Cheesy Potato Onion Bake and Spicy Roasted Veggie Chili

I was just in the kitchen making Vegan Dad's Kaiser Rolls, so I've got flour all over my hands.  Ahh... I love making bread.  I will be posting the recipe fairly soon, but for now I will be talking about these two.  I just want to say that, yes, I know it's a hundred degrees outside and the middle of a hot, steamy, summer.  So what?  I melt... and then I have good food.  It's all good.  But, even though both of these dishes are not really summer dishes, they are totally worth the trouble any time of the year.

About the potato thing- it's really good.  Um, yeah.  I liked the cheese a lot- this time, I used almond cheese, which didn't melt as well as normal cheese.  But I'm really trying to move towards a more vegan diet, so I figured, since it wasn't too expensive, I would give it a shot.  And the combination of roasted potatoes and onions/shallots was quite amazing.  I loved the sauce that went with it, too.

This chili- oh my GOSH it was so GOOD I thought I had DIED and gone to HEAVEN when I first tasted it.  Seriously.  It's that good- it'll have you crying it's so spicy, but it's all worth it.  I love the rich flavour of the roasted veggies, and the large amount of beans really makes this such a filling dish.  Great for hot or cold days... a must try.  Healthy Happy Life is such a brilliant blog...

Cheesy Potato Onion/Shallot Bake

Adapted from A Dash of Flavour

Serves 8

2 lbs russet potatoes cut into ¼ inch thick slices

Several shallots and/or a small onion, thinly sliced

1 cup cheese

1 cup Silk

1 tbsp vegetarian chicken bouillon

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350, and spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Put down a layer of potatoes, and then a layer of onion/shallot. Sprinkle with cheese. Repeat until all the potatoes are gone, ending with a layer of cheese. Mix together the Silk, bullion, and seasoning and pour over the potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Serve.

Spicy Roasted Veggie Chili

Adapted from Healthy Happy Life

Serves 10

A)

1 large carrots, coined
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Drizzle of honey

B)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp nutmeg

2-3 tbsp molasses
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ red onion, diced
½ bunch spinach, destemmed and torn
1 1/2 cups carrots, coined
3/4 cups diced red bell pepper
3 dried chilies, soaked in water for several hours and finely chopped
C)
6 cups canned fire-roasted tomatoes

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 bay leaf
1 lbs red kidney beans, soaked overnight
1/2 lb pinto beans soaked overnight

Cheese and sour cream

Preheat the oven to 400. Put the veggies from A on a baking sheet, and mix together remaining A ingredients. Pour them over the veggies, and bake the veggies for 15 minutes, until caramelized. Set aside.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the B section to the pot. Add a bit of water (I used what the peppers were soaking in), and cover. Allow to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from pot and put the B mixture on a baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes, until caramelized.
Finally, add all the ingredients to the Dutch oven except cheese and sour cream. Add enough water to your liking, and bring to a light simmer. Cover and simmer for 4 hours, or until you just can’t wait anymore. Serve with cheese and sour cream.