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?

Muesli

breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day.

and I hear it's the most important.

on any given day I would love a veggie scramble,

or any warm fresh from the griddle tasty.

most days, yeah right.

in my life food still needs to be fast - which has been the most challenging part of this life change.

boxed cereal was once my daily staple, the convenience factor is hard to beat.

gratefully, this is a great alternative for my average day.

and I think it kicks cereals empty calorie butt.

a few years ago for Christmas a large jar of Muesli was given as a gift from my Father in Law.

I became very fond of it, which surprised me.

but once I exhausted my supply I felt too intimidated to try to mix it on my own.

skip to this summer and my new food adventures and I have sucked it up and gone for it.

and while it run$ a bit more than boxed cereals, the result is so much more satisfying.

my father in laws recipe is very simple - pick out whatever you like and mix it.

I like to be a bit more specific, but really it's true.

Muesli is whatever you make it.

my mix is simple, and easy to alter if the fancy hits.

I like to begin with Bob's Mill thick cut oats - but any non instant brand would be great.

then add raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds for crunch.

mix in craisins and dried pineapple for sweet.

pepper with cinnamon. because everything is better with cinnamon, right?

top it off with a healthy dose of ground flax seed and your set.

serve hot like oatmeal, or simply top with your favorite nut flavored milk and enjoy!

try adding your favorite nuts, fresh fruits, or any variation you can concoct.

then fill me in - I love a good Muesli, you know!

or even better how do you begin your day in a healthy way?

food glorious food.

so I am slowly becoming less and less obsessed. I mean I would panic when we would go somewhere for dinner, what will I be able to eat away from home?! slowly I am relaxing, but I am really enjoying the layers of good feeling that keep coming my way. I am really loving feeling better and better. and it took me some time but I have reintroduced some meat back into our diets, but keeping it REALLY light, and continually looking for better options. and lucky me, I have a couple to share!

an absolute winner was this Pasta with roasted Cauliflower, Arugula & Prosciutto. (click on the title there.) oh, man that is a tasty dish. and a fabulous way to get some cauli into your diet. I made changes which may have affected the outcome but where minor. I finally have some delicious Roma tomato's in my very own garden, which I used in place of the grape tomato's. I roasted them whole with the cauliflower and then when I tossed the pastas they coated the dish with their roasted goodness. and I used a rice based pasta as I am still trying to avoid gluten and wheat in my diet. absolutely delicious.

and my cute mom showed up with a great recipe for Southwestern Garbanzo Black Bean Burgers. and since I made a double recipe wrong and they still turned out tasty, I believe it's a recipe that should be shared. she got the recipe from a little neighborhood cooking class and unfortunately I cannot give credit to the chef who shared it, but I am grateful to him non the less. and we are loving grilled sweet potato as a good fry substitute around here this summer. a great way to get in a few more nutrients. enjoy!

Southwestern Garbanzo Black Bean Burgers

1can garbanzo beans, 1can black beans - each rinsed.

4 large eggs

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

grated zest from one large lemon ( I missed this but I think it would make these even better.)

1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts

1/2 cup carrots (diced small)

1/2 cup spinach

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1cup toasted bread crumbs

Juice from 1 large lemon

EVO

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup cooked rice (could also use whole wheat flour, cooked pearl barley or blended oats*)

saute the onion, carrot, and spinach in a little EVO. set aside, set oven to 350, and break out the food processor. add your roasted garlic (there was no specifics on this so just go with your own preferences on the amount. I think I went too light). run the machine for a bit it will turn into a paste. add the rinsed beans, the eggs, and the salt. blend until thick but still chunky in texture. add everything else and mix until consistent through out.

coat hands in oil and form 4 oz. patties placing them side by side on a cookie sheet. cook for 15 minutes. by cooking these off first in the oven the patties will hold up on the grill. it isn't necessary to grill these, but the added flavor is a bonus. after they are baked and cooled, they can easily be frozen for future use!

to grill: lightly grease the grill, set to medium heat. to add a little moisture drizzle some mushroom broth on the pattie. just warm through, top with favorite goodies and enjoy!

*blended oats - dray oats processed in food processor until a dry thick texture.

eating this way verses that

several months ago Johnny's parents read this great book.

and as a result they became vegetarians.

over night.

cold turkey. (no pun intended)

they proceeded to buy a copy of the book for each family, friend, and neighbor who inquired about their new endeavor. and it has taken me months to actually read the thing. due to the fact that we thought we had our health well in hand. I mean, I wasn't over weight. and John was now helathy as a horse. we lived a healthful life. or so we thought.

and truth be told, I still haven't read that one, but I did read THIS one. another gift from them. because what parent wouldn't want to disease proof their child? and I have learned A LOT. and hope to continue to learn more as I ease our family into better eating habits. and it's working! my example, however crazy it might be, has made an impact. sharing why I am eating differently and why they should too is sinking into the young minds in our homes. they are trying new things. and simply making our vegetable the main event at dinner, making sure there is a veggie included in lunch as well as a fruit, and sharing information on why we don't eat cold cereal anymore is making it easier on all of us. sans the 2 year old who continually says "I never like to eat THAT" about any veggie put in her path. but I am not deterred!

you can read a little more about Dr. Fuhrman and his philosphies on his website. just click HERE.

my baby sis requested some recipes, and although I am new at this I am happy to have a bigger audience to help me try some of these out. what do you think? I will post new to me and you recipes here and we can all review and see what to keep and what to toss? I really like this idea and hope you will all join me! I am also learning that eating this way is actually less expensive. since I don't spend boat loads on meat every week. and as I mentioned we are eating fish, but if you are savvy you can find great bargains on these as well.

my first go to's have been veggie sauce over quinoa pasta, a favorite before this endeavor began. hummus is oh so delicious in a wrap with spinach, cilantro, peppers, cucumber, tomatos, any delicous fresh from the garden fair. my sister in law makes a delicous summer succotash, all year round! and a home made veggie abundant stir fry is my girls almost favorite over mostly brown rice. I'll share that EASY recipe next time I think. and it's easy to throw together a veggie filled spinach salad, with a little salmon up top, with only a bit of lemon juice and salt and pepper.

this week I have been pondering items that could be meat "replacements" in a meal. my first thought was mushrooms. these are banned from my candida diet, but many of you could give them a go - portobello mushroom "burgers" are oh so tasty. and the veggie stack at Cannella's, oh yummy. go out and order one in my honor today, would you? my next thought was EGGPLANT. this one I can do, and with some gusto. here are a few recipes I am anxious to try. I hope you might see something you'd like to try too. click on the links to see the full recipes - the pictures alone make my mouth water.

• an hors durve - seared baby eggplant with mozzarella and basil infused olive oil.


• a lunch, or easy dinner - the medditeranian pressed picnic sandwhich OR the spanish roasted vegetable sandwhich.


• an easy side or main dish - roasted vegetable salad.


• and for all those over achievers, there has to be one out there - vegan moussaka. this looks so amazingly good!

don't be afraid to substitute for flavors you might prefer. and please either comment or email your result and review. can't wait to try these along with you, happy food adventuring!