Veggie chili night

rLast weekend my friends and I met up at the Davis Farmers' Market (which I've raved about before) to shop, talk, and eat freshly-baked naan. I had just downloaded the Instagram app, so we took a few hipster pics, bought some carrots, and one of us learned to slackline:

It was a clear day, but very, very windy. Eventually the cold drove us inside and I decided it was the perfect weather for chili, so I invited my friend Jessica over and we got to work.

I got this chili recipe from my mom, which means that it's vegetarian, but even my meat-loving boyfriend devours it and asks for seconds. The best part about this recipe is that it's incredibly flexible — I've left out a few ingredients with no sacrifice in taste, but you can also add in whatever you like (and you can probably even add ground beef or what have you). It's also quite simple -- my best friend even made it in Germany the other day -- but it does take at least an hour and a half to cook, so plan ahead.

First up? Sauté a diced onion in olive oil until it begins to soften, then add garlic and cook it a bit longer. Stir frequently and don't burn it.

Earlier in the day I baked 160 cookies. Never. Again.

We chopped up some carrots, a red bell pepper, and a zucchini and threw them in and let them cook again. We added our spices (plus a little bit of cayenne pepper to give it some kick) and some rice and let it cook just a little bit.

I love all the colors!

Then we added water in because I didn't have any broth, and then we dumped in a can of diced tomatoes. We brought all this to a boil...

... and let it simmer for 40 minutes or so while we watched Top Gear (British men blowing things up and driving fast in sexy cars? Yes please).

After simmering the chili was much thicker and the rice was cooked. We added beans and corn and let it cook for another 10 minutes. I feel like at this point I should note that some people are of the belief that chili isn't chili if it has beans in it. To those people I say: Enjoy this delicious vegetable stew!

We devoured massive bowls of this topped with cheddar and jack cheese with a side of freshly-made buttermilk cornbread. I've also had it with sour cream on top, guacamole (and sliced avocado), salsa — the options are limitless.

Dee-licious.

Chili just sort of cuddles up in your stomach. It's the perfect cold-weather recipe! Oh, and one of my favorite parts about chili night? (Other than eating chili, of course.) Cornbread slathered with butter and maple syrup the next day for breakfast:

I made this a week ago and now that I've typed up this blog entry, I'm definitely craving it again! A week between chili nights isn't too short a time ... right?

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients:
The ingredients in this chili are incredibly flexible. Add whatever you have in your kitchen.
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 to three tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
0.5 teaspoon oregano
0.5 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
0.5 cup rice
2 cups of vegetable broth or water (with rice — 0.5 cups without)
15 ounces diced tomatoes (one can)
30 ounces of beans (two cans — I prefer black beans, but any kind is okay)
1 cup frozen corn
Veggie taco filling
Dollop of tomato paste

To make:
1. Let the onion sauté for a bit in the olive oil on medium/medium-low.
2. Add the celery, carrots, and garlic. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn. Let sauté for a minute or two.
3. Add the zucchini and bell pepper.
4. Add spices.
5. Add rice, if you're adding it.
6. Add vegetable broth, bullion cubes, or water. Add more than listed in the ingredients if you want it to be soupy, add less if you want it to be stewy.
7. Add diced tomatoes (including liquid).
8. Crank the heat up and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, put the lid on, and let it simmer for a half an hour to 45 minutes (with the rice, cook for longer).
9. Add beans.
10. Add corn.
11. Add veggie/soy taco filling and...
12. Add more vegetable broth/water if needed.
13. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes more to make sure the beans are cooked.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, salsa or hot sauce, cornbread, avocado — whatever you like — or nothing!