Where's the Beef?

Fall is great...the weather is cooler, the days are shorter, and for a bit things slow down and we are able to spend more time together as a family. I'm big on family dinners. Every night we sit down, bless our food, and discuss our highs and lows of the day while we eat dinner together. I would love to say I cook 7 nights a week, but life happens, so I aim to squeeze in 5 or 6 homemade meals a week. In order to do this, once a week I refer to the best recipe book ever and write down everything I need to give my family some yummy meals! The key to this is organization. I make a weekly schedule of all our meals and EVERYTHING I will need to make them. I go through the pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what I have and what I need. Doing this it ensures that I will not be in the middle of cooking and realize I am missing a main ingredient.

Soups and stews are great this time of year. They generally require one pot and are great to get in some much needed vegetables and protein. If you are lucky you will have some yummy leftovers for a weekend lunch or to freeze for another meal. My favorite thing to make when the temperature drops is vegetarian chili. It's so thick and packed full of beans you don't miss the meat at all! I love to serve it over yellow rice, top it with shredded cheese and black olives and serve it with scoops. Here's the recipe...



ingredients for vegetarian chili


Vegetarian Chili
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes
12 oz beer
1 cup water
8 oz can tomato sauce
3-4 teaspoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
15 oz pinto beans
15 oz light red kidney beans
15 oz dark red kidney beans
1.5 cups corn
1.5 chopped zuchini

In a 4 quart pot cook garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds.

Stir in the undrained tomatoes, beer, water, tomato sauce, chili powder, organo, mustard, cumin, and pepper. Stir in drained and rinsed beans.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in corn and zucchini.

Simmer, covered 10 more minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serve with your favorite toppings.


finished product


Tomorrow is FREAKY FRIDAY! Marlene and I are going to attempt to switch places...she'll be around writing about something boring and i get to discuss things that sparkle...fun!

Rachel :)