, chopped

1/2 cup kale, chopped

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup corn

2 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs fresh dill, minced

Directions

1. Roast millet in a dry pan over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes

2. Place roasted millet and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-12 minutes

3. Meanwhile, saute cabbage, green beans, and kale in safflower oil for 5 minutes, until tender (may need to add a small amount of water to steam green beans if they are thicker)

4. Add garlic, pumpkin seeds, cream cheese and corn, saute 2 minutes

5. Mix in cooked millet, dill, and olive oil

This is a super quick and healthy supper. We just got groceries yesterday, so we had a bunch of fresh veggies on hand, which always make cooking more enjoyable. This was my first time cooking with millet. I had read about it in several of my cook books, so I thought I would give it a try. I will definitely be using it again because it cooks so fast and it has such a nice creamy and comforting texture. The millet smelled really great when I was roasting it. I think it's alway nice to have several different grains in your pantry because they are great for quick meals. All you need are some veggies and a protein and you have a complete meal. The cream cheese was added because I needed to use it up and I thought it would add a nice creaminess. It's not something you have to have.

Southwestern BLT Wrap

Ingredients

2 flour tortillas

4 slices of tempeh bacon

2 Tbs cream cheese

1 tsp adobo sauce

2 cups red leaf lettuce

Guacamole

1 avocado

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

pinch sea salt

Juice 1/2 lime

1/4 cup corn

1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped

Directions

1. Saute bacon for 2 minutes on each side until golden

2. Meanwhile, prepare guacamole: mash avocado and mix in remaining ingredients

3. Mix cream cheese and adobo sauce together

4. Place each tortilla in a warm cast iron pan for 30 secs on each side

5. Spread adobo cream cheese on entire tortilla

6. Split guacamole between the two wraps

7. Layer 2 slices of bacon in each wrap, top with lettuce, wrap up, and slice in half on a diagonal

This was a quick lunch invention. I had an avocado that was starting to get too ripe, so I knew I needed to use it up and since I wanted a quick lunch I usually prefer a BLT, so somehow this delicious wrap was created.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Waffles with Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

1 Tbs egg replacer, mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 cup vanilla coconut milk

2 Tbs safflower oil

2 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup frozen wild blueberries, thawed

Glaze

2-3 Tbs vanilla coconut milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

zest of half lemon

2 tsp lemon juice

Makes 6-8 waffles

Directions

1. Whisk egg replacer, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, agave nectar, and oil together

2. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until blended, then lightly fold in 3/4 cup blueberries

3. Meanwhile, have waffle iron preheating and start to prepare glaze

4. For the glaze, pour all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth

5. Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and place 1/2 cup of batter onto iron, evenly smooth out with a spatula

6. Close waffle iron and cook until the waffle has puffed up and turned golden

7. Repeat with remaining batter

8. Top each waffle with 1-2 tsp of glaze and sprinkle with remaining blueberries

I tried to create a waffle recipe that was healthier than most the recipes I found online. Most recipes called for 1 cup of oil and 1 cup of sugar. After tasting my recipe I don't really know why you would ever need to add that because waffles can taste great without all the fat and sugar. The glaze is not the healthiest because of the powdered sugar, but you only need a small amount, so it balances out. We ran out of maple syrup, so this was my alternative.

Spicy Israeli Couscous with Tofu and Green Beans

Ingredients

1 cup Israeli couscous

2 cups water

1 block tofu, cubed

2 cups fresh green beans

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Spicy Sauce

3 Tbs soy sauce (shoyu)

1 1/2 Tbs sriracha sauce

2 Tbs brown rice syrup

2 Tbs rice vinegar

2 tsp sesame oil

2 Tbs water

Directions

1. Combine Israeli couscous and water in a large saucepan, cover with lid, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes

