It just goes to show that even though our chilies may vary from bean to spice blend to topping to side, the fact remains that we all are united in the chili-loving. Because we-are-connected. What is there to dislike about a warm, spicy bowlful of goodness that's actually quite nutritious? Why, saying you don't like chili, is like saying you don't like hugs, or puppies, or laughing or sunlight. In fact, if someone tells you that they don't like chili, don't trust that person.

Feel free to do chili how you do chili. If this post does nothing more than inspire you to make chili in your own and completely different way, then purpose served. But just in case, here's my recipe with all of the fix-ins.

 The basics: A good pasta with a good sauce. My sauce is made with lots of caramelized onions, roasted garlic and a healthy pinch of chili flakes, and aggressively seasoned with oregano, thyme, and basil. I always blend my sauce. It's just a thing I have..


Can anyone remember their first stuffed shell? I think the first stuffed shell I had was in Connecticut somewhere on vacation with my family at about age 10. How did I live 10 years without any stuffed shells? A mystery to this day. From the day after my first stuffed shell on, I hardly ever wanted to eat anything else. These are stuffed with a cream made from cashews, tofu, parsley, nooch, and an italian-spiced lentil meat.


Authentic Italian spinach and beans. A staple in my house, Italian night or not. A hundred cloves of garlic, white wine, and some olive oil is all you really need.


No Italian meal is complete without at least some kind of bread, roll, or bread rolled into a stick and baked. Breadsticks are somehow very special. If you make bread, people are like, "meff." If you make rolls, people are all like, "hmm." If you make breadsticks, people will flip out about how much they love breadsticks and have 7. These are rolled in olive oil, garlic powder and salt. Honestly, when you are all pissed off about the fiscal cliff, or your favorite vegan Ice cream shoppe closing, or about the animals in your attic banging around waking you up too early in the morning, just get yourself a breadstick. And things will be better. I promise.


What a fancy dinner! It might have taken me seven hours from start to finish, but I'd do it again in the name of ridiculously indulgent dinners, Italian food, and my friends and family.

The Mightiest Meatless Meetball You'll Ever Make:

Bake for about 30 minutes, then flip and bake about 10-15 more until the meetballs feel firm to the touch. Serve warm with lots of marinara sauce.

It looks a little murky to be green, but green is the color of mostly all of the ingredients! This is chock full of good stuff for you, and hey, if you wanted to eat this 4 times a week, you could do much much worse. The broth is super spicy, because spicy chili is the bees knees. Or.. something.

Tempeh Green Chili

2 8oz packages of tempeh
1 head of green kale
4 cups baby spinach
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 1lb tomatillos
2 jalapeño chiles
2 poblano peppers
3 leeks
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, Diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
5 cups homemade vegetable broth
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon corriander
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 can canellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsely
1 avocado, diced, optional but warranted

Cut leeks lengthwise and chop off the tough dark green ends. Discard tough ends and slice the leeks into half moons. Separate chopped layers of leeks and place in a bowl. Fill bowl with water and slosh the leeks around so that the dirt and grit falls to the bottom of the bowl.
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add leeks, onion, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic and sauté. Rip the kale off the tough veins and rinse. Tear into bite-sized pieces and add to pot. Wilt kale for 2 minutes and add spinach. Wilt for about 5 minutes.
Peel tomatillos and rinse under water. Preheat the broiler. Place tomatillos, jalapeños and poblanos in a cast-iron skillet and broil for 8-9 minutes or until all tomatillos and chiles have split or blistered. Remove and let cool. Peel away the burnt skin and puree in a food processor. Pour mix into soup.
Tear tempeh into bite-sized chunks and place in a large skillet. Cover tempeh pieces with water and simmer about 10 minutes. Drain away excess water and heat tempeh over medium high heat. pour tamari over tempeh and stir. Cook 1 minute and turn off heat.
Now add corriander, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and paprika to soup and stir. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and add beans. Cook 15 minutes, covered. Add tempeh and stir. Cook for 3 minutes and turn off heat. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley and diced avocado.

Spinach White Bean Tortellini

1 recipe tortellini dough

1 lb fresh baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1 15 oz can white beans, or 2 cups cooked white beans, like navy or canellini
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup nooch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

3 tablespoons garlic creme sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a large saute pan, add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and heat on medium. In handfuls, add the spinach, turning with tongs to wilt. After about 3 minutes, add white wine. Turn the spinach with tongs until all the leaves are wilted.
In a food processor, chop garlic. Now drain and rinse the beans and add them to the food processor. Blend until relatively smooth and add spinach. Puree until a loose mixture comes together. Add nooch, salt and pepper, and taste for seasonings.
Form tortellini.
Boil tortellini for 4-5 minutes, until all tortellini have risen to the top and slightly puffed.
Spoon the sauce onto the bottom of your dish. Arrange tortellini on the top of your sauce. Drizzle the teaspoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with fresh parsley.