the great chicago blizzard/fire

This week.... what do I say about this week? Challenging? Maybe that's the word. But let's start at the beginning.

Last Monday I heard about the upcoming blizzard. In a rare act of thinking ahead I trudged to the store and got fixins for a new chili recipe I'd just come across. It touted itself to be the best ever veggie chili and I wanted to test it out, as I love to knock down superlatives like that. So I made it, it was ok, not the best. Then I took a picture of it to post. Then there was a really scary fire (apparently caused by a space heater) in one of the bedrooms of my apartment and it's now unusable and one of my roommates has to move out.  This was all during a record-breaking blizzard. As my now super-pissed off landlord said, "We sure picked a great time to have a fire."

The past several days have been spent in crisis mode- scrubbing down the walls and cleaning like crazy, fretting about getting evicted, watching my roommate sleep on my couch. I'm just trying to keep up with everything, take it all in, and stay positive and focused. Thanks for the calls. It really meant a lot. And now, a chili recipe...

The Best Vegetarian Chili EVER! (but not really) via The Picky Eater: A Healthy Food Blog

1 can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Navy (or pinto) beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used 2- 14oz cans of diced tomatoes, because I had them)
1 cup vegetable broth
4 garlic cloves
1 heaping tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sprinkles garlic powder
1 sprinkle cayenne pepper
3-4 glugs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds of black pepper
 

Chop the garlic, onion, and red pepper. Saute lightly over medium high heat in 1-2 tsp olive oil.
Add everything else into the pot. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or longer as needed

 

vegetarian black bean chili with orange and cumin

After the fridge and cupboards were cleaned out, the monthly spreadsheet made, and the slight cheese relapse, I moved on to finding more budget-friendly recipes to make. Sarah had told me about this one a while ago, and then I came across it again while on this kick. I figured it was fate, so I made it. And it's really good. I can say that because I am now on daily heartburn medication and therefor this recipe was not allowed to eat my insides out.

So if you're well-medicated too, or have stock in Tums, then you should make this! After reading everyone's comments on Epicurious I modified the recipe a little and am pleased with the result. So here you go...

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin

Yield: Makes 4 servings (plus leftovers) Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

2 oranges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, pressed
4 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 15.5-ounce cans seasoned black beans, drained
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
Hot pepper sauce
plain yogurt
Chopped fresh cilantro

Grate enough orange peel to measure 1/2 teaspoon. Juice oranges. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and spices. Add beans, tomatoes, and half of orange juice. Simmer over medium heat until heated through and flavors blend, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Mix in orange peel and remaining orange juice. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with yogurt and cilantro. Pass extra hot sauce alongside.