Delish 3 Bean Chili

Fall is here!!!! Sort of... In Southern California it's pretty much spring/summer all year long until magically it's winter for 3 months then bam back to 75 and sunny. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but sometimes you just want to see the leaves change color and wear a pair of boots in October without your feet sweating all nasty up in there. For near perfect weather year round I suppose there has to be a trade off. Well, it's October and that means Halloween which in turn means CHILI!!!! A Lanza family tradition!! I don't know when this started, but when I think of Halloween I think of Sandy's[my mom] chili. Now my version has slightly changed over the years, first to turkey, then to meatless grounds, and now to all beans all the time. Now in the past I've just used the meatless grounds and the meat eaters have been none the wiser, but this all bean version has so much flavor no one is going to miss the meat! This meal is warm, spicy, and the perfect compliment to a cool fall day! 3 Bean Chili - Serves an Army

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust for personal taste, I like more!!)

1 bay leaf

1 15 oz can each of red kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans, all strained and rinsed

2 15 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes with chilies

3 tablespoons + 1 cup of veggie stock

Add 3 tablespoons of veggie stock to a large ceramic pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, adding more veggie stock if necessary. Mix in all of the spices and cook for 1 minute, then add tomatoes, beans, veggie stock. Mix well. Bring to a slow boil then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for at least 30 minutes, but depending on your timeline for an hour or two. Stirring every so often. You can also do this in a slow cooker, I would sauté the onions in garlic before adding all the ingredients into the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or slow for 5-6.

Enjoy with diced white onions, avocado, corn chips, green onions, etc etc. The list is endless. I'm a onions and avocado girl myself.

Delectable Corn Muffins - Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup diced green chilies

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 1/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

1 1/2 cup of cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all dry and all wet ingredients. Then gently fold the wet into the dry, be sure not to over stir. Pour  batter into a non-stick muffin tin and bake for 30-35 mins. Boom. Done.

This recipe is adapted from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. I've been doing a no-oil/low oil diet for about a year now, so I look for any opportunity to cut oil.  This cornbread is super easy and just by switching out the oil for unsweetened applesauce you kick the fat in it's big ass. I also add some green chilies for some FIRE... 'cause I love FIRE... I don't know what I'm talking about.  I ate 5 of these because they are guilt free... I was feeling sad, missing The Captain, watching a Twilight marathon... Anywho, they are amazing!!! Let me know if you try making either recipe! Happy Fall!