The Best Vegetarian Chili Ever!

So as promised I must share this delicious chili recipe that has absolutely no meat!  I know many of you are trying to start the year off right and this chili will help you do it!  I got this recipe from my favorite cooking blog Divas Can Cook.  It has tons of seasoning and tons of veggies and it is delish! Now before you look at list of ingredients and think its too much for you to try please know that this was super easy to make and it is well worth it!

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

1 Zucchini (chopped)

1 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)

1 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)

1 Small Onion (chopped)

2 TBS of minced garlic

1 Cup of Sweet Corn

1 Bag (12oz) Morning Star Meal Starters (Grillers Veggie Crumbles)

1 Can (14oz) Diced Tomatoes (I used Hunts brand Basil, Garlic, Oregano flavor) 

1 Can (14.5 oz) Whole Italian Stewed Tomatoes (chopped)

1 Can (15oz) Tomato Sauce (I used Hunt's Tomato Sauce Basil, Garlic, & Oregano)

1 Can (15 oz) Kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 Can (15 oz) Black beans, rinsed & drained

1 Can (15 oz) Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

3 TBS Chili Powder

3 TBS Celery Flakes

1½ TSP Seasoning Salt

1½ TSP Ground Cumin

1 TSP Paprika

1 TBS Oregano

1 TBS Cilantro

2 TSP Sugar

1 TBS Parsley

2 TSP Thyme

1 TBS Basil

A few dashes of black pepper 

Cooking Instructions:

 Heat olive oil in a large pot.

Add in the vegetable crumbles. and chopped veggies.

Sauté on medium heat until the bell peppers are nice and tender.

Add the corn and cook for another minute.

Add the diced tomatoes, chopped Italian Stewed Tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Stir in the drained beans.

Stir until everything is combined.

Add in the spices.

Stir to combine.

Cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Now I will be honest I had my bowl of chili with a side of cornbread (not so healthy huh?)  I has some left over from another meal and I just couldn't let it go to waste.  Although it probably wasn't the healthy option this chili pairs so well with it!

Until next time!

 

 

Healthy Tip: Chew on This

Inspired by InStyle's 10 Ways to go from Day to Night

Believe it or not Cinnamon sticks are pretty amazing and can serve as a benefit to your diet.  When your in a rush out the door and haven't had a bite to eat nibble on a cinnamon stick.  According to Cornelia Zicu, the global chief creative officer of Red Door Spas a cinnamon stick freshens breath and wakes you up.  Cinnamon sticks also helps steady blood sugar, so it may help curb any munchies you have. Other benefits to cinnamon include

1) The ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections
2) Helps reduce the amount of reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells
3) Has an anti-clotting affect on blood cells
4) When it is added to food, it helps inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
5) Finally,  it can serve as a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium

So this sounds pretty good to me something quick and easy to nibble on every now and then.  As always if you have any preexisting medical conditions I recommend looking into any side affects of taking in too much cinnamon.