Foodie Friday Vegetarian Chili




With the cold weather upon us I like to keep warm by making comfort food. Many times people are under the impression that comfort food has to be bad for you but I love to make chili. It is quick and easy and packed with nutrients! Mine is filled with black and kidney beans, soy ground meat and of course tomatoes. My canned tomato of choice is Hunt's and I recently found out that recent studies have suggested that the distinct combination of nutrients found in tomatoes may have a measurable impact on heart disease prevent! (ConAgra Foods)


Heart disease prevention is high on my list of priorities, the maternal side of my family has a history of hypertension and my weight was leading me down the path of high blood pressure. I've been inspired to remain committed to being healthy by all of my family members and I especially want to be around for my baby boy. By adding exercise and making good food choices, I've been able to reduce my risk of heart disease and now I know that eating tomatoes will also add to my prevention efforts. Although some may be skeptical of using canned tomatoes, you might be surprised to learn that Hunt's tomatoes are flash-steamed to help them keep their backyard-garden-fresh taste, are 100 percent natural and contain no artificial preservatives or ingredients. 





I'm a big fan of Hunt's and for my chili I used crushed tomatoes. I'm posting my simple recipe, hopefully you will try it and enjoy it as much as my family does.

Vegetarian Chili

1 medium onion
2 jalepeno peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can organic kidney beans
1 can organic black beans
1 package Morningstar soy crumbles
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 can Hunts Crushed tomatoes
Chili powder
Black pepper
Sea Salt

Method:
Chop onion, jalepeno peppers (I keep the seeds in for heat), and garlic. Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Add onion, peppers and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until aromatic. Add package of soy crumbles and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Add kidney and black beans, crushed tomatoes and seasonings to taste ( I don't measure). Cook over low flame for 30 minutes. Serve hot! This recipe is especially good with homemade cornbread!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but as usual all opinions are my own and I am an avid user of Hunts!