Chilling with the Chili

After one of the most boring Saturdays EVER, I decided I needed to bring a little fun into my Sunday.To accomplish this goal, I decided to invite over two of my good friends, Brendon and Davey, and cook them some vegetarian chili. A few hours after inviting them over, they showed up at my door in full ugly Christmas regalia...and I could not have been more excited. Granted, they looked a little insane and they were wearing women's clothes from Kmart, but it is the thought that counts (?). To continue with the holiday theme, we played a game of Risk. Well, actually, Risk has nothing to do with the holidays...unless your holidays involve a lot of yelling, luck, and crazy strategies. So really, nothing to do with the holidays, but fun nonetheless.

ANYWAYS, the chili was awesome. Wanna make it? Of course you do. Because you love chili. And you love me. DUH.

Super Duper Awesome Veggie Chili

Gather:
4 stalks of celery
2 carrots
1 yellow onion
5 gloves minced garlic
2 jalapenos
2 bell peppers
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup veggie broth
1 - 1/2 cup brewed coffee
3 cans of beans (I used 2 cans of black beans and 1 can of kidney beans)

Preparation:

1. Heat some oil in a medium - large pot. Add the celery, carrots, and onion, chopped. Stir for about 1 minute and add the garlic. Add the bell peppers. (My bell peppers were frozen so I just cooked them until they were thawed and cooked through). Cook all of the ingredients until cooked thoroughly. Add the spices and cook for another 30 - 60 seconds to incorporate the flavors.

Mierpoix

2. Add the tomatoes, broth, and coffee. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

3. Add the beans and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

4. Serve with your favorite toppings - cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.

This + cornbread = HAPPINESS.