This Week in My Kitchen: Veggie Chorizo 3 Ways + Vegan Prailines

The last time I made veggie sausages they were good, but I didn't like the bean skins in them. This time I set out to make better ones, so I used the recipe in Vegan Brunch as a jumping off point, but ground the beans in the food processor to make a smoother texture and adjusted the seasonings more to my taste. The chorizo came out great (although the first batch was a touch too spicy), and we ate it all week!

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Pepper, Grilled
I stuffed fresh poblano peppers with chorizo crumbled and sauteed, then Kirk grilled them just until the skin was scorched. Yum! I made a Mexican style red sauce and served it with over the peppers, which we ate with salad and grilled pineapple. I love having a barbeque! Grilled pineapple is seriously my favourite food right now.

Chorizo Jambalaya with Polenta and Salad
When my friend Stephanie came over for dinner, I used one of the packages I got in New Orleans to make jambalaya, which I served with polenta (because I suck at making corn bread), salad and young pickles. Now I need to learn how to make jambalaya from scratch!

Huge Salad with Chorizo
I did not feel like cooking tonight, so I made a HUGE salad with baby greens, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, green onions and chorizo. Definitely satisfying!

Pecan Pralines
I had a sweet tooth this week, and was craving the (non-vegan) pralines I had in New Orleans. I found this vegan praline recipe and, because I am obsessive about keeping my pantry well-stocked, I had all of the ingredients on hand. So I decided to give it a shot. I have never made candy of any kind before, so I was a little nervous about that. I did do a little internet research beforehand and came up with this handy site. One thing I'd recommend to anyone attempting candy-making is to invest in a proper candy thermometer. I just have this kind, and I had to rig it to the pot with a binder clip. Not ideal! But it did work out in the end and the pralines turned out fabulously. I totally overdosed on sugar for two days, and finally gave the rest to my mother today.

Here's a bonus shot of Jerry in her new bed, given to her by her Aunt Nova (Mum's cat).

Click below to see the products mentioned in this post: