Hearty Vegetable Chili

This winter, we've experienced many chilly days with snowflakes swirling lazily outside. One day, my kids craved something warm and comforting, so I made them a hearty chili filled with tender veggies, beans, and a blend of savory spices. They liked it!

As we were sitting and eating, I thought to myself: with each spoonful, we're not just enjoying a meal; we're creating cherished memories together. That said, my kids did pick out some of the veggies and bickered about who would take the last cucumber on the side 😊

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, diced

1 bell pepper (any color), diced

1 zucchini, diced

Half aubergine, diced

1 can of  tomatoes

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges

 Rice, cooked according to package 

Method:

1.     1. Hat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and softened.

 2. Add diced carrots, aubergine, bell pepper, and zucchini to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and brown a bit.

3.       3. Stir in ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute to toast the spices.

 4. Add can of tomatoes, kidney beans and frozen corn kernels and peas to the pot. Stir in vegetable broth and tomato paste, mixing well to combine all ingredients.

5.      5. Bring the chili to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld. Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed, according to your preference.

 6. Serve the vegetable chili into plates and garnish with your favorite toppings such as chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, or a squeeze of lime juice as well as rice. 

Enjoy!

Chicken and Vegetable Stew served with Rice - Recipe

Having taken a nice break from the blog I am now ready to post really nice recipes that I have working on lately. Today, I did my lovely Chicken and Vegetable Stew served with Rice. This dish was really needed, as I went to do some shopping today and it was rainy, blustery and cloudy outside. All I could think of was warm, rich and comforting food. So it had to be a stew and rice, and this one was perfect. The vegetables complement the chicken in this appealing one-dish supper. Usually stews are done in a slow cooker, but this stew did not take a long time to put together. Stews are versatile and great for eating days in a row or freezing the leftovers. I basically took whatever vegetables I had at home.

Ingredients:

6 chicken thighs with bones but remove the skin.

5 small potatoes, diced

1/3 aubergine, diced

1/2 courgette, diced

1 onion, diced

1 cup water

1/2 tbsp paprika paste

1 tbsp tomato puree

Spices:

1/2 tsp turmeric powder, garlic powder, paprika, curry powder, fenugreek powder, clove powder, 

1 tsp coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger powder, salt, dried parsley.

Method:

1- Wash and remove the skin from the chicken thighs. Put them in a casserole and put on the lid and let them cook in its own water. I am using my favorite round cast iron casserole from Le Creuset

2- While the chicken cooks, peel and dice the vegetables and measure up the spices.

3- Once the chicken has boiled and cooked through, sear the chicken thighs until browned. I salted the chicken thighs while searing. 

4- Remove the chicken thighs from the casserole and put them aside. In the same casserole put in all the vegetables and spices. Don't forget to salt the vegetables.. Fry them until browned for about 10 minutes on medium/ high heat. Then add the chicken to the vegetables and add a cup of water. Stir well and let it come to a boil.

5- After few minutes of cooking add the paprika paste as well as the tomato puree and turn down the heat and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes. Check it once in a while and stir and taste to see if it needs more seasoning. I also added 1 tsp dried parsley as I forgot to added earlier.

6 - I usually cook rice once the stew is simmering on low heat, as it usually takes 30-40 minutes to make the rice and they finish at the same time. I use Tilda rice. I love this rice as it is not to fragrant and easy to cook, and comes out well every time. I basically use 1.5 cup rice to 2 cups of water. I heat up a pot with 2 tbsp of oil and add the washed rice. Then add the 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Put on the lid and turn down to a low heat and let it simmer for about 30- 40 minutes. Do not stir until the rice is fully cooked.

7- Serve the stew with rice and a nice green salad.

Enjoy!