The Spice of Life

Fall has arrived! The leaves are changing, kids are going back to school, and cold weather is just around the corner. While the autumn trees are beautiful, and this year, for the first time in quite a while, I can heave a sigh of relief that I did not return to school this September, the cooling whether that promises frigid winter months ahead is not appealing. The fabulous soups, stews, and chilis that accompany such weather, however, are a very different story. There is something comforting about sitting down to a hot, spicy stew on a cold, wet night. A feeling of home.

This spring I discovered a gem of a cookbook. Being a cookbook cynic, tired of buying a promising-looking tome just to discover that only one or two of the hundreds of recipes are edible, let alone tasty, all of my culinary exploration now begins at the library. I stumbled across this unremarkable, unillustrated, bright green cover while browsing the shelves and decided to give it a chance. To my amazement, each recipe it contained was better than the last. The beauty of this book? Not only are the dishes fantastic, but they are filled with vegetables, beans, grains, and all sorts of other healthy ingredients!

Whether you are a hardcore carnivore, a complete vegan, or your dietary habits fall somewhere in the middle, this book is for you. Just to give you a little taste, and with the gracious permission of this book's creator, Dreena Burton (more information about her on her blog at vivelevegan.blogspot.com), I have included one of my favourite recipes below. From Eat, Drink & Be Vegan:

Sweet Potato Lentil Chili
Serves 5-6

1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 ¾ cups onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 – 2 ½ cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed about 1" thick
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt (or less)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 ¼ cups dry red lentils
2 ½ cups water
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) crushed tomatoes, salt free
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained or 1 ¾ cups cooked
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime wedges (for garnish, optional)

 In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if onions are sticking to bottom of pot. Rinse lentils. Add lentils, water, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf. Stir to combine and increase heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or longer until sweet potatoes are softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in lime juice, season to taste with additional salt, pepper. Serve with lime wedges (optional).

Enjoy!
-Bethany