Chili

One of my favourite things to cook and eat is Chili. I love that Chili can easily be made vegetarian and it is so delicious and healthy! I made a big batch (another plus is that it freezes really well) last night with delicious cream biscuits (I substitute with ww flour and put cheddar cheese on top). I thought I might share my recipe here. There are definitely a lot of ingredients but generally the meal is quite cheap when you consider how much the recipe makes.

Ingredients:

1 Large Red Onion

5 Cloves of Garlic

Olive Oil

2 Sweet Potatoes

4 Big Carrots

4-5 Stalks of Celery

3 Peppers (variety is good: one green, one red, one yellow, etc)

1 can of Kidney Beans

1 can Mixed Beans

1 can of Black Beans

1 cup Frozen corn

1 large can of Diced Tomatoes

1 large can of Crushed Tomatoes

* Ives veggie ground 

1 cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded.

As far as spices go I use: Cumin, Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder and Chili Flakes. Both the Cumin and Chili Powder are used liberally, probably close to 2 tablespoons each if not more. When you are making a big batch the spices don't go too far and I like my chili with a lot of flavour. Salt & pepper depend on your preference. Remember that the tomatoes tend to be saltier but you also need the salt to help the flavours meld and come out.

*optional: this stuff looks like ground beef and tastes really good, I usually put it in for my non-veggie Partner but the Chili is delicious on its own too.

1. Start by chopping all the vegetables. Onion and garlic are chopped finer but the other ingredients simply need to be chopped uniformly so they cool at a similar rate. 

2. Places the onion & garlic in one bowl, the sweet potato, carrot & celery in another and the peppers in their own bowl.

3. Strain and thoroughly wash the beans, these can be put in their own bowl. Also strain the diced tomatoes and set aside.

4. Heat a large deep pot and once warm place around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pot.

5. Once the oil is hot, put in the bowl of diced onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is more translucent. During this time I also put a tablespoon of Cumin & Chili Powder and coat the onion and garlic with these spices. If you like a spicier chill you can also add the Chili Flakes at this step.

6. Add the bowl of sweet potato, carrot and celery. These need time to cook. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, put the lid on the pot and set the timer for 20-25 minutes. Make sure to stir every once and a while.

7. When these vegetables are cooked but still have a slight crunch add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes.

8. Add the bowl of beans and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring and adding more spices if you desire.

9. Add the crushed and diced tomatoes and the cup of corn. Here you may wish to add even more spices upon tasting the flavour. 

10. Let the chili slow cook for about 20-25 minutes more (meanwhile put your biscuits in the oven) and towards the end add the Ives veggie ground. Make sure to stir frequently.

11. Portion out the steaming chili into bowls and serve with shredded cheddar cheese sprinkled on top and a piping hot biscuit, yum!

There you have it. Lots of prep work but a relatively easy meal! Its perfect for cooler fall & winter nights.