2011 Schedule of Events

Exact dates are yet to be determined, but we've put together a tentative outline of Humboldt Vegetarian Society events for 2011 -

January 2011

• Adults' dinner out
• Fair trade chocolate tasting and screening of 'The Dark Side of Chocolate' (late January or early February)
  

February 2011

• Potluck (and film screening?) hosted by Valerie in Eureka
  

March 2011

• Vegan chili cook-off at the HAF Community Center
  

April 2011

• Adults' dinner out
• Outreach event - distribute vegan hot chocolate and vegan literature in front of the Arcata Co-op
  

May 2011

• Potluck and film screening (possibly The Cove) at the HAF Community Center

June 2011

• Vegan picnic (possibly at the pump station East of Arcata)
  

July 2011

• Potluck and speaker at the HAF Community Center
  

August 2011

• Vegan ice cream party hosted by Tamara in Bayside
  

September 2011

• Local foods themed potluck at the HAF Community Center
  
• Possible cooking class with Jennifer Raymond, either in combination with the potluck or on a different day

October 2011

• Adults' dinner out
  
• Potluck hosted by Heather in Eureka
  

November 2011

• Vegan Thanksgiving at the HAF Community Center
  

December 2011

• ???

If anyone has ideas for additional projects or events, please feel free to organize something using either our Yahoo group and/or Facebook page.

Vegan Thanksgiving!

Please join us for a truly happy turkey day celebration!

Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck
Sunday, November 21st, 2:00
Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center
(Indianola Cutoff in Bayside, between Eureka and Arcata)

Questions? Email us.

October Potluck and film screening 10/16

Hey everyone. Valerie again.

Marc and I will be hosting this month's potluck at our place in Pine Hill.

We will be showing the film The Witness. This Tribe of Heart documentary is an intriging story of a construction contractor from a tough Brooklyn neighborhood who becomes an impassioned animal activist.

Our plan is to show the film at 4pm and then for those who are comfortable, to share where they are on their vegan/vegetarian or animal protection/rights journey or the reasons behind their decision to investigate these issues.

Everyone is welcome to share(or not), no matter what stage they're at.

The film is only about 45 minute long, so potluck and discussion will start at 5pm.

You can also watch the entire film online from the link above and just come in time for the potluck.

If interested in coming, please email me for directions to our place. vsimone316@yahoo.com

And as always, please bring a dish to share that contains no animal products. (meat, fish, dairy, eggs, gelatin, honey, etc)

Looking forward to seeing you!

Dinner at Chapala Cafe, 10/1

Join us for an adults-only dinner out on Friday, 10/1 - enjoy great Mexican food, margaritas, and live music by the Tumbleweeds! Please RSVP if you plan to attend (just leave a comment here) so I can make the reservation for the correct number of people.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream recipe

Hey People! Valerie here.

I had a great time with you all at the ice cream party at Tamara's yesterday.

Here's the recipe for the ice cream that I made. It's adapted from a recipe in the book The Vegan Scoop by Wheeler Del Torro.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

3 1/2 cups coconut milk, divided

2 Tbls arrowroot powder

2/3 cup agave nectar

1 Tbls vanilla extract

1/2 cup nondairy chocolate chips

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup coconut milk with arrowroot powder and set aside.

Mix remaining 3 1/4 cups coconut milk and agave nectar in a saucepan, and cook over low heat. Once mixture begins to boil, remove from heat and immediately add arrowroot cream. This will cause the liquid to thicken noticeably.

Stir in vanilla.

Refrigerate mixture until chilled, approximately 2 to 3 hours. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions. In the last few minutes of churning, add chocolate chips.

Yield: 1 quart

Ice Cream Party

Hi guys, Tamara here. :-)

I'm going to be hosting a vegan ice cream sundae party at my house in Bayside on Sunday, September 19th at 3:00 in the afternoon.

If you'd like to attend, please let me know that you're coming so I can plan accordingly. It would also be great if you could tell me whether you plan to bring ice cream or toppings so I can be sure to have a reasonable amount of everything we need.

