Spicy Vegetarian Chili

When the temperature drops outside and the snowflakes start to fall, it feels so nice to cozy up inside and enjoy some warm comfort food. For me, this is the perfect time to make chili. It's filling, nutritious, and oh-so-delicious. A few months ago, the hubs and I found a great vegetarian chili recipe and have been making it pretty often. I found the original recipe online (here) but have made a few tweaks to suit my tastes.

Here we go:

*1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
*3 gloves garlic, minced
*1 teaspoon chili powder
*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
*1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
*1 1/2 teaspoons honey
*1 can black beans (with liquid)
*1 can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
*1/2 bell pepper, chopped
*1 carrot, chopped
*1 cup corn
*ground beef substitute (I like Trader Joe's brand)

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic. Add the beef substitute, making sure to break it up so it crumbles.

2. Toss in half of the chili powder (1/2 teaspoon), half of the cumin (1/2 teaspoon), half of the cayenne pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and the cinnamon (1/8 teaspoon). Add the honey, beans, tomatoes, pepper, carrots, and corn. Give it all a good stir to mix up the ingredients.

3. Cook for 45 minutes, making sure to stir every now and again.

4. Add the remaining chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and let everything cook for another 15 minutes.

5. To serve, just scoop into bowls. Add sour cream, cilantro, and grated cheese if you'd like. Serves four.

The end result is spicy, but not too much. I actually sometimes add more cayenne for more heat, but that's up to you. If you'd like to make a non-vegetarian version, just cook some ground beef and and add it to your vegetable mixture.

Enjoy!