My First Vegetarian Recipe!

Okay, not really.  I’ve made plenty of carnivorous-free dishes on Savvy Eats.

But this is the first time I’ve adapted a previously-meat-heavy recipe to meet my non-meat-eating needs.

I present to you,

Vegetarian Cincinnati Chili

So, so simple.  And just as good as the beef version.  Better, in my opinion.  Then again, that may be due to my aversion to meat lately.

While I reveled in my successful adaptation, Dan happily ate the leftovers from the other night. I therefore have a lot of leftovers to eat/freeze.  I forgot that the batch doesn’t need to be as big if you aren’t sharing with a boy!

Vegetarian Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients

• 4 c. pinto beans.  Soaked, not dry.  I pre-soaked these the other day, but they weren’t cooked yet!
• 2 c. brown rice, uncooked
• 4 c. water
• 4 c. vegetable stock
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 3 T. cider vinegar
• 1 T. worcestershire sauce
• 4 T. chili powder
• 1 T. cumin
• 2 1/2 T. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, diced onion

Instructions

Mix all ingredients, except the optional toppings, in a large stock pot.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Remove lid and lower temperature so that the mixture is just simmering.  Cook, uncovered, about 45-60 minutes, or until the rice and beans have reached the desired texture.  Be sure to stir occasionally so that the rice doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pot!

Serve and top with shredded cheese and diced onion, if desired.

Look at that melty cheese goodness!  A little bit of cheese, when added immediately, goes a long way.

I ate it with some tomato basil bread:

Also, I am insane.

I thought I was crazy back when I decided to bike nearly 60 miles and run a 5K in the same weekend.

That’s nothing compared to what I just did.

Ready?

I signed up for a 5K.  On New Year’s Eve.  In Milwaukee.  Where the temperature will likely be around 20 degrees, before wind chill.  Trust me, it will be windy.  And therefore colder.

BRRR!

On the bright side, each participant gets some goodies to help them warm up afterwards: a long-sleeved race T-shirt and a bottle of champagne.  Happy New Year’s!

Now I just have to figure out what to wear so that I don’t freeze to death…

And on a final note, lunch/snacks this afternoon were: raspberries, plain Oikos, and honey + an apple + carrots and hummus + a Glo Bar!

Tagged as: Recipe, Running, Vegetarian