As I head into week three of the 21-day vegan detox, I am happy to report that all is well. Of the six of us participating, very few have fallen off the gluten-free vegan train and those who have (including me) have gotten right back on. To date, my efforts feel very worthwhile. I seem to have more energy and I have even lost a few pounds.
The biggest challenge with this whole detox is cooking for my family and cooking for me. This restrictive vegan diet definitely requires a commitment to planning, shopping and cooking (and willing participants). A few of us gals have been participating in an informal food swap by trading sweet pea hummus for traditional hummus etc. and this has been exceedingly helpful.
This pepper and pinto bean chili came together without a recipe; I wrote the recipe as I cooked with the hopes that it would be worthy of a Meatless Monday post. I had gone to the store in search of black beans and my little market was sold out so I settled for pinto beans but this recipe could be made with black beans, white beans or even chick peas.
I have found that cooking 1 pound of dried beans at the beginning of the week makes vegan eating easier for the rest of the week. The cooked beans can be tossed into soups, sprinkled into a salad or pureed for a dip. This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes and is delicious served over brown rice or quinoa.
These photo were taken in two consecutive weeks. The recipe above was made with yellow and orange bells along with summer squash. The finished recipe below was made with red bell peppers and a zucchini. Both were mighty tasty, budget-friendly and quite filling.
Pepper and Pinto Bean Chili
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 zucchini or summer squash, chopped
2 sweet bell peppers (any color you like)
1 (28-oz. can whole tomatoes
3 cups cooked pinto beans
1 tsp. hot sauce (green or red), more to taste
1 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, salt, chipotle and black pepper. Cook and stir until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the zucchini, cook and stir for about five minutes and add the peppers. Cook and stir until until the peppers are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, hot sauce and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
This chili freezes and reheats well making for some yummy lunches.
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