quick-and-easy brown bread, homie

Awhile back, I decided I didn't want to buy bread. Well, at least limit the bread I buy in the store. So that leaves me with either not eating bread or making bread. Since I suddenly have an intense cooking obsession, I decided to go ahead and make my bread (and day). I haven't gotten around to the real bread making... You know, the difficult-yeast-kneading-rising bread making. Instead, I made this incredibly easy brown bread. Pretty flavorful. Here it is.

Quick-and-Easy Brown Bread

1 1/2 cups soy milk or rice milk
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar (or distilled vinegar)
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup raisins

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Combine the soy milk or rice milk with the vinegar and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add the soy milk mixture, molasses, and raisins, stirring until just mixed. (The batter will be fairly stiff and sticky.)
• Spoon into a 5 x 9-inch lightly oiled loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.
• Remove from the pan and place on a rack to cool.

Makes 1 loaf

boy, it's (vegan) chili in here

I had a lot of TVP that I wanted to use, so I found this recipe for vegan chili. I am not necessarily the biggest chili fan-- I don't hate it, I don't love it. But this turned out really well! It is just the right amount of spicy and the right amount of thickness. THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. The "she" being me. Anyway, really easy to make, too. The picture below shows the splatter from the chili attacking me.

Vegan Chili

1/2 large or 1 small onion, chopped
1-2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Dash liquid smoke (optional)
1 cup TVP mixed with 7/8 cup hot water
1 16-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cups cooked beans (black or kidney)
Dash ketchup
Dash mustard
1-2 cups vegetable broth (depending on desired thickness)
• Heat a couple of tablespoonfuls of water in a large, nonstick skillet. Add the chopped onion, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add more water, if necessary to keep the onions from sticking. (Use oil or margarine, if necessary.)
• Stir the soy sauce and liquid smoke into the TVP. Add the TVP to the onions in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, beans, ketchup, mustard, and vegetable broth and cook until heated through.

Makes 8 servings