Fall Foods

For the last couple of days the weather here in Waterloo has been quite chilly! Now I’m not one to complain about the cold because it only means that winter is coming- and that means I get to play in the snow. Winter is my favourite season for many reasons, speciality drinks at Starbucks, scarves and mittens, snowflakes but most importantly- ’tis the season where I can eat as much soup and stews as I want without being judged! In the last year I have been adapting my diet and decided to become a vegetarian in order to discover more healthy and inspiring options for eating. Now I don’t know about anyone else, but I absolutely love chili on a cold, windy day and that is just what I decided to make for dinner last night!
After browsing the internet for a delicious yet hearty vegetarian chili, I came across Jamie Oliver’s recipe and it definitely inspired me to give it a shot- with a few minor adaptions! My favourite thing about chili is the beans and so I incorporated a few other kinds than the recommended ingredients, but to each their own! Not only did I make enough for dinner, but I expanded the recipe slightly to make a bigger batch, which I then put into separate containers to freeze for another frosty day.

Ingredients

1 large onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 chili pepper
2 sweet potatoes
2 cloves of garlic
2 cans of chick peas
2 cans of red kidney beans
2 cans of diced tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
herbs de provence
frank’s red hot sauce (because I put that shit on everything)
chili powder
cinnamon
aluminum freezing containers

Now I know that most people enjoy specific directions as to how much of each ingredient to use, but being a very impatient cook and slightly adventurous, I decided to stray slightly from the norm and not read any further with Jamie’s instructions (despite his clear experience in the matter and my lack thereof). Beginning with the sweet potatoes, I peeled, washed and cut each up into bite size pieces then put them into a medium sized bowl. After doing so I added olive oil, cinnamon and herbs de provence to give a little flavour, and then I transferred the mixture into a pan and placed it into the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. While the sweet potatoes were cooking, I chopped up my onion, peppers, garlic and allowed them to cook in a pot on the stove for about ten or so minutes. Allowing the vegetables to cook, I opened my cans of beans to wash them thoroughly before adding them, along with the diced tomatoes into the pot on the stovetop. Once my veggies were cooked, and beans as well as tomatoes were added, I left the mix to cook on the stovetop for about 25 minutes and then I removed my sweet potatoes from the oven and added them to the pot.
Your kitchen will smell amazing, and in just a short while you will have made one of the most delicious fall vegetarian chilli recipes you could find! After allowing the chilli to cool down slightly, spoon it into a large bowl (or mug as I prefer) and add salt, pepper, Frank’s Hot Sauce to your own liking, and VOILA! So the next time a chili craving strikes, all I have to do is pull out my excess chilli from my aluminum freezer containers and pop it into the oven- how convenient! If you’re anything like me, you’ll curl up in a warm robe, grab a book and a big bowl of chili to end your night on a happy and warm note! Enjoy!