6 days left....

Two weeks are down, only 6 days of the Daniel Fast left. Things are going great for the two of us. A few cravings here and there but nothing too crazy. Although we have planned our lunch after church on Sunday... Good Times Cafe it is. It'll be time for a well-deserved burger. But we plan to stick with eating healthy the way we have on the Daniel Fast as much as possible. The one thing we will add back is some lean meats, fish, and whole grain bread which kind of goes in line with the Daniel Plan by Rick Warren. Last night I cooked some vegetarian chili which was a great dinner while watching my poor Niners lose in the NFC Championship game. Bekah thought it was the best chili I have ever made. I definitely think it was up there but I love chunks of steak in my chili so maybe not the very best batch of chili to me. It was definitely the healthiest batch and the flavor was spot on. I definitely recommend giving it a try.

 

Vegetarian Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili

2 Anaheim chilies

2 pasilla chilies

2 jalapenos

1 29oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 29oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1 15oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 quart vegetable stock

1 onion chopped

2 carrots chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped green bell peppers

1 cup chopped red bell peppers

1 cup corn, frozen or fresh

2 tbsp chili powder, I make mine homemade, see bottom

 2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large white sweet potato

1 1/2 cups dry quinoa

salt and pepper to taste

avocado and cilantro for garnish (optional)

Turn oven on to high broil. Put chilies on sheet tray and rub with a little olive oil. Place under broiler and char the outsides turning to evenly char. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium to medium-low heat. Add onions, carrots, salt, and pepper and cook until soft and they start the onions start to caramelize (brown in color, about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, corn, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and vegetable stock and cook for a few minutes stirring constantly. Chop up the charred chilies leaving the charred skin on and add to the chili. Add beans and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. Add a water (or more stock) if the chili becomes too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. (I added a little more chili powder but I like it hot!!) Top your bowl of chili with chopped avocado and cilantro. Enjoy!

Todd's homemade Chili Powder

 

2 Guajillo chilies

1 pasilla chili

1 dried chipotle chili

6 dried Thai chilies

 

Turn oven on to high broil. Place chilies on sheet tray and place under broiler. DO NOT WALK AWAY!! If they start to burn, the fumes can be toxic!!! This process only takes a few minutes. Keep turning the chilies until they are darker in color but not burned. You are only toasting them for a few minutes tops. Take out chilies and let them cool. Break them up and place them in a spice grinder (seeds and all). My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder that I only use for grinding spices. Grind the chilies up, shaking as needed until you have a nice, even textured chili powder. 

I hope you enjoy this chili. It is super healthy and truly delicious. The homemade chili powder is easy and definitely worth making. It really makes the chili a cut above the rest!! Thanks for following me and I wish you all the best. God bless!!