Happy Thanksgiving From Pittsburgh

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are having a splendid time in Pittsburgh for the holiday. Yesterday, my cousin's boyfriend - Daniel - proposed to her on top of Mount Washington (a beautiful vista overlooking downtown Pittsburgh). It was a beautiful moment and such a perfect time of year for an engagement! I videotaped the whole thing with my dad's iPhone, so we could all watch it later.

Aside from the romance in the air, we're also whiffing in the delicious smells of the kitchen. So far, the family has feasted on pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw, chocolate sheet cake, carrot cake, peanut butter cookies, ginger pumpkin bread, vegan chili (guess who), and a huge breakfast of eggs, hash browns, ham, bacon, and toast.

Of course, I haven't partaken in any of the non-veg items and - I'm proud to say - wasn't in the least bit tempted! I got a little flack from the family, but no one has complained about my vegan chili, vegan peanut butter cookies, and vegan ginger pumpkin bread. ;-)

Plus, I was able to squeeze in a 6 mile run on my aunt's handy dandy treadmill! How wonderful is that? As I've mentioned before, I find a routine stabilizing and crucial to staying healthy. It doesn't take much to turn "a few days off" into a complete spiral out of exercise and fitness. Even if you're stuffed from your Thanksgiving meal and family time, see if anyone wants to go on a little walk with you. You'll be surprised how much better you feel - just from being active for fifteen or twenty minutes. It's okay to chill on the holidays, so make your exercise chill as well - - but don't just forget it for the whole week!

Today, I am making a wild rice-stuffed butternut squash and Isa Chandra Moskowitz's infamous Chickpea Cutlets (just google them...they've taken the vegan world by storm) with a delicious mustard and mushroom gravy. Yum! And for you, I have the vegan chili recipe that my non-veg family has been scarfing up and the yummy ginger pumpkin bread to boot. Happy holiday!

Devil's Details Chili
This chili, from Robin Robertson's Party Vegan is extremely rich - - it incorporates the flavors of chipotle, cocoa, and coffee to great success. My family has been "just tasting" this vegan recipe for two days (and it's almost gone!).

- olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 package soy-based meat crumbles
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tablespoons chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can vegan chili beans, rinsed and drained (check the label!)
- 4 oz. hot diced green chiles
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 3/4 cup decaf coffee

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and carrot and cook until softened (about 10 minutes), stirring often. Add the garlic, crumbles, chili powder, cocoa, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Break up the meat and stir to incorporate the seasonings. Continue to cook for five minutes. Add the tomatoes, chile sauce, beans, green chiles, water, and coffee. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes...until thick and flavorful. I dunked this in light, white dinner rolls and it was wonderful. serves 6

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Ginger Pumpkin Bread
This recipe hails from Alicia Simpson's new cookbook, Vegan Celebrations. The bread is incredibly moist and flavorful. My family certainly hasn't missed the eggs and butter! Simpson recommends serving it with a pumpkin butter (the recipe is in her book), but we just ate it plain.

- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch sea salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 15 oz. pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch pie pan.

Combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the sugars, pumpkin puree, and oil in a medium bowl, then add the milk. Stir the liquids until uniform. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until completely combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. To serve, invert the bread onto a large plate (the bottom will look nice and uniform on a plate). serves 6-8