bourgeois gal

the day to day life of me, the bourgeois gal. this blog is a space for me to write about my daily life, including my vegan and vegetarian cooking, baking, and dining experiences, the research I do, the travel I embark upon, and other random things in this little thing we call life.

January 23, 2011

January 23rd Picture & a Recipe

I love, love, love chili. Chili for me (like some others I know) is both my go-to quick dish and the dish I always have ingredients on hand to make, especially when it gets cold. So, the past two weeks have been wicked cold--like, whoa! And, I've made two pots of chili. I love to share, so my neighbor helped me eat some this week, and last week one of my other friends helped me eat it all up!

Here's a pic of the last of this week's chili.


So, you might be wondering what's in this vegan chili? Well, it varies almost every time I make it, but I'll share what I can.

Ingredients:
1 t minced garlic
1 cup TVP
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes (I just happen to like the smaller cuts of tomatoes, but you can use larger versions)
1 12oz can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 red bell pepper (no seeds; chopped into small pieces)
1/2 green bell pepper (no seeds; chopped into small pieces)
chili powder
cayenne pepper powder
canola oil
2-3 cups water

How to make it....this gets confusing!
  • over medium heat, warm about 2 T oil in a large pot; add garlic and let it cook down a bit; add peppers and let them cook down a bit; add tvp and 1/2 cup water (or a bit more if it isn't quite rehydrated)....let these items saute a bit together.
  • add chili powder and cayenne pepper powder (both to taste; I prefer about 2 T chili powder and about 1/2 t cayenne); let this cook for a few minutes.
  • add tomato sauce and (rinsing out the can) a can of water; add tomatoes; add beans (you can also add pinto beans and/or black beans); add another cup of water (as needed)
  • bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let cook for an hour or two on low/medium heat 
  • serve with Fritos (to make it a "Frito Pie") or crackers and cheese (if vegetarian)
This keeps really well in the fridge for several days if you have leftovers, or it might feed 4+ people depending on hunger!!

3 comments:

  1. I do not know why but i cannot eat Chili. I have tried regular chili, turkey chili, and even vegetarian chili and it does not work with me. I wish I could eat it because this sounds wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ya know....it's a little harsh (acid, ugh!) for my tummy too, but I love it too much to cut it from my diet! This makes me sad for both of us!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Random comment....
    Little things remind me of people that have come and gone during my life...right now, because of this picture of the chili, I'm remembering my Grandpa John, who always put red kidney beans in his homemade chili. I remember disliking red kidney beans and eating around them. I now love red kidney beans.

    Isn't it funny how things change and the things we remember and our connection to the randomness...


    <3

    ReplyDelete