a veggie chili for a veggie me

this is how I like to shred

this recipe simply made my month.

that being the month of February.

I mentioned my craving for a hearty bowl of chili, I had been craving it since Halloween.

but lazy little me couldn't fit in the time to read recipe upon recipe to find one I felt worth trying.

a few weeks ago my sister Katie simply offered this to me as something she thought I would like. and oh, man do I! the best part was her advice on changing the tone of the chili to suit the mood. I like a more southwest flavor for chili which is where I took this, but the possibilities for any recipe are vast and that is what I love about this.

the other aspect I love is all the chopping and grating can be done in minutes with my trusty food processor. one of my favorite Christmas gifts of all time.

and finally I LOVE the versatility of chili - of all soups really. adding and subtracting ingredients to suit your own family. any chance to squeeze in something my girls won't eat on their own into a meal is a good chance for me to feed them well. a real trick where everyone is concerned.

basic Veggie Chili

as shared by Katie Graham, source unknown.

2T oil

1 clove minced garlic

1 bell pepper, color of your choice

1 stalk of celery chopped

1 small onion chopped

1 lrg. carrot shredded

1 med zucchini shredded

1 18oz can of tomatoes with juice

1 15oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 8oz can of tomato sauce

1/4 C water

1 1/2t chili powder

1/2t pepper

Variations - these are some of the recommendations Katie made that I believe made this an a+ meal. and some suggestions of my own...

double the beans and use the juice from at least one can to thicken the pot.

also, double the tomato sauce and omit the water.

season with either 1tsp of cumin, for a southwest flair, or 1tsp of oregano and basil.

garnish with scallions and sour cream, cilantro, or cheese.

I ALWAYS overload on the veggie portions in any recipe I make. so I doubled the pepper, two different colors, and used more celery, carrot and zucchini than called for. I also recommend using organic products whenever possible, but that's my prerogative. I also varied the beans and used a can of black and a can of kidney. I added hominy, but that's just because John has a love affair with it and I know it makes him happy to see it in soup. and because I overload on the veggies I did add the water, but I waited to see that it was needed. home made corn bread rounded out the meal. mouth watering goodness. and this was more satisfying to me than any other chili I have ever tried.

I know there are many of you with other chili recipes to share - or any other great vegetarian or vegan or even raw recipes too. don't keep them to yourselves share! please! feel free to leave links and send emails with suggestions. because, who doesn't love a healthy meal?