Spicy Veggie Chili + My Thanksgiving Mentality

Vegetarian Chili….made in the dark!

The sun sets so early these days. Long gone are the days when it was still light out at 8pm. Sniff sniff. My camera is sobbing in the corner. Can you hear it?

Err…maybe that’s ME sobbing!

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Anyways, last night I made a pot of vegetarian chili for dinner. We didn’t have any ground meat or faux ground meat on hand but truthfully, it wasn’t missed in the least bit. I wanted to cook a simple meal considering Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I also didn’t want to use up the ingredients set aside for the feast!

I used 2 jalapeno peppers (with the seeds!) since my parents love spicy food. I, however, was hee-hee-hoo-ing while gulping down water to put out the fire in my mouth .

I kid, I kid. It really wasn’t that spicy. Two peppers was perfect. I would remove the seeds if you are sensitive to spicy food though.

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First heat EVOO in a giant pot. Add chopped onions, salt, bay leaves, oregano, and cumin.

When the onion is tender, add chopped celery, carrots, garlic and jalapeno peppers to the pot.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Next, add diced tomatoes, chili powder, and black pepper.

I used the chili powder on the left. The one on the right must be at least 15 years old!!

It belongs in a museum…or the trash can.

Then stir in a can each of black beans and red beans (or kidney beans).

Simmer for 30-40 minutes

Before serving, add a can of whole kernel corn.

Done and done.

Serve with avocado and shredded cheese.

Plus tortillas and pita chips!

This pot of chili was incredibly easy to prepare. What a fabulous way to get in a variety of veggies, not to mention a healthy serving of good ol’ beans.

Spicy Veggie Chili

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 T sea salt
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 3 T chili powder
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
• optional toppings: avocado and shredded cheese

Directions:

In a giant pot, heat EVOO and add chopped onions, salt, bay leaves, oregano, and cumin. When the onion is tender, add chopped celery, carrots, garlic and jalapeno peppers. Next, add diced tomatoes, chili powder, and black pepper. Stir in a can each of black beans and red beans. Simmer covered for 30-40 minutes. Prior to serving, add a can of whole kernel corn. Serve with avocado, cheese and tortillas/bread.

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My Thanksgiving Mentality

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday but it almost always leads to me feeling overstuffed and really uncomfortable. Make that always always. Usually, I’d be getting a bit worried about the upcoming feast right about now. This year, however, I feel extremely calm about it.

Part of my unusual calmness comes from all the practice I had last week with buffet meals in Mexico. By the 5th buffet meal, I got used to trying a bit of everything without going overboard. At the same time, I feel as though I have a good mentality about the whole thing this year. Some people get anxious about Thanksgiving dinner, but I think that just leads to eating even more.

Here are some ways to rethink Thanksgiving dinner:

1. Think about the nutrients you are eating.

Thanksgiving dishes include plenty of nutritious foods such as sweet potatoes, green beans, lean protein, cranberries, etc. So maybe there’s butter, sugar and heavy cream thrown into the mix too but the nutrients are still there!

2. It’s just another meal.

It may be a little more than your typical meal in size but it’s still just one meal. One meal will not and cannot do that much damage to your health and your waistline. Enjoy it!

3. If you find yourself wanting to try every single dish and then go back for seconds of each…

Know that you can always make or buy whatever dish it is and eat it later. This isn’t your one chance to eat pumpkin pie. You can very well eat pumpkin pie next week or next month if you wanted to. It’s not going anywhere! A lot of times, people think they have to get in all the food they possibly can because it’s going to disappear into thin air. False.

And if it IS your one chance (i.e. it’s your grandma’s specialty), by all means eat it. And if you want seconds, go for it, but pass up on another dessert that you can make later or buy in a store. Ask for the special recipe or take some home with you to store in the freezer. That way you’ll still have the opportunity to eat it in the future.

4. Get in some movement in the morning and go on a post-meal walk.

More often than not, I am less hungry and eat more balanced meals after I workout. I am less likely to reach for random snack foods and my body is more likely to tell me when I am full. Working out also makes room in my stomach for more food so I am less likely to feel overstuffed after a big meal. That’s just me though, recognize what is best for YOUR body. I guarantee a morning walk will only make you feel better.

Now about the post-meal walk…the forecast calls for rain all day. We’ll see if that actually happens .

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Tell me: Your Thanksgiving Mentality…and strategies for feeling good while feasting.