Meatless Monday and Veggie Chili
Have you caught on to Meatless Monday yet? I’m sure you’ve heard of it — but maybe you don’t know what it’s all about…
The concept started back during World War I in the US, when the government was urging people to cut back on consumption of certain foods to save money. The campaign went over rather well, and then started up again during World War II. In 2003, it was brought back, but this time as a health movement; the goal is to decrease the amount of saturated fats people are eating, therefore improving their overall health while being more environmentally conscious (check out the official website here…).
Sounds good to me… what do you think?
Let’s start the week off right with this quick Veggie Chili. It only takes about half an hour to make, and it’s a fantastic way to use up what you’ve got on hand. The beautiful thing about a dish like this is that you don’t have to follow the recipe exactly — just adjust it according to your preferences and available ingredients.
Veggie Chili
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
Kernels from 1 ear of corn (or ½ cup frozen)
2 small bell peppers (colour of your choice!), diced
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1–2 hot peppers (jalapeno, scotch bonnet, or habanero), thinly sliced
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
1 large can of mixed beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium can of black beans or kidney beans (red or white), rinsed and drained
1 small can of tomato paste
1 large can of diced tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 bay leaf
1–2 tablespoons chili powder
Toppings: sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, pickled peppers
Tortilla chips, to serve
Instructions:
1) Pour oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and cook onions and garlic for 3 minutes, stirring often.
2) Add corn, bell peppers, celery, hot peppers, and mushrooms, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3) Stir in beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, vinegar, bay leaf, and chili powder, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium, stir, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes or until desired tenderness of vegetables is reached.
4) Spoon chili into serving bowls and top with desired ingredients, serve with tortilla chips.
It’s your turn: Do you take part in Meatless Monday? If not, would you? What’s your favourite meatless meal?
