Another crazy hectic month of making Organic Chocolates, I’ve been so behind on posting so I am not going to go into great detail on the blog chat. I will just say that I did not grow up being a fan of beets, however, I absolutely love them in this recipe and plan on trying them out in a few more applications!! This Chili was so amazingly delicious and beautiful to look at too….best after effect, NO heartburn!!!

Whatcha need to get yo beet chili on:

1 large beet, peeled and diced into even bite sized pieces

5 – 7 small sweet peppers chopped

1 cup of pre-soaked or 1 can Black Beans w liquid (recommend Eden Organic BPA Free brand if going the canned route)

1 cup/can Kidney Beans

1 cup/can Pinto Beans

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

3T olive oil

1 cup or 6 oz of tomato sauce (can be jarred sauce you use for pasta, trust me)

1t sugar

1t dried Mexican Oregano (optional)

1t coriander

1/2 chili powder

1 small spicy chili pepper of your choice (optional depending on your preferred heat level)

In a large soup pot heat on med heat the olive oil. Add onions, garlic and peppers, saute for 2-3 minutes until softened, add beet, beans (if canned include liquid) if not canned also add 1 cup water. Add spices and salt to taste, cook on med heat, simmer until beet pieces are tender (20-25) minutes (add more liquid if needed, water or veggie broth depending on how thick you want your chili, we like it thick). Add tomato sauce and sugar, stir through, add salt or more chili powder to your taste. When chili comes back to simmer, turn off heat and serve. Various toppings can be added, I used slivered almonds and nutritional yeast, feel free to experiment.

Just can’t thank my friend Justine over at Full Belly Sisters enough for introducing me to Cauliflower Rice, see her Recipe for Fried Rice here > Recipe < I’ve made this cauliflower rice many times in many ways and the family has always loved it!!

This time I made the rice in a traditional way and then topped with a stir fry and a splash of Spicy Mango Sauce from Thai Kitchen.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 cups cauliflower rice (1 small head of Cauliflower chopped then pulse in food processor until it looks like rice.)

1 cup Thai Jasmine Rice, uncooked

2T olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

1 bunch of kale

1/2 small white onion thinly sliced

7-8 small sweet peppers or 1 large red bell pepper sliced

2T Spicy Thai Mango Sauce from Thai Kitchen

In a sauce pan over medium heat add 1T olive oil, garlic, thai rice and cauliflower rice, saute for 2-3 minutes for flavors to combine. Add water, just enough to cover the rice and salt to taste. Bring to boil, cover and reduce to simmer for about 15 min.

In a skillet add remaining olive oil and vegetables on high heat, stir fry until vegetables become tender reduce heat to low add Spicy Thai Mango Sauce and stir until veggies are lightly coated.

Plate rice, top with Vegetable Stir Fry garnish with Red Pepper Flakes (optional) and enjoy!!

Yes, yes, you’ve guessed it, another night of WTF’s for dinner turned into a delightful dish that I just MUST share with you!! So many variations can be made, this could be served over rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes but we went with pasta for this particular night! Feel free to experiment with the veggie combinations too,  adding meat also optional…I just LOVE a versatile dish. No more jabbering on…..here is what you’ll need:

1 1/2 cups Butternut Squash Puree (Roast a squash and puree in the food processor or blender, see my Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe for using up some of the extra puree)

5-6 small sweet peppers Chopped

1 spicy chili pepper Chopped (or jalapeno or hotter if you like heat!)

1/2 small onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 Cups of Rice Milk or Milk of your choice

1 package of button mushrooms (optional)

2T olive oil

1 pkg of spiral or tube shaped pasta, something that will hold the yummy sauce.

A pinch of dried Mexican Oregano (also optional)

Boil pasta as directed. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, wash and chop your veggies, add them to a skillet with 2T olive oil on med heat and saute until onions are softened. Turn heat down to low, add butternut squash puree and milk, stir until combined and consistency is that of a thick Alfredo sauce. If you want a thinner sauce, add more milk or a bit of water.  Add salt to taste. Drain pasta and add to your skillet, toss with sauce until thoroughly coated add a pinch of dried Mexican Oregano and serve!!! How easy is that??

Enjoy the Sweet, Heat and something Good to Eat!!

Another one of those nights where I stared blankly into my refrigerator and magically found inspiration to make something I had never made before….YAY a new recipe!!! It was so incredibly delicious that my carnivorous husband cleaned his plate and encouraged me to remember this recipe and “make this one again” ))

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 Large Russet Potatoes

2 Cloves of Garlic chopped

1 Head of Cauliflower chopped

3 Cups of Butternut Squash Soup  (see recipe for soup) or Butternut Squash Puree with added milk of your choice to thin it out, Coconut Milk might be a nice addition.

2T Dried Coconut

1/4 Cup Raw Cashew Pieces

3T Olive Oil

2t Yellow Curry Powder

3T Butter (optional)

3/4 Cup Milk of your choice

1 small red chili pepper (if you want the heat, this is optional too)

In a large pot boil potatoes until tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a heat proof bowl, mash with butter and milk,add salt to taste. Put bowl back over pot of hot water to keep mashed potatoes warm.

In a deep skillet on med/high heat add olive oil and cauliflower florets, let cook for about 5 minutes until browned and starting to become tender, turn florets to other side add garlic, sliced pepper and salt to taste. After cauliflower is browned reduce heat to med/low add curry powder and butternut squash soup. Simmer until heated through.

Plate potatoes, top generously with Cauliflower and Curry Sauce, add Sprinkling of Dried Coconut and Raw Cashew Pieces. Enjoy

Makes: 2-3 Servings