The calendar has officially transitioned from summer to fall and, in many parts of the country, the weather has too -- which makes this a great time to start collecting easy, hearty and cozy recipes to make all season long.
Food creator Tabitha Brown first took social media by storm with her signature smooth voice overs of vegan-friendly cooking videos and has since elevated her presence in the culinary world to include appearances on Food Network, writing and more.
Brown joined "Good Morning America" Tuesday to share two meat- and dairy-free dishes from her highly-anticipated debut cookbook, "Cooking from the Spirit."
Her love of delicious food was inspired by her personal health journey: Brown previously attempted a 30-day vegan challenge that forever changed the way she cooks and eats, and now she's teaching others to do the same.
Check out her recipes for vegan chili and mac and "cheese," below.
Ingredients
Raw pecans
Apple cider vinegar
Garlic powder
Chopped red bell pepper
Chopped green bell pepper
Chopped purple (red) onion
A few drops of liquid smoke
Chili powder
Grapeseed oil
Salt-free seasoning spice, such as red bean and rice seasoning
Raw agave syrup Canned black beans with the liquid from the can
Canned kidney beans with the liquid from the can
Canned vegetarian baked beans with the liquid from the can
Canned diced tomatoes with their juice
Frozen or fresh corn kernels
Vegetable broth
Brown sugar
Barbecue sauce
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
For serving:
Vegan cheddar cheese shreds
Snipped fresh chives
Directions
Put the pecans in a pot and add water to cover along with some apple cider vinegar and garlic powder. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then boil for 12 minutes, until the pecans turn lighter in color and soften a little.
Drain the pecans and transfer them to a food processor. Add the bell peppers and onion, a few drops of liquid smoke, and a little chili powder. Blend it up. Now you have your base. Doesn't that smell good?
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pecan mixture and sprinkle in a little chili powder, garlic powder, and seasoning spice. Drizzle in a little agave. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Meanwhile, pour the beans and all the liquid from the cans into a Dutch oven or soup pot set over low heat. Add the tomatoes and all their juice, too. Add the corn.
Transfer that pecan "meat" to the pot and pour in just a little broth; you don't need a whole lot of broth, just a little. Stir it all up, turn the heat under the pot up to medium, and bring to a simmer. If you don't see any bubbles at all after a few minutes, turn the heat up a little more.
Add a couple of sprinkles of brown sugar and a little barbecue sauce. Add your salt and black pepper and stir it all up gently. Give it a taste, and if you want to, sprinkle in a little bit more chili powder.
Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, so that everyone can marry each other in the pot. If it gets too thick while it’s simmering, stir in a little more broth. Season to taste.
When you’re ready, ladle your chili into a bowl. Top with cheddar cheese and fresh chives or a little more of your seasoning, or add all three if you want to and that’s your business. Now you can get on into it!
Ingredients
Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes (the more you use, the sweeter the taste)
Russet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
Salt-free garlic and herb seasoning
Uncooked macaroni noodles
Sea salt
Vegan butter
Unsweetened plain cashew or almond milk yogurt
Nutritional yeast
Vegan cheddar cheese shreds
Vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
Garlic powder
Vegetable broth
For serving:
Sweet paprika (optional)
Sliced avocado (optional)
Sriracha (optional)
Everything bagel seasoning* optional)
*Remember, when using any seasoning that contains salt, don't be heavy-handed!
Directions
Put the butternut squash and potato in a pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add some seasoning to the boiling water (as much as you want, because that's your business). Boil until the squash and potatoes are very tender. Drain (a little moisture is fine), and set aside.
If you're going to bake the mac and cheese, preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a casserole or baking dish (a 9 x 13-inch pan is good if you're making a full pound of pasta).
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add your macaroni noodles. Add a little sea salt and seasoning to the boiling water. If you're going to serve these straight from the pot, cook until they're done like you like to eat them. If you're going to bake the mac and cheese, undercook them slightly (they'll cook a little more in the oven). Drain the noodles and set aside.
In a large saute pan, melt some butter over medium heat with the squash and potatoes. Add the yogurt, nutritional yeast, cheddar and mozzarella shreds, and some garlic powder. Cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is real creamy. Stir in a little broth to loosen the sauce.
Add the drained noodles to the cheese mixture and mix it all up well.
You can serve the mac and cheese now, and people, especially kids, will love it! But if you're baking it, transfer the noodles and sauce to the prepared casserole and scatter some more cheese on top, if you'd like. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the mac and cheese gets a little crispness on top. That's the Southern way.
Top with paprika, if you'd like to. And if you're feeling fancy, serve it up on plates with sliced avocado, sriracha, and everything bagel seasoning. That's a little California spin I do sometimes. Enjoy!
From Cooking from the Spirit by Tabitha Brown. Copyright © 2022 by Tabitha Brown. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.