Friday, January 20, 2012

Stay Warm! Seasonal: Vegetarian Chili

It’s winter in the Midwest and the sub-freezing, skin-burning, “is this really happening” arctic winds can dig straight into your bones. “I’m freee-e-e-ezing” can only mean one thing, it’s time for hot, hearty, nutritious food to thaw you out and get you moving. I’ve been an avid meat and bean chili consumer for as long as I can remember but since turning to a meatless diet, I’ve had to find an alternative.

I stumbled on this recipe by Emeril Lagasse  a couple years ago when I was hunting for a meatless chili to make for Lori (Lori has a fervent distaste for anything with crumbled meat or meat sauce, e.g. meat lasagna, loose meat sandwiches, hamburger helper, meaty chili, etc. even before she became a vegetarian). The recipe is easily customizable and the first time I made it I left out the beans and included more mushrooms. It was delicious, even Lori enjoyed it. I alter the recipe a little every time I make it, mostly due to ingredient availability, and the following is the most recent version. If you're vegan, just leave out the sour cream!

Ingredients


2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 to 3 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced, depending upon taste
1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
1 medium yellow squash, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
1 can of golden corn
2 pounds mini portobello mushrooms, sliced or cubed
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable stock, or water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Sour cream, garnish
Chopped green onions, garnish


Directions:


-In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
-Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and jalapeno peppers; cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.
-Add the zucchini, squash, corn, and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes.
-Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Add the tomatoes and stir well.
-Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil.
-Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
-Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
-Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with green onions and serve.


These are the numbers per serving from the other site, but these number are only estimates. Per Serving: Calories: 311; Fat: 7g (Saturated Fat: 0.5g); Protein: 13g; Carbohydrates: 51g; Sugar: 15g; Fiber 12g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 1,040mg