If you need directions, email me and I will send them to you privately.

If the weather is nice, feel free to bring bathing suits and water toys for the kids (or adults, who knows!?). If the weather is crappy, it may have to be a hot chocolate party instead. We'll see. :-)

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

How you can help spread the vegan pizza goodness!

Greetings Humboldt Veggers!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and having lots of fun adventures. Our household has been consumed these past few months by the massive effort involved in moving our home, my studio, Matt's shop, and all of our animals, while simultaneously attempting to renovate/remodel the house we're moving into. Fun stuff. ;-)

Many of my fellow group leaders have also been busy with travel this summer, and it seems we let July pass without managing to plan a get-together. I'm hoping to host a vegan ice cream sundae party at our new place in Bayside later in August (if you all don't mind the disarray and construction mess!). But I thought it would be fun to try something new in place of our July event...

About a week ago, we brought our own Daiya vegan cheese to Big Pete's Pizzeria in Eureka and they made us a delicious vegan pizza. It was my first authentic pizza parlor style pie in about ten years (cheeseless pizza doesn't count), and I cannot tell you how good it tasted! That got me thinking - if we harnessed the power of this awesome group of people, might we be able to get Big Pete's (or any other local pizzerias) to make Daiya a regular offering on their menu? (thereby saving vegan consumers about $10 worth of vegan cheese from the Co-op for enough for two medium pizzas!).

Coincidentally, within days of these musings, I came across a campaign on an LA-area vegan blog to try to get more LA pizza parlors to offer vegan cheese. I borrowed the idea from them and am proposing that anyone interested in helping to expand vegan dining options in Humboldt County email me to request the form I drafted and send it in to one or more pizza parlor locally (perhaps with an emphasis on Big Pete's, since they do have two cheeseless vegan pizzas already clearly marked on their menu, and because the owner did seem receptive when I chatted him up recently). All you have to do is write the date, the name of the restaurant, and your name on the handy-dandy form and mail it in or drop it off at the pizza parlor(s) of your choice. Then we just sit back and (hopefully) wait for the delicious, gooey vegan pizza deliciousness to begin. :-)

Thanks for helping, and I hope to see many of you next month!

Tamara

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 9

ALMOND CRESCENTS

Makes about 50 little cookies that are great for holiday gift giving.

1 stick vegan margarine
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus additional for coating
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup ground almonds (other nuts ok)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream butter, add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Shape with fingers into crescents. (Kid friendly for other shapes or rolling out too.)

Roll in extra confectioner’s sugar and bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 12 to 15 minutes.

Take out when just starting to brown. Cool, then roll in more confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Submitted by Heather Gladding. Adapted from “The Fanny Farmer Cookbook.”

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 8

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

4.5 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
6 tablespoons of water
1 cup non dairy butter, (I used two sticks of Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
a whole bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips (or other brand)

- preheat oven 375 degrees
-whip the egg replacer and water and set aside
-in large bowl cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla
-add egg replacer and whip till very smooth and creamy with electric mixer
-in separate bowl mix dry ingredients
-combine dry into wet and mix and then add chips.
- bake 10 minutes, then let cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to wax paper.

Danny Romero’s version from “The Joy of Vegan Baking” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 7

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup plain soymilk
3/4 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup walnuts, crushed (I like mine crushed pretty finely)
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add soymilk, maple syrup, and oil. Stir just until moistened, then fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin. Fill the cups pretty much to the brim - these will rise a little but not a ton. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test.

Submitted by Tamara McFarland. Modified from recipe in VegNews magazine.

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 6

Gluten-Free Lemon and Jelly Cookies

2 1/2 cups blanched almonds (dry), ground finely in food processor
2/3 cup corn flour or cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup yellow flaxmeal (light colored)
1/2 cup + 2 tsp agave syrup
2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)
fruit sweetened jelly, jam, or fruit preserves of choice

1. Spray a large cookie sheet with a good vegetable oil spray and preheat the oven to 350.

2. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients(except for the jelly) in the given order. Mix well.

