Chili Burritos with Guacamole

One day I was browsing a couple of blogs, and I ended up at this recipe for chili. I decided to give it a try because of my love affair, which is bordering on obsession, with anything resembling Mexican food. Plus, it called for zucchini and I still had two left over.

This came together really quickly, and I decided to make a quick guacamole to serve with it. I'm glad I did, because the chili alone just didn't pack enough flavor. I don't know if it's the chili powder I use or the recipe itself, but the chili by its lonesome is a little bland. The guacamole helped out lots.

I wrapped everything up in a whole wheat tortilla to make burritos, and together, it was really tasty! While I was happy to have solved the problem of my kind of boring chili, I decided I need to find a better chili powder. Suggestions?

Black Bean & Corn Soup with Fired-up Jalapeno Cornbread

Source: 1000 Vegan Recipes

For my birthday - over the summer, mind you - a good friend of mine gave me 1000 Vegan Recipes. New cookbooks incite a special kind of excitement, but this particular book also invoked a feeling not typically associated with recipe books: trepidation. One thousand recipes? Kind of intimidating. I didn't know where to start. I've made a few recipes over the months I've had it, but I hadn't really dug into it.

One day, I decided enough was enough. I felt foolish for letting the sheer size of the book deter me, but I also kind of felt like a jerk for not getting the most out of a very thoughtful gift from one of my favorite friends. Whether I was ready or not, I added 1000 Vegan Recipes into my regular rotation.

Given my newfound sense of determination, I first tackled Black Bean Soup. Mexican-inspired food is easily one of my favorites. I attribute this to my affinity for: beans of all kinds, corn, and spicy foods.

The soup turned out beautifully. I love everything about this soup: the colors, the texture, the flavor. I also whipped up a batch of the Jalapeno corn bread, which went with this soup perfectly.

The undeniable yumminess of the soup only adds to my feelings of foolishness and jerkfulness. Oh, well. You live and learn.

Taco Dip

Source: My Genius Brain

Happy 2011! Life is pretty good in Baltimore - I had two fantastic weeks off from work, the Ravens are in the playoffs, and I've got high hopes for 2011. I don't make resolutions per se, but my two most immediate goals for this year are to get into grad school and get a bike.

I spent my New Year's Eve with some of my favorite people: my brother, my best friend/cousin, and her brother. It was super chill and low-key, and I had a fantastic time. I made taco dip for the occasion, as it's one of my favorite party foods. It's really easy to make, you can make it to your liking, and thanks to Daiya, it tastes delicious. I have multiple omnis who can attest to this.

I layered: vegetarian refried beans (Amy's Kitchen), dairy-free sour cream (Tofutti) seasoned to taste with taco seasoning (read: LOTS), dairy-free cheddar cheese (Daiya), lettuce, and tomato. Presto! I told you guys I had a genius brain.