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Butternut Squash Chili

Butternut Squash ChiliIngredients

  • 2 cups dried kidney beans, cooked (6 cups cooked, or 3 cans)
  • 1 1/2 cups dried black beans cooked (4 cups cooked, or 2 cans)
  • 4 cups butternut squash, about a 2-3 pound squash
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 2 cups chopped peppers 
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
  • 4 tbsp chili seasoning or more depending on how spicy you like it (you can make our own blend to your preferences. See recipe below.) 
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 28oz can of tomatoes or 4 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes
  • Additional water if needed
  • 2 cups organic frozen corn
  • For Serving: some Sriracha or your favourite hot sauce, fresh scallions or avocado slices if desired. 

Chili Seasoning

  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tbsp ground chilies or red chili powder (this is the pure stuff)

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients into pot at once, simmer on low, until liquid is absorbed, and chili has cooked down, about 1 1/2 hours.

  2. Serve over brown rice and topped with avocado slices and hot sauce, if desired.

Enjoy!

 

Nutritional Benefits

  • Very high in fiber! Almost 19 g per serving! Helps to regulate blood sugar, reduce blood pressure, increate satiety, great for diabetics, and aids in digestive health.
  • High in plant-based protein, 19 g! Great for healing and repairing tissues.
  • No cholesterol, and virtually no fat (none added), great for heart health and diabetes.
  • Outstanding source of potassium, 1,442 mg, and magnesium-both are important for heart health and lower blood pressure. Potassium aids in nervous system and kidney function.
  • Awesome source of Vitamin A, 276% DV-an antioxidant that helps with dental, bone, eye, hair, and skin health.
  • Great source of Vitamin C, 171% Vitamin C.
  • High source of plant-based iron, 34% iron, important for oxygenation of blood Great source of plant-based calcium, which is better absorbed by the body than from animal sources, 15%, important for bone and dental health.

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower SoupIngredients

  • 1 cauliflower – cut into small pieces
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp tarragon
  • Vegan bouillon cubes 
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place ½ cup water into a soup pot and sauté onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
  2. Add cauliflower and water to almost cover cauliflower – you don’t want it too watery so less is better. Add bouillon cubes and stir in. Cover with a lid and simmer on a lower heat for about 20 minutes. Stir in the tarragon.
  3. Puree the soup and serve hot with salt and pepper and/or hot sauce if that’s your thing – to individual taste.
  4. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Enjoy!

Three Sisters Soup

Three Sisters SoupThree Sister Soup is a traditional fall harvest meal here at Sugar Ridge.  We love to serve it around Thanksgiving but it’s a great one to share all winter. The Three Sisters (corn, squash and beans) used to be grown together in a collaborative way using the strength of each plant to support the other.  And, they taste great together!

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds squash (we use butternut)
  • 4 quarts vegetable stock (or water)
  • 2 – 3 small onions, diced
  • 3 – 5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • 3 cans white kidney / cannellini beans
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced
  • 1 large bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds, then roast for 40 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven, cool, and scoop the flesh of the squash into a large bowl (save any liquids!). Puree the cooled squash in a blender or food processor (add a little liquid if needed).
  2. In a large stockpot, sauté the onions in a bit of water until they begin to brown.
  3. Add the garlic, thyme, and black pepper and cook, stirring often, until the garlic turns light brown in color.
  4. Add the stock, bay leaf, and squash and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients and salt, and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Garnish with green onion, and serve crusty bread.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Vegan Pumpkin Pie CheesecakeServes 12

Ingredients

1/2    lemon, juice of

1 c    Medjool dates

1/2 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c coconut milk, light

1/2 c maple syrup

 

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & ginger

1 pinch sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut oil

 

1 c raw cashews

1 1/2 c pecans (finely chopped or ground)

 

Instructions

  1. Blend dates and pecans to form a paste and put in prepared springform pan and place in the freezer to set.
  2. Set aside cashews and pour boiling water over to soften for approx 15 mins.
  3. Purée remaining ingredients along with the cashews until smooth.
  4. Pour over crust and then back in the freezer until set – 4-6 hrs.

 

Grilled Corn with Chili-Lime Seasoning

Grilled corn - before and after

 

 

Late summer would not be the same without fresh corn on the cob. It makes all of the sweltering days seem worthwhile… almost.

Try this recipe for a delicious way to add some zest to your next barbeque!

