Back on the vegetarian track these days. Everything is going well for the most part. Except last week we ordered food from our favorite Indian place, Bengal Tiger, and substituted veggie samosas for our normal lamb ones. Lamb samosas are one of our favorite things, but we figured we should give it a try. Turns out, it was really sad. The meal was perfectly fine and tasty. But, when you are substituting potatoes for the rich taste of lamb, it is going to be disappointing. I don’t think we’ll do that to ourselves again. Just have to wait until we can eat meat to go back.

Other than that, we’ve had some lovely meals. Last night I made eggplant parmesan that was pretty awesome. We’ve also been eating lots of black beans in taco or quesadilla format. Then 2 nights ago I made an old recipe.

When I was in college, I used to cook huge meals for my group of friends all the time. Big pots of pasta or curry or plates of fried pork chops and mac and cheese. All kinds of stuff. Then one time my friend Heath decided to treat us all to an awesome meal of his own. He made vegetarian chili. Now, I’m generally a fan of the straight up meat chili. No beans or complications, just meat. There is one exception to that, my turkey and white bean chili which is awesome, but that is another story. Anyways, I had fond memories of Heath’s chili. I remember it was robust and tasty. He was kind enough to give me the recipe all those years ago and I never made it. Until Tuesday night.

When I was making it, I thought it was going to be kinda weak and uneventful. How could chili be awesome without some meat in it? I was really wrong. This recipe is wonderful. The flavors are complex and really interesting. It makes for a very Mexican/Creole chili flavor-wise. Spicy from the peppers, sweet from the corn, fresh tasting with the cilantro, and good, good, good. Not to mention it took about half the time that normal chili cooking does since I didn’t have to brown huge amounts of meat.

I made a few alterations from the original recipe. I’m going to list the version I made. His called for half a bell pepper. I substituted a big jalapeno. He also called for 2 pounds of diced tomatoes and I only had one pound on hand. It still worked. I also added a cup of vegetable broth. I wanted it a little thinner. And I doubled the seasoning.

So, thanks Heath for this awesome recipe. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Heath’s (slightly altered) Vegetarian Chili

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

1 stalk celery (chopped)

1/2 medium yellow onion (chopped)

1 large jalapeno (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (chopped)

1 small can green chilies

1 can rotel

1 lb diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans- drained

1 can kidney beans- drained

1 can whole kernel corn- drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 cup vegetable broth- approximate

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, pepper, and garlic. Saute until veggies soften and begin to gold.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and then reduce to medium low and simmer for about 35 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste and serve with shredded cheese and sour cream. I like Saltines with my chili, but other people prefer fritos. Corn bread would be best though.