3. Drop dough on cookie sheet with a teaspoon and flatten with a fork.

4. After flattening, go back to each cookie pressing with either your thumb or the bottom of a spoon, creating a little crater in each cookie. Add a small amount of jelly inside the indentation, but not too much or it will overflow and spill out during the baking.

5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Check often to prevent burning.

5. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Makes about 2 dozen

If stored in a sealed tupperware like container they become more moist over time and the flavor intensifies.

*This recipe can be adapted with many different nuts, combinations and flavors.

Submitted by Valerie McGowan

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 5

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE PILLOWS

Chocolate dough:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons black unsweetened cocoa or more dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons soy creamer or non-dairy milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa if using, baking soda and salt. Mix to form a moist dough.

Make the filling. In another mixing bowl beat together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy creamer and vanilla extract to form a moist but firm dough. If peanut butter dough is too dry stir in remaining tablespoon of non-dairy milk. If dough is too wet knead in a little extra powdered sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape the cookies. Create the centers of the cookies by rolling the peanut butter dough into 24 balls. Scoop a generous tablespoon of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc and place a peanut butter ball in the center. Fold the sides of the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter center and roll the chocolate ball into an smooth ball between your palms. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and repeat with remaining dough.

Place dough balls on lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies cool for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling. Store cookies in tightly covered container. If desired warm cookies in a microwave for 10 to 12 seconds before serving.

Submitted by Tamara McFarland (I think this is an Isa Chandra Moskowitz recipe, possibly from the book, 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over Your Cookie Jar'.)

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 4

MAGIC CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a large bowl and stir with a fork until mixed. Make a well in the center and add the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and water. Stir with a fork until well mixed. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely, then frost with Chocolate Cream Frosting (below).

CHOCOLATE CREAM FROSTING

2 tablespoons vegan margarine
1 1/3cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons water

Cream the vegan margarine in a small bowl, then add the sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and enough water to make a thick but spreadable frosting.

From ’The Peaceful Palate’ by Jennifer Raymond.

Tamara's notes: “I have never mixed this in the baking pan like Jennifer suggests; I always just use a mixing bowl. Also, I often double the recipe to make a 9x13 cake.”

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 3

KEY LIME CHEESECAKE

1 package silken tofu
8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons lime zest, divided
Juice of 3 limes
2 teaspoons agar agar flakes
1 prepared pie crust
1-1/2 cups non-dairy whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine tofu, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, 3 teaspoons lime zest, and lime juice until smooth. Add agar agar and blend for about 1 minute.

2. Add tofu mixture to pie crust and bake about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, and allow to sit in the oven for another 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then top with non-dairy whipped cream. Sprinkle remaining lime zest and serve.

Submitted by Tamara McFarland

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 2

STRAWBERRY, PEACH, RASPBERRY CRISP WITH GINGER AND ORANGE ZEST

2 cups peaches, sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspons orange zest
4 tablespoons sucanat

Topping:
1/2 cup - whole grain flour
1/2 cup - rolled oats
1/2 cup - Sucanat
1/2 cup - finely chopped pistachios and walnuts
6 Tablespoons - melted vegan butter and/or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon -salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Arrange sliced fruit, ginger, orange zest, and sucanat in an 8 inch square baking dish. Mix all the ingredients for the topping in a bowl and sprinkle on top of strawberries, covering the top fully. Bake the crisp until the juices are bubbly, and the topping is golden brown. This takes about 35-40 minutes.

Let cool slightly and serve warm as such or with ice cream or whipped cream. Store leftover crisp in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days. Slightly warm before serving.

Submitted by Holly Young

Vegan Dessert Recipes, Part 1

The first of several recipes submitted by HVS members for last weekend's vegan desserts class...

