Garbage Chili

Hey guys!

Yesterday I was in a funk. I didn't know what I wanted to eat. It was my cheat day and I really didn't want my normal cheat (Cheese-It Snack Mix). Plus my university was closed because of Blizzard Saturn rolling through Chicago, which meant I wouldn't be sitting in my Advanced Accounting class craving that salty, baked goodness. On my commute home from work a sudden craving for chili rolled through my body.

Last year I made turkey chili quite a few times, but I was craving healthy, veggie chili. Plus my fridge was loaded with a ton of veggies that were a day away from wilted. I decided to stop at the grocery store on my way home to pick up some additional ingredients. The chili ended up become more like a garbage can (not very appealing but the only descriptive words I can find that fit!) filled with a ton of veggies and beans! It was loaded with fiber and less than a cup quickly filled me up. I made a huge batch of it to freeze or take for lunch the rest of the week.

The ingredient list might be a little intimidating, but most of the stuff you will probably already have laying around in the pantry or fridge. It turned out to be a pretty quick and easy recipe, even for someone who isn't too experienced in the kitchen!

Garbage Chili
probably makes about 10-15 servings

3 peppers (I used red, orange, and yellow Costa Rican Sweet Peppers)
2 small yellow onions
1 jalepeno (Use more or less depending on desired spiciness)
4 sticks of celery
2 carrots
4 fresh tomatoes (Optional- I had to get rid of them before they wilted)
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can chickpeas (16 oz)
1 can black beans (12 oz)
1 can corn (12 oz)
1 can whole tomatoes (20 oz)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
Optional: cornstarch for thickness

Slice first 6 ingredients into pieces (I chose to dice them so they were tiny and easy to eat) and separate them by type (ie keep peppers together, onions together, etc.). Crush the garlic with a large knife. Saute the onions and garlic for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and celery to onion mixture and let cook for an additional minute. In a separate bowl, mix water, cumin, paprika, and chili powder until well dissolved. Pour on top of veggies. Let simmer in pan while you prepare the other ingredients.

Open corn, chickpeas, and black beans. Drain and rinse. Add to the pan. Open the canned tomatoes and cut each one into approx. 1 inch pieces (these are the easiest to cut and they don't have to be precise). Add to pan. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, occasionally stirring to make sure nothing is burning.

If your chili isn't obtaining your desired thickness, feel free to add cornstarch, sparingly. Make sure the starch is being dissolved in the liquid or you'll have large white clumps. Finish off with salt and pepper, if needed. I added some smokehouse pepper and skipped the salt. The pepper added just the flavor I was looking for!