Vegetable Chili

Chili is the official meal of cold weather, but as I am always a few minutes behind, my chili calls for summer squash for this great fall favorite.  Before you grimace, my recipe follows Emeril Lagasse's Vegetarian Chili recipe (or see below), but, as usual with our household, there are some changes (in the order they appear in the recipe):
-use olive oil instead of canola
-additional tablespoon of garlic (or 3T total) 
-as serrano peppers can be hot, if you child is not a fan, saute separately and sprinkle over the top
-two or three small to medium diced yellow squash
-fresh corn is great but white Shoepeg will work
-I like one extra tablespoon of chili powder.

We do not do the cooked rice or essence, but we serve it garnished with cold diced tomato, plain Greek yogurt, and a sprinkle of grated Vermont cheddar. 

Pair the meal with a bran muffin or simple salad and enjoy both now and reheated later in the week!

Emeril's Vegetarian Chili Recipe

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 cup chopped red bell peppers

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 to 3 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced, depending upon taste

1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice

2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)

1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (about 5 large), stemmed, wiped clean and cubed

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespooon ground cumin

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 cups cooked black beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup vegetable stock, or water

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Cooked brown rice, accompaniment

Sour cream or strained plain yogurt, garnish

Diced avocado, garnish

Essence, recipe follows, garnish

Chopped green onions, garnish

 

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and serrano peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and 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, and 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.
To serve, place 1/4 cup of brown rice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the chili into the bowls over the rice. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and spoonful of avocado. Sprinkle with Essence and green onions and serve.

Related posts from Healthy. Happy. Simple.:
Tips for keeping Halloween fun for children and easy on parents.

Make work-week cooking easy by having the start for your favorite healthy meals ready to go.

Cold weather wardrobe staples for making outdoor play fun in all seasons.

Sweet potato fries: a healthy cold weather favorite for all ages