Fall is here!
With the weather, it’s more like winter. 52 degrees in early October is unheard of in Austin. It’s absolutely glorious.
Sundays are for yoga, cooking, and football. Unfortunately, the Cowboys didn’t play today. And I didn’t go to yoga, either; given my idiotic decision to take grad school classes on Saturdays, I haven’t given Ollie enough attention, so we went on a super long hike at the Greenbelt.
I decided to try some vegetarian chili for the first time. I can’t know when the next cold snap is coming and I need to take advantage.
I have a few criteria when cooking: it has to have few ingredients, it has to be easy, and it has to be delicious. Being healthy is an added bonus. I coopted this recipe from Two Peas and a Pod and tweaked it a bit. It came out gloriously, and I now have leftovers for the upcoming (shortened, due to Columbus Day and ACL) week. It’s hearty and filling, and chock full of proteins and veggies. It also makes good use of quinoa. It yields a ton of food… my pot ended up being too full, and I had to cook some of the dish in a cooking pan. Enjoy!
Quick note: This recipe calls for a ton of chopped/diced veggies. My absolute favorite knife for chopping (and everything else) is the Inupiat Style Ulu and Bowl (pictured below). It is super sharp, and the bowl is perfect for chopping anything, from carrots to butternut squash (ooo.. maybe I should add some butternut squash next time). Find it at http://www.ulu.com/.
Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes. Add in nutritional yeast. Serve warm.