my favorite vegetarian chili recipe

  when I’m sick, I don’t keep it a secret. I let everyone know. I...

 

when I’m sick, I don’t keep it a secret. I let everyone know. I like to manage expectations.

when I’m sick, I’m really sick. I rarely actually ever get sick, so when I do, it’s one of those knockout punch situations, where I can’t do anything but sleep.

actually, I’m the same way with crying: I never cry. the last time I cried was in june, during the wedding planning process and it was stress induced. before that, it was over two years ago, when I visited my aunt caryn on her death bed, which obviously warranted a good cry.

when I do cry, I can’t stop – I’ll cry solidly for an hour, no breaks. I let it all out and then my tears hibernate for the winter.

back to being sick.

this week, my schedule has been:  work for 1 hour, sleep for two. repeat until Lu gets home.

wednesday was the worst, but it started on tuesday. tuesday night, I knew I had to make something healthy to keep on hand for lunches and/or dinner for the week, because I wouldn’t have the strength to cook.

so, I made my go-to vegetarian quinoa chili. it freezes well and I’ve been eating it all week, so I decided to take a break from working on Inspiralized and resting to share it with you.

vegetarian quinoa chili with avocado

time to prepare: 20 minutes
time to cook: 45 minutes

ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 (14. ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon oregano flakes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
toppings: avocado

directions
In a medium pot, combine the quinoa and water. Cook for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is cooked and fluffy, adding water towards the end if needed.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, carrot, celery, peppers, zucchini and jalapeño. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and cooked quinoa. Season with oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until chili thickens.

Taste and if it needs more flavorings, add more oregano/chili powder/cumin/salt/etc.

Serve into bowls and top with avocado. Freeze what you don’t use!

what are your go-to recipes to make when you’re under the weather?

with love, Ali

leave a comment