REALLY! ONE BOWL BROWNIES

2 cups raw walnuts (unsoaked)
1 cup almonds (unsoaked)
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/8 tsp. salt
16 pitted, lightly chopped dates
1/3 cup cocoa (or raw) powder
1/3 cup carob powder
1 cup dried cherries (or raisins)
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (optional)
2 tsp vanilla flavoring
2 tsp filtered water

Place the nuts and hemp seeds in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until coarsely chopped. Remove 1/2 cup of the nuts and set aside in a small mixing bowl. Add the salt to the food processor and process until the nut are finely ground. Add the dates and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Add the cocoa and carob powders and process to incorporate. Add the chopped nuts and seeds, dried cherries (or raisins), optional cacao nibs, vanilla, and water and process briefly, until just mixed.

Pour the mixture evenly into an 8-inch glass baking dish and press down with your hand to compact. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, or until firm to touch, and then cut into squares.

Covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator, these brownies will keep for 5 days or for 2 weeks stored in the freezer.

Submitted by Valerie McGowan. Modified from a recipe in "Raw for Dessert" by Jennifer Cornbleet

Vegan Baking/Desserts

Here is some excellent material compiled by Heather G. for last weekend's vegan dessert class -

Butter Substitutes

• Vegan Margarine – Earth Balance is often used since it has natural ingredients. To avoid trans-fats, look for non-hydrogenated. Keep very, very chilled when using for pie crust and chill before cutting and again before baking. Unless margarine is unsalted, reduce amount of added salt by half.
• Coconut Butter/Oil – Great for pie crusts (adds a little flavor.) Not good for cookies as they may turn out very flat. Don’t refrigerate before using for pie crust as it will be rock hard!
• Vegetable Oil – Use 25% less oil than butter.

Milk Substitutes

• When baking, use a fattier milk for better results, such as soy, hemp, coconut, or nut milks. Less fatty milks, like rice, will give lesser results.

Buttermilk Substitutes

• Use an equal amount of soymilk mixed with a little lemon juice. Allow the mixture to thicken 5 minutes before using. For 1 cup buttermilk, mix 1 cup milk with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
• Use an equal amount of vegan sour cream substitute diluted half and half with water. For 1 cup buttermilk, mix 1/2 cup vegan sour cream with 1/2 cup water.

Sour Cream Substitutes

• Use a vegan sour cream substitute. One recommended brand is Sour Supreme.
• Use soy yogurt in a 1:1 substitution ratio.1 cup sour cream = 1 cup vegan sour cream.

Cream Cheese Substitutes

• Use a vegan cream cheese substitute. Recommended brands are Tofutte (non-hydrogenated version) and Follow Your Heart.
• Use coconut cream with lemon juice; mix a dash of lemon juice with heavy coconut cream.

Egg Substitutes

Eggs are used for either binding the other ingredients and thickening or they are used for leavening – helping the dessert to rise and be light and fluffy. It is best to identify the egg’s purpose in a recipe in order to best replace it. You may need to experiment with this! And while you won’t be able to create some very light items, most baking with one to four eggs can be replicated.

- In cookies and muffins, no binding agent is generally needed.

- In quick breads and cakes both leavening and binding is needed.

- In custard pies, like pumpkin pie, eggs are mainly for thickening.

For Leavening (cakes, cookies, muffins, quick breads, etc.)

• Use soymilk with lemon; mix 1/4 cup soymilk with 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice for one egg equivalent.
• Use sour cream substitute with baking soda; mix 1/4 cup Sour Supreme + 1/4 tsp. baking soda for one egg equivalent.

Optional: In cakes and quick breads, add 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch/arrowroot powder to the dry ingredients for each egg being replaced. This will bind the ingredients and give a nice soft texture.

For Thickening and Binding:

• Use finely ground flaxseeds whipped with water; mix 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds with 3 Tbsp water for one egg equivalent. Note: flaxseeds are strictly a binder, so where leavening is also needed, one solution is to mix in a little bit of Ener G Egg Replacer.
• Use cornstarch with pureed soft tofu; mix 3 Tbsp. pureed tofu with 2 tsp. Cornstarch. (Good for quiches and custard pies.)
• Commercial Egg Replacers – Ener G Egg Replacer is a popular brand. Note: some people notice a bitter aftertaste.
• Use soy flour mixed with water; mix 1 heaping Tbsp. soy flour with 1 Tbsp. water. Note: Add more water if it seems too dry.

