Chili Chill

Hey there folks,

I hope all is well, and less frigid, in your neck(s) of the woods.  (Is it necks if you're speaking to more than one person?  I never really knew).

As you're all gearing up for the Super Bowl, unless you're like me and are super stoked for Puppy Bowl X, I hope you aren't worried that you will starve at whatever party you attend.  If you are concerned about that, no fear! I have a great vegan chili that you can take with you and keep yourself full and ready to cheer for your favorite pup (or team if you watch that silly event).

Now, if you're like me, chili smells good, sounds good and tastes good but doesn't ever look like something I want to eat.  I guess this is my way of saying, while I don't think my pictures look very appetizing the food itself was amazing.

Back to the main event!  Well, besides the Puppy Bowl.

So first, I sauteed half a large onion with 3 cloves of garlic and 3 large carrots peeled and sliced up in about 1/3 cup of vegetable broth.  PSA: This was an experiment on my part so none of the measurements are exactly precise, just go with the flow and whatever is in your pantry.

I added some olive oil after a while (probably 2 tablespoons) because the veggies started to stick to the bottom.

Then I added a ton of frozen corn. 
I mean really who doesn't like corn?  It sweetens your food without ruining the taste.

 After the carrots began to soften, I added everything else!  So I added around 15 ounces of tomato sauce I had left over, a can of garbanzo beans, 15 ounces of black beans, 15 ounces of red beans and about a half cup of water.  The water could probably be left out, or cut in half because it was not really absorbed.  I just was afraid it would be too dry so I chucked some in there.

15 ounces= 1 can (usually)

 For those of you who don't know, dried beans that you soak and cook are a lot better for you than those from a can.  My red and black beans started off dry.  My padre told me they had to cook for about an hour after being soaked (8-12 hours) in order to be eaten.  I, however, forgot the long cooking step so those beans were not quite cooked all the way through (if you're in a rush just toss in a rinsed can of beans, I won't judge you).

After everything was thrown in the pot, I left it on low heat for 25 minutes and then ate over mashed potatoes and topped with Daiya cheese.

This chili was the bees knees and perfect for left overs on all the cold days we had last week.  I really liked it over mashed potatoes because they were so creamy and mixed in great with the chili; it was very hearty, warm and delicious.

One note of importance I learned a bit late was that BEFORE you soak your beans make sure you spread them out on a surface and check through them because there was a rock with my black beans that I did not notice until I bit down on it in my chili leftovers (whoopsie!).



On a more serious note, my family lost one of our dogs this Thursday night to what the vet believes was a heart attack.  No one saw this coming so we have all been in shock the past few days.  For those of you who knew Mojo, you knew he was one of the most gentle, stubborn, lazy and loving souls there ever was, and our family will never truly be the same without him.  Please hug your pets extra close for me, and sneak them an extra treat for Mojo.

5/24/2003-1/30/2014
Rest in Peace Big Guy