 

 

 

Grilling the Corn

  • 4 ears of corn (more or less as desired)

With Husks

raw corn in husks

1. Peel the husks back on the corn husks, leaving them still attached.
2. Remove silk from corn and husks and rinse.

corn soaking in water

3. Cover cobs with the husks again and soak for minimum of 30 min, up to several hours.

raw corn on bbq

4. Take cobs out of water, shake off and place on a medium-high heated grill.

corn grilling on bbq

5. Roll cobs around on the grill every few minutes so they can cook evenly. They will be done when the husks have nice lines of char and the corn is tender and steaming.

Without Husks

  1.  Fully husk the corn cobs and clean off any silk left behind.
  2.  Grill the cobs similarly to “with husks”, on medium-high heat, rolling every few minutes and they will be done when  the cobs are tender and steaming.

 

Chili-Lime Seasoning

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder (more or less to your taste)
  • margarine
  • lime wedges
  1. Mix the 5 spices together to make an Indian spice blend. Place spice blend on a flat plate (to roll the cob in) or in a small bowl with a spoon or into a shaker.
  2. Rub the steaming corn with a wedge of lime, or coat with margarine, and then roll or sprinkle on spices.  If you prefer to coat with margarine, then spices you can squeeze a lime wedge over it.  Anyway you prepare it will be yummy!
  3. Enjoy!

Serves 4

 

Note

  • the corn can also be boiled if you do not have a grill or want to cook it quickly.

Carrot Ribbon Salad

This yummy summer salad has a creamy ginger and lime dressing – you’ll want to make it again and again!

DRESSING

  • ¾ cup cashews, soaked until soft, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup water
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (approx. 2 teaspoons)
  • pinch Himalayan salt
  • pinch fresh ground pepper
  1. Place all ingredients except garlic and ginger in high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Add chopped garlic and ginger to the blender. Pulse until well combined.

SALAD

  • 5 cups carrot ribbons (approximately 4 carrots)
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced (only the white part)
  • ½ cup fine dried unsweetened coconut 
  • 2 sprigs cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
  1. To make shaved carrots, just use your veggie peeler and peel carrots into ribbons.
  2. Toss together the carrots and scallions.
  3. Pour dressing over carrot mixture and toss to combine.
  4. Portion the carrot salad on plates and top with dried coconut and cilantro. A bit of fresh pepper is nice too!

Serves 4

Lemon Green Beans with Dill – Fasolakia Lemonata

Lemon Green Beans with DillAugust is a time for sitting on a patio, enjoying the warm weather and eating not only barbeque, but also the great dishes made from all of the fresh produce of the season. Salads can be thought of as boring or the healthy “required eating” before you get to the main dish or dessert, but it does not need to be that way. We serve many different salads, both light and full flavoured ones, that can make the salad a part of the meal people look forward to!

One salad that we serve, which may be more of a side dish than a true “salad”, is the Greek dish called Fasolakia Lemonata (or lemon green beans). This is a dish that Liz and Kurt used to each as often as they could at their favourite Greek restaurant in Toronto: Mezes, on the Danforth. It is just a perfect blend of lemon, dill and garlic tossed with olive oil and balsamic over lightly cooked green beans.

Give this recipe a try at your next barbeque. It is fast and easy to make and we are sure it will disappear quickly leaving you to make a mental note to make a bit more the next time you do it.

Ingredients

Vary the quantity of ingredients depending on how many you’re feeding. In general, a small handful of beans (10-15) is enough per person.

Nothing in this recipe is crucial or delicate, so you really can’t mess it up. Just add in the ingredients and adjust them until they taste right to you.

  • Fresh green beans
  • Red pepper – cut into tiny pieces
  • Red or green onion – sliced thinly into strips (optional…Liz does not onion in it)
  • Fresh dill – finely chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves – finely minced
  • Lemon – juice it and use the juice for dressing
  • Balsamic vinegar & olive oil

Directions

  1. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
  2. While that heats, trim the ends off the beans and keep in cold water to stay fresh and hydrated.
  3. When water boils, add the whole beans (after draining cold water from them). When water comes back to a boil leave beans for about a minute and then remove from heat. The beans should be much more brightly coloured now.
  4. Drain and immerse in cold water. Keep cold water running on them until cool to the touch. This keeps them crunchy.
  5. In a mixing boil add the other vegetable ingredients and the vinegar, oil, and lemon juice to taste.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Wings

These “wings” are similar to our Maple Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower, but have a crispy batter. If the transition to plant based eating is difficult because of foods you miss, this wing substitute will leave you satisfied and squash that wing craving. 