Fat Free Egg Replacers

• Pureed fruit (applesauce, pureed banana, squash or pumpkin) works as a binder. They are low in fat but some flavor may transfer over to the finished product. 1/4 cup puree substitutes as one egg equivalent.

Gelatin Substitutions

• Agar agar flakes, powders, or bars. This will thicken as it heats. Note: agar agar sets more firmly than gelatin.
• Commercial substitution – There are some commercial products for Jello available. (Natural Desserts Gluten-Free Vegan Jel Desserts is available at Eureka Natural Foods.)

Honey Substitutions

• Alternative liquid sweeteners. Agave, maple syrup, liquid FruitSource can be substituted in equal measure. Varying in sweetness are frozen fruit-juice concentrates, malt syrup, brown rice syrup, sorghum syrup; with these experimentation may be necessary.

Sugar Substitutions

• Alternative dry sweeteners. Beet sugar, fructose, evaporated cane juice crystals, unbleached cane sugar, turbinado sugar, palm sugar, date sugar, maple crystals, and granulated FruitSource are alternatives. Note: some dissolve better than others, so experimentation may be necessary.

Note: Many vegans do not eat sugar since some sugar is refined using bone char from animals.

Tea Party Pics

All I can say is... yum!!!

June Event

On Saturday, June 19th at 2:00 p.m., the Humboldt Vegetarian Society will host a vegan dessert tasting and cooking discussion at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center, 373 Indianola Road in Bayside.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. A tea party themed potluck and dessert tasting will be followed by a roundtable discussion on preparing vegan desserts, including information on easy substitutions as well as lots of free recipes. Attendees should bring a vegan dish to share (finger foods, desserts, and/or teas are encouraged), as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, etc.)

Any Fabulous Dessert Recipes Out There?

Hello all - we have an upcoming event June 19th - A Vegan Tea Party and Dessert Tasting! We're putting together a little handout for that event, which will include recipes. We'd appreciate any favorite vegan dessert recipes that you'd care to share. Whether decadent or homey, if they are delicious, we want them!

Please send your recipes to h.gladding@gmail.com.

Thank you! Heather G.

May get-together details

Please join us for an adults-only dinner at Bless My Soul in Eureka on Friday, May 21st at 6:00 pm. Sweet Mama Janise has promised a vegan dessert option and I'm working on talking her into making some vegan corn muffins as well. There are several vegetarian/vegan options on her regular menu. I need a head count for the reservation so please let me know ASAP if you're planning to attend. :-)

DA Candidates Forum

The Humboldt animal rescue community is hosting a candidate forum for the Humboldt County DA candidates at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 16 at the Humboldt Area Foundation. This is an opportunity to ask questions and hear the candidates discuss their positions on prosecution of crimes against animals. It is also an opportunity to show them that there is significant interest in, and concern about, the way animal abuse cases are handled. Please forward this to anyone who is concerned about the treatment of animals in Humboldt County. Feel free to contact Jennifer Raymond of the Humboldt Spay/Neuter Network if you have questions or would like to help with set-up or refreshments - 442-1426 or 499-0334 / vegicook@asis.com

Another Vegan Chili Recipe

Here's the chili that won the 'Best Spicy' and 'Most Unique' awards at our recent vegan chili cook-off, courtesy of Holly -

Black Bean (or Red Bean) and Sweet Potato Chili

1 bag black beans (1 lb), picked through, soaked in water and cooked until tender
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons salt
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed organic tomatoes
3 cups water
2 medium sweet potatoes, skinned and diced into ½ inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons concentrated veggie Broth

garnishes:
juice of 1 lime
chopped fresh cilantro
green onion slices

In a large Dutch oven, sauté together oil, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, and garlic cloves until translucent and softened. Add in beans, chili powder, salt to taste, cumin to taste, black pepper, marjoram to taste, tomatoes, water and chicken flavor. Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add in sweet potatoes and simmer, uncovered for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Winning Chili Recipe

Here's the recipe for the chili that won the 'Best Overall Chili' award at Saturday's cook-off. Thanks to Valerie for sharing it!

