Veggie Chili

To make up for my extended absence, I have decided to share with you my very favorite chili recipe ever. Just use it as a basic guideline, because this chili turns out great no matter what you have on-hand. It turns out slightly different every time I make it, based on what I have available in my fridge and pantry when I whip it up. This recipe is 100% vegan, although the picture shows cheese (I forgot to take a picture of the chili before I served it up to the hubby--he loves cheese). There is virtually no fat in this chili, but it is packed with loads of fiber and protein from the beans and TONS of flavor!

Some helpful hints for this recipe:

• I like to rinse my black beans, northern beans, and corn well using a strainer over my sink. This removes a lot of that unnecessary salt added in the canning process. If you LOVE salt, I suppose, just drain the liquids and don't rinse.
• I prefer to use only 1 can of kidney beans. Just my preference. But, that can of kidney beans is nearly always the Bush's Chili-Ready beans in a medium sauce. I put the whole can and juice into the crockpot.
• Use fresh corn cut from the cob when you have it. It gives a great taste. otherwise, use a small can of corn, rinsed well in a strainer.
• Be adventurous and add whatever veggies you have in your fridge. I usually make this when I have some unused veg about to buy the farm.
• My top secret weapon of choice is a very tiny pinch of cinnamon added in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
• I use a crockpot to make mine, but if you don't have one, just use a dutch oven or stock pot on your stove over a medium-low heat.

Here's the Basic Starter Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 can diced tomatoes in chili-ready sauce (I like the Red Gold brand)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 can Northern beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 can chili-ready kidney beans in a medium spicy sauce
• 1 ear of fresh corn, kernels cut from cob (or 1 small can of rinsed corn)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 - 3/4 bell pepper (I prefer the orange or yellow), ribbed seeded and diced
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• The following spices in whatever amounts you prefer: garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt
• Miniscule dash of cinnamon...I probably used 1/16th of a tsp. A little goes a really long way.

Method:

1. Heat your crock pot to high. Add your corn, Northern beans, black beans, tomatoes, and kidney beans. Stir well. Cover.
2. In a small skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Once hot, add bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic. Stir every minute or two until the veggies are soft and onions transparent.
3. Add your onion mixture to the crockpot and stir well.
4. I add my spices after the veggies and beans are heated well (about 30 minutes) so its easier to get a real feel for how your chili is going to taste. I add the spices just a bit at a time until the taste is exactly what I want. Then, put the lid on and cook another 30-40 minutes. You can stop there, or cook longer. I usually cook mine about 2 hours so the sauce is thicker and the flavors are well blended, stirring about every 30 minutes and taking tastes to see if I need to add anything. In the last 20-30 minutes I add in my cinnamon. Just a personal preference, but it always seems to taste better to me when I add it in the end.
5. If you're into cheese, add some cheddar to the bowl when serving. I, personally, like to just add a few oyster crackers and forego the cheese. I also add a small handful of fresh diced onion to my bowl and stir it in when I'm about to eat. It's just something I grew up on and I LOVE onion. Well, enjoy!