Ingredientscauliflower wings

  • 1 cauliflower, cleaned and cut into wing size pieces (approx. 4 cups of florets)
  • ½ cup nut or soy milk 
  • ½ cup water
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour (can sub gluten-free flour)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp of paprika
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground pepper
  • 1 cup hot sauce – whatever degree of hot you like
  • 1 tbsp margarine

Instructions

  1. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 425-450 F depending on your oven.
  2. Wash and cut cauliflower head into bite sized pieces/florets. 
  3. Mix the milk, water, flour and spices in a medium mixing bowl (set aside the hot sauce and margarine for later). Mix until the batter is thick and is able to coat the cauliflower without dripping.
  4. Dip the cauliflower in the batter. You can do this one by one or in batches.  Shake off excess batter before placing cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, flipping the florets over half way through to get all sides golden brown and crispy.
  6. While the cauliflower is baking, get your buffalo wing sauce ready. In a small saucepan on low heat melt margarine and mix in hot sauce. Remove from the heat just as it starts to melt. Stir together and set aside. 
  7. Once the cauliflower is done its first bake in the batter, remove them from the oven and put all the baked florets into a mixing bowl with the wing sauce and toss to coat evenly. Return cauliflower to baking sheet and bake in the oven for another 20-25 minutes.
  8. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Asparagus Risotto

Italian comfort food. We usually serve this with vegan sausage (Field Roast brand is amazing) and any side veg available like grilled zucchini or steamed broccoli.

IngredientsAsparagus Risotto

  • 6 – 7 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion (shallots or leeks)
  • 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1cm long pieces
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups dry Arborio rice
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
  • Nutritional yeast (optional seasoning)
  • ¼ cup ground cashews (or other nut), to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, make 7 cups of veggie stock. Reduce the heat so the water is steaming but not boiling. Leave this on the stovetop.
  2. In a large saucepan add 1-2 tbsp of water over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and garlic and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent sticking.
  3. Add the rice and stir until the edges become translucent, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the balsamic vinegar, and salt, and stir until you can no longer see any of the vinegar in the bottom of the pot.
  5. Add 1 cup of the hot veggie stock, and keep stirring until it has been almost completely absorbed (2 to 3 minutes). Continue to add 1 cup of stock at a time in the same way, stirring continuously. This gradual technique is the key to getting the rice to release its starch, thereby making the dish creamy. This process will take 20 – 30 minutes, and will use 6 to 7 cups of stock. After the first 10 minutes of cooking add the chopped asparagus (it doesn’t need long to cook). You don’t need to use all the stock necessarily so keep tasting it after you’ve added 5 cups and see what it needs. The risotto is ready when the rice is still a bit firm, has a creamy texture and is very thick.
  6. Stir in the basil and lemon zest. Garnish with chopped basil and/or nutritional yeast. Serve immediately.

Notes: If you don’t have asparagus you can substitute mushrooms and use tarragon instead of basil. Add the mushrooms earlier in the process than the asparagus.

Risotto will thicken a lot and get sticky after refrigerating. To reheat, stir in a little water or unsweetened non-dairy milk.

Enjoy!

Hot & Sour Soup! 🍲

 

Ingredientshot and sour soup

Servings: 4
Total Time: 45 minutes

  • 1 – 10 oz bag dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ginger, minced
  • 1 – 8 oz can bamboo shoots, julienned
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2-4 tbsp hot sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • 2 tsp sesame oil, extra for drizzling on soup
  • 1/3 block tofu, diced (optional)

Instructions

  1. Soak shiitake mushrooms in water for 6 hours or overnight.  Keep the water they soak in.
  2. Add vegetable stock, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar and hot sauce to pot.
  3. Drain mushroom liquid into pot, without putting mushrooms into the pot. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
  4. Remove stems from shiitake mushroom caps and discard hard ends of stems. Slice mushrooms and add to pot. Let simmer 20-30 minutes.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust spice and acidity. Add more vinegar or hot sauce if needed. Add a little sweetener if too spicy or sour.
  6. In a separate bowl mix together cornstarch and water.
  7. Add cornstarch to hot soup. Stir over medium heat until slightly thickened.
  8. Add green onions and sesame oil.
  9. Cook for 5 minutes.
  10. Serve and drizzle extra sesame oil on top if desired.

Notes:  Add seasonal veggies as you wish – snow peas & bean sprouts in spring, julienned carrots in the fall.  Let your imagination, and your tummy, guide you!

Enjoy!