Valerie's Sweet ‘n Smoky 3-Bean Chili

4 large onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped

3 Tbls coconut oil

1 Tbls each mustard powder and chili powder

¼ tsp each cumin and cocoa powder

½ cup tvp granules

1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 4 oz can diced green chiles

1 baked yam, flesh scooped out, mashed

3- 15 oz cans beans(kidney, white, and black), undrained, and ½ cup water

1 cup of your favorite sweet BBQ sauce

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

2 Tbls Agave Nectar

2 Tbls Braggs Liquid Aminos(or soy sauce)

1 tsp liquid smoke

Tabasco sauce(optional)

salt(optional)

In a 5 or 6 quart kettle, cook onions, garlic, and green pepper in oil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the onions and garlic are golden and the green pepper is soft. Add tvp granules and stir until coated.

Add mustard powder and cook, stirring for one minute. Add chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, tomatoes with their liquid, chilies, mashed yam,beans and their liquid,tomato paste and BBQ sauce. Stir until well blended, then add agave, Braggs, and liquid smoke.

Reduce the heat and simmer rapidly, uncovered for about 40 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked away and the chili has thickened. Stir often to keep it from scorching.**

Season with salt to taste and enjoy with your favorite chili toppings.

Variation:

After simmering the chili for 15-20 minutes, pour entire mixture into a crock pot and cook 4-6 hours or overnight on a low to medium setting. This allows the flavors to "marry" even more and really breaks down the onions to a very soft, almost creamy consistency.

**Feel free to taste throughout the cooking process, adding more of any of the seasonings to your liking. Make it your own!

Fun Times at the HVS Chili Cook-Off

We had a great time at our first Humboldt Vegetarian Society Chili Cook-Off yesterday. Thanks so much to everyone who attended, and especially to those who entered the cook-off. Here are the talented winners of the event -

(left-right) Valerie McGowan, Suzanne Crothers, & Holly Young,
winners of the 2010 Vegan Chili Cook-Off

Valerie won in the 'Best Overall Chili' category with her delicious three bean chili (recipe coming soon). Suzanne's white bean chili took the 'Best Mild Chili' category, and Holly took the award for both the 'Best Spicy Chili' and 'Most Unique' with a delicious sweet potato chili. Congratulations ladies, and enjoy your prizes!

The Tart Recipe

Here's a link to the recipe for the fruit tart I brought to the cook-off yesterday, for those of you who requested it. ~Tamara

February 20th - Chili Cook-Off!!!

On Saturday, February 20th at noon, the Humboldt Vegetarian Society will host a vegan chili cook-off and potluck at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center, 373 Indianola Road in Bayside.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. Attendees should bring one or two vegan dishes to share (either a pot of chili to enter in the contest, or a side dish or dessert), as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.) Prizes will be awarded to the best chili chefs.

The Humboldt Vegetarian Society is a group of vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores who meet monthly to share delicious vegan food, recpies, and good company. For more information, please visit their website at www.HumboldtVeg.blogspot.com.

2010 Event Schedule

This is our schedule of events for the rest of this year:

Sunday, September 19th at 3:00
2nd Annual Vegan Ice Cream Party at Tamara's house in Bayside

Friday, October 1st at 6:00
Adults' dinner out at Chapala Cafe in Eureka (corner of 2nd and C Streets)

October (exact date, time, & location TBA)
Potluck and film hosted by Valerie in Eureka

We're also hoping to do a cooking class with Jennifer Raymond at the HAF Community Center sometime in October

November (exact date & time TBA, probably the 20th or 21st)
2nd Annual Vegan Thanksgiving
HAF Community Center

December (exact date, time, & location TBA)
Holiday cookie exchange hosted by Heather in Eureka