-By Hertha J. Woodruff, A.M.L.S., M.A.

The last day of summer has passed along with the Labor Day holiday.  Welcome fall, with the anticipation of brilliant-colored autumn leaves, the cooler temperatures, football games, cider mills, pumpkins, and Halloween!  Here is a quick recipe I often prepare at home without the meat: no ground meat or sausage.  The main protein comes from the kidney beans.  I prefer organic produce items because they have not been exposed to pesticides, a healthier choice.

Vegan Chili for Chilly Times

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 large organic onion, minced

3 small organic garlic cloves, minced

¼ organic jalapeῆo pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

1, 24 ounce bottle of tomato sauce, low in salt

2, 15 ounce cans of dark red kidney beans, low in salt

3 tablespoons of chili powder

1 tablespoon of cumin powder

Salt to taste

1 large organic green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

 Procedure:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet or large pot to medium heat.
• Add minced onions, garlic, and jalapeῆo pepper (optional). Sauté for a few minutes.
• Pour tomato sauce into skillet or large pot with onions, garlic, and jalapeῆo pepper.
• Lower temperature to simmer.
• Drain and rinse kidney beans.
• Add kidney beans to tomato sauce mixture.
• Continue to simmer.
• Add chili powder.
• Add cumin powder.
• Add salt to taste.
• Stir tomato mixture constantly.
• Allow the tomato sauce mixture to simmer for 15 or more minutes.
• Add bell peppers during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking to maintain their crispness.
• Remove chili from heat and serve.

Recipe serves 4.

Serve chili over brown rice, quinoa, or whole grain pasta noodles.

Add a vegetable salad for a complete meal.  Serve with whole grain crackers or cornbread.

Enjoy!

To read about my journey to becoming a vegan, please go here: Hertha Woodruff’s Vegan Journey  

To view the rest of my posts, please visit the Health & Nutrition category page of our blog: Click Here

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 9th, 2012 at 5:32 pm by Hertha Woodruff.
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