Autumnal Cooking-Vegetarian Chili

(Picture taken before simmering for 30 minutes. End product has much less liquid.)

There has been a chill in the air, especially in the mornings and even though it isn't officially the fall yet, I can tell that summer is coming to an end. In my kitchen, fall = chili. I am by no means a vegetarian, but do eat a lot of meatless meals. Last Fall I never did find a vegetarian chili recipe that I really loved, so I combined a few concepts and came together with this. I love the way it turned out!

Emily's Vegetarian Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 medium zucchini, cubed 8 oz mushrooms, chopped 1/2 of an onion, chopped (A note to onion haters: I hate raw onions, but have found that they are an important aromatic and add a good depth of flavor when cooked.) 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (If you like celery, feel free to add some of that. I have gotten of my onion hatred, but still working on celery. Don't like the texture, taste, or lingering smell.) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp cumin 1/4 tsp cinnamon 2 14 1/2 oz cans of diced tomatoes-not drained (I used one regular and one southwestern flavor.) 2 15 oz cans of black beans-drained (you could use what ever bean of your liking, I always use black.) 1. In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat. 2. Add vegetables and garlic, stirring until softened (about 10 minutes). 3. Add seasonings and cook for about 5 more minutes. 4. Add tomatoes (with juice) and beans. 5. Heat for 10 minutes over medium heat, turn down heat, then simmer for at least 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. The heat in this recipe is very mild. (I like spicy food, however, my sinuses do not!) You could add a chipotle pepper with a couple of tablespoons of the adobe sauce if you wanted to kick it up a notch. Or just add a few dashes of tabasco sauce. This would be great with corn bread. I had it for dinner over brown rice.