Vegan Belgium Ale & Roasted Garlic Fused White Chicken Chili Gumbo

Well, I've finally joined the "Rat Race". I don’t mean the illegal, underground world of animal betting. I was hired for a full time, sit-at-a-desk from 9 to 5, J-O-B. It is not as glamorous as Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda led me to believe. 

I’m not really that delusional. I would much rather be working at a restaurant, but the job climate isn’t conducive to finding work I enjoy. I have a desk. I am surrounded by a cast of characters that aren't a far cry from one of my favorite shows, "The Office". I've spent my first four days there not only fitting every employee into a mold of one of the show's cast members, but also deciding which character from the show I would be. "Angela" is a petite vegetarian, but my energy is more "Pam" and I'm far less bitchy than Angela. "Oscar" is gay like me, but my sense of humor is so much more "Jim". Facebook tells me I'd be Andy Bernard, but Facebook also tells me I'm "Blanche" from Golden Girls, and I'm definitely more o"Dorothy". Why does Facebook think it's so damn smart? 

As usual, I'm way off-topic for the recipe. It has been FUCKING FREEZING in Los Angeles this past week. I'm not just talking about that "Ohh, Boo Hoo. It's 65 and I'm freezing my balls off" cold. REAL cold. I've had to bust out my circa 2002 North Face parka that makes me look like an orange Michelin Man. To top it all off, it's actually been raining here and my heater is broken. While I can't stand the cold, I do love to warm myself up. Hot cocoa, tea, and my personal favorite, soup. 

This recipe fuzes two of my favorite one-pot meals: Chili and Gumbo. I ate it cozied up next to my space heater, and I was in a state of bliss for a few hours following. On a related note, you've seen my previous blasts about my friend Trevor's program in the past. They are now offering sign-ups for the next course, so definitely don't miss out! Find all the info below the recipe:

Belgium Ale and Roasted Garlic Fused White "Chicken" Chili Gumbo

• 2 sticks of Vegan Butter
• 1 1/4 cups Self Rising Flour
• 1/2 batch Vegan Chicken, ground in a food processor or blender (about 8oz.)
• Olive Oil, enough for sautéing ground Vegan Chicken
• 1 head of Garlic, roasted*
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped
• 4 stalks of Celery, finely chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, finely chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 4 cups Better Than Bouillon's No Chicken Broth
• 1 bottle of Belgium White Ale
• 1 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 TBSP Green Tabasco Sauce
• 1/2 cup Salsa Verde
• 1/2 lb Okra, sliced
• 1/2 lb of White Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch of Collard Greens
• 1 can Cannellini Beans, drained
• 5 Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Flat Leaf Parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Creole Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• Pinch of Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp File Powder
• 1 1/2 TBSP Yellow Cornmeal
• 1 1/2 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice
• Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
• 4-6 servings of Cooked White Rice

*Chef's Note: To roast garlic, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Slice off the top of the head of garlic so that all the cloves are revealed. Place the head of garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, then wrap the head up in foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 1/2 hour, then set aside to cool. The roasted cloves should squeeze right out. 

Drizzle some olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the ground vegan chicken to the skillet and saute until browned, about 6-8 minutes. 

Preheat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Make the roux by melting the vegan butter, then combining with the flour and stirring until it just reaches the color of the margarine. 

Add the roasted garlic, and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Add chopped onions, celery, bell pepper and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Saute until the onions and begin to soften, about 6-7 minutes. 

Add the No Chicken Broth and Beer, then bring to a boil. Add green tabasco, vegan worcestershire, salsa verde, cut okra, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Boil for about 1/2 hour. 

Add beans, green onions, collard greens, parsley and cilantro, and boil for another 20 minutes. Turn down the heat to a simmer, and season with cumin, Creole seasoning, oregano, cayenne and onion powder. Add vegan "chicken", and allow the Gumbo/Chilli to simmer until vegan meats are fully cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in the file, corn meal and lemon juice, then cook and additional four minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve with rice.

Discover How To Thrive On A Vegan Diet If you'd like to thrive on a vegan (or vegetarian) diet, whip up delicious meals in 10-30 minutes, and stop being vulnerable to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, here's great news... There's a new certification course, The Vegan / Vegetarian Mastery Program. To give you a sneak preview, the Director is publishing a free newsletter, “Trevor’s Vegetarian Health Secrets”. When you sign up, you’ll get brief excerpts from The Mastery Program once or twice a week -- with no cost or obligation. What's more, we've arranged a *special bonus* for you. It’s a yummy "Vegetarian Holiday Recipe Collection" -- including a delicious tofu turkey, mushroom gravy, pumpkin pie, savory egg nog, and more. To get the bonus ebook, just type “Jennifer” when prompted for a Promo Code. To sign up, click here:http://www.abbeysvegetarianrecipes.com/cmd.php?af=1049384  The Vegetarian Health Institute 5740 Maccall St, Suite C Oakland, CA 94609