Day 245 - Autumn Sweet Vegetarian Chili

So I LOVE chili.

Here you can find my usual go-to fall favorite made a bit healthier. Today's yumminess is brought to you by my lovely boardies over at Weight Watchers : )  It's also brought to you because I tend to over-buy. I get excited about odd things, and the sweet potatoes and squash got me on one particular shopping trip... I digress.

So my lovelies at WW suggested a few good uses for my overabundance and this is what I did for dinner last night. Well, I did a slight variation on it. My variation is below, this link takes you to the original at Eating Well magazine.

Sweet and Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Served over a bed of brown rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (see Note)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
•  2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy stock pot over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato, both squash and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften for about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Yields 10 - 1 cup servings (approximately) at 2 Points Plus for Weight Watchers (I build my recipes without the veggies added into the builder... It adds points that it shouldn't. Feel free to ask me more about this.)

I would easily count this as 2 servings of veggies, and I would add a teaspoon of safflower oil when serving to get in a heart healthy oil. I'm serving this over a bed of brown rice (left overs from the previous night) and perhaps having a cup and a half : ) Yay Autumn flavors!

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Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

• Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle chile pepper can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets (I got mine at Wegman's... McCormick Spice Islands line) or online at penzeys.com. 

Tomorrow- Weigh In number 2. Let's see how well I've readjusted to eating well again. I did have a few cookies this week. Not good with cold turkey type behavior.

Day 167 - Kara's Favorite Fall Chili

Salt andWhen the leaves begin to turn and the air becomes crisp, when daylight is lost and my toes crave socks my thoughts turn to slightly heavier and warm meals. Stew is one of my go-to fall/winter favorites. Chili is the other.

At school yesterday they had the annual chili cook-off where student teams compete for top prizes and bragging rights--a big deal being a student at the Culinary Institute of America. I was unable to attend, my hands needs at home to renovate my family room. So I decide to rifle through my recipes and re-write last winter's chili recipe. Here's what I came up with:

With some whole wheat tortilla chips to dip.

Kara's Favorite Fall Chili:


1.5 pounds 90/10 ground beef
1 - 28oz can tomato puree
2 - 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 - 15.5 oz can red kidney beans
1 - 15.5 oz can kidney beans
2 jumbo green bell peppers
2 jumbo sweet yellow onions
1 tsp. cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 each beef boulion cubes
Salt and Pepper to taste


To make you will need an 8-10 quart stock pot.

1. Chop onions and peppers into large, even chunks.
2. Place ground beef into the pot and cook over medium heat till browned. Once cooked, strain in a colander in the sink to remove and discard fat. Set aside.
3. In the same pot place the chopped onions and cook on medium high heat till caramelized, lightly golden brown and transluscent.
4. Add the chopped bell peppers and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, red and pink kidney beans.
6. Add seasonings as well as salt and pepper to taste.
7. With a knife finely chop boulion cubes till powdered; add to pot.
8. Add 1/2 cup water, stir, cover and allow to simmer on medium low heat for at least 1 hour. I leave the lid slightly cracked so the chili reduces and thickens some.

Serving size: 1 cup (5 PP for Weight Watchers) or 1.5 cups (7PP)
Makes 16 cups (Too much? Cut the recipe in half, freeze 1 cup portions in Ziplock baggies for easy grab-and-heat week night meals) 

I like to add a couple tablespoons of sour cream or shredded cheddar cheese to top it off. I have also been known to pour it over a mini loaf of corn bread as well : ) Oh yum!

This recipe is packed with veggies, fiber and flavor. Enjoy!

Tomorrow: A new light breakfast idea: you would swear it's a dessret