Veggie Chili

My flatmate, Beke, is a budding vegetarian. She's been trying on and off for years to cut out the meat, but now has totally committed herself to going sans-meat. While I personally do not prescribe to the veggie lifestyle I am her decision to do so (and any of you out there!).


I know it's hard for veggies to get protein into their diet (protein of the complete variety that is) so I am going to be making a huge effort to come up with some truly fabulous recipes for the Veggie [Fit] Foodies out there. (And you can all rest assured that they will be of the highest caliber because my flatmate is a picky little thing - and Spanish too, so she'll definitely tell me what she does and doesn't like!)


Right, so here's the first Veggie Recipe. Beke and I ate this for dinner tonight. Yum!!


Makes 2 Servings.


Ingredients:

• 1 TBL oil (of the low saturated fat variety, olive, rapeseed, etc)
• 1 tsp italian-type spices (oregano, thyme, parsley, or a blend)
• 1/2 -1 TBL paprika, chili powder, or chipotle chili powder (your choice)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 red bell peppers (or 1 red + 1 yellow or orange for color), chopped finely
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 2 stalks celery, chopped finely
• 1 package tempeh (220g)
• 1 can tomatoes (or if your tummy can't take the acid like my roomie's use 125ml red wine)
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 1 TBL worcestershire sauce
• dash hot sauce (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. heat the oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat


2. add the spices to the oil to infuse the oil with flavor, stir for 30 seconds


3. add the peppers, onion, and celery, saute until soft (about 5 minutes)


4. add the tempeh, breaking it into chunks that resemble minced meat as you stir it into the vegetables


5. add the tomatoes or wine, 100ml of stock, and salt & pepper, simmer for minimum 30 minutes


6. add more stock if the chili gets too thick

You can let the dish simmer on med-low heat for a couple hours if you have the time. The flavors will become more blended and develop over time. I actually double the recipe at the weekend and save portions for lunches or dinner during the week.

Serve over Cauliflower Rice, Quinoa, or with Corn Crackers for a light but crispy bite.