Easy Vegetarian Chili

We like to go meatless a couple of days a week but it can be a challenge to find a recipe that doesn’t call for soy products. My husband can’t eat soy. During Lent and the meatless Fridays, I’m always straining my brain for nourishing meals that also taste good, too. This one seems to fit the requirements. It has everything you need to be filling and tasty and you can serve it as spicy as you want. I always put chili flakes on the table along with the salt and pepper for those in the family who like to breathe fire!

Vegetarian Chili
1 cup finely grated carrot
1 Portobelo mushroom, minced
One onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 cans beans (black, kidney, pinto, your choice!)
1 cup frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup pasta sauce, your favorite brand
¼ cup chunky salsa
¼ cup fresh cilantro
Chili powder to taste
Ground cumin to taste

Tortilla chips
shredded Cheese
green onions, chopped
sour cream to top

Saute the carrot, mushroom, onion and garlic in a cooking pot with the olive oil until everything is tender. Add the Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, beans, corn, pasta sauce, and salsa. Stir to mix and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the chili and ground cumin, cook another five minutes. Add the cilantro and serve. Top with chips, shredded cheese, green onions, and sour cream.

Hot Chili Dinner for a Cold Day . . .

One of my favorite meals is one that can simmer on the stove so I have time to whip up a special salad or dessert to go with it. This is just such a meal.

Hot Chili for a Cold Day

Oil as needed
2 large onions, chopped
6 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled, smashed, and chopped
2 pounds of boneless beef (steak, sirloin, chuck, stew . . .), cut into small chunks
1 pound ground beef
1 can (approximately 28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup red wine, chicken broth, or water
1/3 cup your favorite hot sauce
1 packages of dry chili seasoning

In a large cooking pot, heat a tablespoon of oil and saute the garlic and onions until softened. Remove from the pot and set aside in a bowl. Heat two or three tablespoons of oil in the same pot and brown the boneless beef. Remove to a dish and brown the ground beef. Drain excess fat.

Now, put all the ingredients into the pot and stir to mix. Heat until boiling and stirring to combine. Turn down to a slow simmer, cover and continue simmering for about an hour or until the meat is tender. Check on the pot and stir as needed.

Ideas . . .
A dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions on each serving is nice.

Have tortilla chips and grated cheese on the side.

Soft, warmed flour tortillas go will with this.

Finely chopped red onion is very good on the hot chili.

Keep a bottle of hot sauce on the table for the braver ones.

Your Pot Luck Offering . . .

In case you are venturing over to a pot luck this weekend, something in a crock pot would be easy to bring and just plug in and share. I like basic and easy because a large group of people don't always like the same thing and will wander over to something recognizable and savory.

1 pound ground beef, fried and crumbled
(You can do half and half with ground pork, if you like.)

1 onion, diced
1 bell peppers (your choice of red, green, or yellow), diced
2 14.5 ounces cans diced tomatoes
2 14.5/15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
16 ounces of corn, canned or frozen
1 14.5/15 ounce can of kidney beans
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cup shredded cheese, your choice

After you brown and crumble the meat, in the same pan, lightly saute the onions and peppers until they almost lose their crisp.

Add the meat, vegetables, canned items, and seasonings to the crock pot at your favorite setting and depending on when you need it.

When you are ready to serve, top each bowl of chili with diced tomatoes and cheese.

This recipe can also be cooked on the stove top. Crock pots keep one, less chore off your list but, sometimes, it is nice to have a pot on the stove to fuss over and scent the house with good flavors to be!