Winter Warmer, One Dish 2 Ways

Even though we were experiencing "The Winter That Wasn't", (it finally did snow last night, but not a lot) we've had a few really cold days. When coming in from the blustery weather outside, a stick-to-your-ribs dish is what's needed to warm you up. Enter Chocolate-Chipotle Chili from The Urban Vegan Cookbook.

Seriously - she had me at 'chocolate.' Even though this may sound like an odd mix of flavours, trust me - chili & chocolate make a great combo. This can be made spicy if you like it that way, or not so much so if you're a wuss like I am. The flavour is still all there.

This makes a nice, thick chili, chock full of veggies & beans (and chocolate!) I took Dynise's suggestion and served this with tortilla chips that we used to scoop up the chili. It makes a terrific super casual meal that is perfect for when you want to park yourself in front of the TV and stay inside for the night while the wind howls.

We washed it down with this Swedish pear cider. The touch of sweetness offset the heat of the chili. The addition of wild berries makes this cider super delicious.

This is interesting dish I made a couple of weeks ago that was so super easy, it's ridiculous.

I found the recipe in a Weight Watchers booklet. It's made with broccoli slaw & spinach. The recipe called for shredded chicken, but I used Quorn Chik'n Tenders. You could use any kind of faux chicken or even tofu. This was really good! I served it over brown rice.

Since this is 'The Winter That Wasn't', the barbecue has been seeing it's fair amount of action. Who am I kidding? We Canadians barbecue in the snow. It doesn't matter the weather.

PC Blue Menu Soy Burger, Potato Wedges & the broccoli slaw & spinach without the chicken that I tried as a vegetable side dish.

Oh, I loves me some spuds. I tossed these with a bit of olive oil, garlic & onion powder, then spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and baked in a hot oven. So freaking tasty!

Although the broccoli slaw was good without the Quorn, I think it's better with.

QUICK BROCCOLI SLAW STIR-FRY WITH CHICKEN

2 tsp. canola or safflower oil
4 scallions, sliced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, minced (I used 3 'cause that's just the kind of girl I am)
1 (1-pound) bag broccoli slaw
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach*
2 tbsp. teriyaki sauce**
1 cup meatless chicken strips/slices/chunks of your choice (sautéed until lightly browned)

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok; add the scallions, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli slaw and cook until just softened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, and the teriyaki sauce; cook, stirring, until the spinach is nearly wilted, about 2 minutes more. Add the meatless chicken, stir through the dish and heat until chik is hot.

Serve at once.

*I added more spinach than the recipe called for. You can, of course, use regular spinach that has been chopped or torn into smaller pieces.
** I added a bit more sauce just because I love teriyaki. I think the 2 tbsp. wouldn't have been enough. It was just barely enough for the chik-less side dish.