2. Meanwhile, saute tofu in nonstick pan on medium until golden, about 8 minutes

3. Add sesame seeds, saute 1 min

4. Whisk spicy sauce ingredients together and add to tofu

5. Add green beans to the tofu and simmer 5 minute until green beans are tender

6. Stir Israeli couscous into the tofu mixture

I am still loving the spicy sauce recipe that I found in the Vegetarian Time's magazine, so I have been finding new ways to use it. I was out of maple syrup, so I substitute brown rice syrup and it still had a great flavor. I also tried to use a little less sriracha sauce this time because it can be a little overwhelming. I got the fresh green beans from the farmer's market and they were very thin so they didn't take very long to cook, so if you have a thicker bean you may want to cook them longer. When I made this recipe I had steamed the green beans first for 3 minutes and then I added them to the tofu mixture, which resulted in them being overcooked. They tasted fine, but I prefer my green beans to still have a bright green color and to have a little crunch to them. So that is why I suggested to just add them with the sauce because the sauce will help to steam the beans. I highly recommend using the Israeli couscous or also know as Middle Eastern couscous. It has a comforting texture and it's a quick grain to cook.

Sweet & Savory Panini

Ingredients

4 slices french bread

2 Tbs cream cheese

2 Tbs all-fruit peach jam

1/2 cup kale, cut into bite-size pieces

4 Tbs walnuts

2 Tbs vegan daiya mozzarella cheese

1 tsp safflower oil

Serves 2

Directions

1. Preheat panini grill

2. Roast walnuts at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, then chop into fine pieces

3. Meanwhile, lightly saute kale until wilted in a non-stick pan with no oil

4. Spread peach jam on 2 slices of bread and cream cheese on the other 2

5. Layer sandwiches: bread with cream cheese, walnuts, kale, cheese, & bread with jam

6. Brush panini grill with safflower oil and place the sandwiches on the grill, cook until bread is golden and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes depending on panini maker

This was a quick supper I created tonight. I had a loaf of french bread that needed to be used and I haven't made a panini in awhile, so I thought this would be good. I had made a panini that had a peach jam and mayo sauce, so I decided to use cream cheese instead, which resulted in a creamy smooth taste. I like the mix of the sweet peach with the savory walnuts and kale. Panini making is great because you can be very creative. All you need is a protein, some veggies, a good sauce/spread, and some cheese to hold it all together. If you don't have a panini maker you can take a brick and cover it with tin foil and place it on top of the sandwich as it cooks. I have never tried this before, but I have seen it on the Food Network.

Chipotle Coconut Stew

Ingredients

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbs safflower oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 block firm tofu, cubed

2 cups kale, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 can corn

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, finely minced

2 tsp of adobo sauce

1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Saute onions in 1/2 Tbs safflower oil until caramelized, about 6 minutes on medium low

2. Meanwhile, saute tofu cubes in a separate non-stick pan with 1/2 Tbs safflower oil, for 5 minutes or until golden

3. Add garlic, kale, and 1/2 cup water to the onion pan, simmer for 5 minutes, until kale has wilted

4. Once tofu is golden, add chipotle, coat evenly, and saute for 2 more minutes

5. Add tofu to onion mixture, saute 2 minutes

6. Add corn, beans, adobo sauce, and coconut milk, simmer 3 minutes

7. Turn off heat and top with cilantro

I was craving tofu and I needed to use up the chipotles in adobo sauce that were in the fridge, so I came up with this creation. I was also contemplating making chili, so somehow it turned into a stew. I have to warn you if you have never cooked with chipotles, because they are super spicy! So you only need a little bit, for a big spicy bite. Start small and work your way up. I thought the coconut milk would pair great with the chipotle because it cools down the heat. This meal is super healthy with the kale and all the protein from the tofu and beans. If you are not a tofu fan, feel free to exclude it. I used to think tofu was a bit scary when I first saw it, but once you try a few good recipes with it, it becomes your favorite! Tofu is basically a blank slate, so it allows you to be creative!