At this past Friday evening’s cooking class at In the Kitchen, I shared with the students a favorite recipe of mine, adapted from the original Moosewood Cookbook. By adapted I mean that all the flavorful goodness is there, I’ve simply made it easier and less time consuming. By using canned beans and roasting the veggies, the stove/sauté time is taken out of the food prep, making this the perfect high-protein, nutrition-packed dinner for the busy person to enjoy and be nourished by. It’s fabulous as a leftover lunch, also!

VEGGIE CHILI

(adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans kidney beans
• 1 ½ cup tomato juice
• 1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 6 – 8 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 large celery stalk, diced                                      
• 2 small zucchinis
• 1 large red, yellow, or orange pepper
• 1 large can tomatoes
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. basil
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• black pepper and cayenne, to taste
• finely chopped purple cabbage (as a topping)

optional toppings:

• finely minced parsley
• grated cheese

Preparation:

1. Add the chopped veggies, onion and half of the chopped garlic together in a baking dish; toss with olive oil, salt and pepper; roast for 20 minutes total at 350 degrees, turning the veggies over once, at the10-minute mark.
2. While the veggies are cooking, heat the tomato juice to a boil. Add the bulgur to the pot, stirring it up well, cover, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
3. In a large pot, heat the beans and the bean juice. Add in the rest of the minced garlic and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil – just for a moment, then turn down the heat to medium-low.
4. Add the tomato paste and let it completely mix in, stirring gently.
5. Add the roasted veggies and bulgur. Add spices to your desired taste. You can add more tomato juice if you like a thinner consistency.
6. The purple cabbage on top adds a lovely crunch and gorgeous color finish. Additional topping options are minced parsley and grated cheese. Yum!