Aimee's Healthy Vegetarian Chili

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

25 Jan 2008 08:10 PM

Beans are an amazing food -- and not just because of their "magical" powers! Beans have more antioxidants than superfoods like blueberries and cranberries. They're also full of fiber; a one cup serving can give you half of the daily recommended amount of fiber.

I love beans, and here's one of my favorite bean-laden recipes: vegetarian chili.

What you'll need:

• 2 15 ounce cans of black beans (they're rich in antioxidants that fight heart disease and cancer)
• 2 15 ounce cans of kidney beans (they're full of thiamin, a vitamin that protects memory)
• 2 15 ounce cans of garbanzo beans (chick peas can cut your bad LDL cholesterol)
• 1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 15 ounce can of tomato puree or sauce
• 1 can of crushed pineapple (the secret ingredient, it gives a hint of sweetness to balance the spicy chili)
• a splash of olive oil
• minced garlic, minced onion
• chili powder (I don't tend to cook using exact measurements, but I probably use at least a half teaspoon. Maybe more!)
• red, green, or spicy peppers if you like
• other spices if you like

Get your biggest pot and your can opener and get started. I like to heat the oil and let it brown the garlic and onion a bit (I use minced because I like the small size of the bits but you can use fresh, too). Put all the beans, the tomatoes, the pineapple, and the spices into the pot and stir it up. Let it simmer for a few hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips.

I made this for a potluck party and it served a bunch of people. The recipe is pretty easy to modify -- add more beans, if you like, or use different ones. If you can't imagine chili without meat, try lean ground turkey or lean ground chicken rather than ground beef.

Aimee can usually be found cuddling something fuzzy in the Pets Blog or trying not to sneeze on anyone in the Health Blog. She's been a blogger for Families.com from the beginning, and doesn't show any signs of wanting to leave!

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Michele Cheplic (37349) 29 Jan 2008 04:34 AM

Sounds yummy Aimee! Pineapples--who knew?

Aimee Amodio (11995) 29 Jan 2008 08:51 AM

Even my mom -- who isn't big on beans or chili in general -- likes it! Pineapples, pineapples, the magical fruit... :D