Meatless Monday

I am not one to jump on bandwagons when it comes to anything so please don't think that I eat meatless every Monday and tacos every Tuesday. I eat what I feel like having on any given day, usually in way too large of a serving. However, I had a vegetarian friend visiting this weekend and I wanted to be sure to have something yummy for her to eat while she was here. I didn't want to do pasta as that would have been too heavy for lunch and salads would be too light. It's way too cold here for light eating. We wanted something hearty and warm but not heavy so I decided on a vegetarian chili. It was fantastic and so easy to make. This is a very versatile recipe so add/omit to accommodate your tastes. Here is how it went down.

Erika's Vegetarian Chili

2 Tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, and chopped (can use jarred roasted red peppers, I did)
2 ears corn, kernels cut off (can sub with 1 cup frozen corn)
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 can diced green chilies
2 cans diced tomatoes with chilies (Rotel or equivalent, I used a Kuners brand variety - Diced tomatoes with Peppers with chili spices)
1 can black beans (I used Kuners brand again - Black beans with jalapenos and lime)
1 Cup red lentils
1 box vegetable broth
2 Tbs cumin
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs oregano
1 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste

In a large sauce pan saute onion, garlic, celery, carrots, until softened. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer until cooked through and lentils have broken down (red lentils will do this fairly quickly). Adjust seasonings to taste. If the chili is too thin you can add tomato paste by the tablespoon until you reach desired consistency. To add heat add cayenne pepper and/or diced fresh jalapeno/serrano peppers to taste. You can eat this the day you make it but I personally think it tastes better the next day. I like to serve it with shredded cheddar, sour cream, diced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips. Omit the dairy if you want to keep it vegan.

On a side note - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Kuner's products for southwest style recipes. Their seasoned canned goods are fantastic and if you don't cook a lot or don't want to have to buy seasonings that you may not use much you don't have to - they take care of most of that for you right out of the can.