A Chili Kind of Day

I woke up to pouring rain this morning, which immediately reminded me that summer is on its way out, and my favorite season is on its way in. Actually, that's a lie. My first thought after waking up was more like a continuous trail of colorful four-letter words about the rain pelting against the AC unit outside my window that rudely woke me up.

But since the damp, albeit slightly muggy weather seems to be getting ready for fall, I figured I should be too. Fall is the best season for a lot of reasons, the colorful leaves and the crisp air, yes. For me, fall is also when you get pull your biggest, heaviest cookware out from cabinet after a summer of salads and sandwiches because it's really just too hot for the oven.

I picked up some fresh red and green pepper and raided my pantry to whip up this Cooking Light recipe for vegetarian chili.

Vegetarian Chili:
(makes about six GOOD sized servings)

2 cups chopped onion (I used maybe 3/4 an onion that I had leftover from earlier this week)
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper (about 1)
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 1)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 cup beer (**I used Amstel Light, I think next time I'd use an amber ale, or something a little nuttier)
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce (**I omitted this and it was still great!)
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can small red beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup preshredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add chili powder and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

3. Add broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add chipotle, beans, and tomatoes to pan; simmer 40 minutes or until thick. Stir in salt.

4. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and/or sour cream. **I used both.

I also made Jiffy Corn Muffins . Sometimes they turn out a little dry so I added some honey to the mix and they were great (aside from the little guy at the top who got a little crispy. Oh well, someone will eat it!)

Perfect meal to kick off September...

Comments

[alexandra's kitchen]

there is nothing like chili in the fall! I know I am really going to miss a true fall this year. (I'm in southern California.) but i'll still find a reason to make chili. this looks great.

[Anna]

The chili looks yummy! I am really excited for fall too!