Personally, I love the winter. I love seeing it snow and I love the cold. There is nothing better to me than to spend the day up in the mountains skiing, enjoying the winter wonderland. Winter is by far my favorite time of year. After a long morning on the slopes, going into the ski lodge for lunch, there is nothing better than a nice big bowl of chili. The hearty spicy flavor immediately warms you up and satisfies the hunger built up all morning while burning hundreds of calories.

Chili is a fantastic meal anytime of the day and anytime of the year. Chili is the kind of food that can have thousands of different ingredients making it possible to have a different kind of chili everyday. Not only does chili offer a lot of variety, it is actually one of the healthiest meals you can eat. The combination of the different ingredients come together to form the perfect balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All it takes is a little creativity and you can have a great meal.

There are no rules when it comes to making chili. Every region of the United States has a different form that is equally enjoyable and equally good for you. Some chili’s can have a light chicken broth base while others have a rich and hearty tomato base. Chili can have tons of different kinds of vegetables and beans. Chili can incorporate any kind of meat or it can be served without meat. These factors make chili a great meal for anytime of the year that not only tastes great, but it is quick and easy to make.

A good meal always starts a source of protein. Chili offers many different options to get ample amount of protein. The typical chili has some form of beans in it and then some kind of meat. Any variety of beans and meats will do, just be creative. For the vegetarians in the world, hold off on the meat and add extra beans to make up the deficit. The meat and beans you use can also reflect the time of the year. During the summer you may decide to make a lighter chili with chicken or turkey, using a chicken broth, with some pinto beans and garbanzo beans. Then in the winter you might want to use ground beef, or even steak, with a tomato base.

After you choose the protein you need to select the kinds of vegetables to add and determine the kind of base you want to use. The base will be determined by the kind of chili you are trying to make, as mentioned above. Tomato sauce, or paste, makes a much thicker, heartier chili than a chicken broth. Once you have decided on the broth you can then decide on the kinds of vegetables to put in. If you are making a tomato based chili you may want to add pieces of a tomato. You can add red and green peppers, celery, onion, corn, or any number of different vegetables. On top of the normal vegetables you may want to add spicy peppers. This decision should be based on your preference towards hot foods. You could add relatively non-spicy peppers like poblanos or go for an inferno with habaneros. I always prefer to be a little cautious because there is nothing worse than not being able to stomach the food because it is too spicy.

The last consideration, and one of the most important decisions, is the kind of spices to use. Spices can make or break a good chili. It is important to neither over or under spice a chili. This can take practice. Typical spices are cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, and chili pepper. This is the part that a recipe can be beneficial for. Spend some time using some different spices until you learn to master the quantities necessary to make a flavorful chili.

The best part about chili is that it is fairly easy to make and can be reheated anywhere quickly. Chili makes a great dinner, a healthy lunch at the office, or a good afternoon snack. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Chicken and Black Bean Chili
2 tablespoons cooking oil

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces

sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, or to taste

1 dried chipotle chili pepper, ground into powder

ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced

5 cups water

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained

1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 teaspoon green pepper sauce (e.g., Tabasco®)

1 (6 ounce) can roasted garlic tomato paste

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place chicken in the pot; brown on all sides. Season with sea salt, chili powder, cumin, ground chipotle, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix in onion, green bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper. Pour in about 3 cups water, and continue cooking 10 minutes, until about 1/2 the water has evaporated.

2. Mix the kidney beans, black beans, and corn into the pot. Season with green pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low, and mix in remaining 2 cups water and tomato paste. Simmer, stirring occasionally 30 minutes, or until thickened. Top with cilantro to serve.

Makes 6 servings

Per serving: 375 calories, 33.2 g protein, 42.4 g carbohydrates, 12.8 g fiber, 8.8 g fat

World’s Best Vegetarian Chili
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 bay leaves * 1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon salt

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 green bell peppers, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained

2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles

3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.

2. Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 485 calories, 31,1 g protein, 65 g carbohydrates, 20.6 g fiber, 14.4 g fat.

Portobello Mushroom Chili
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 (19 ounce) can red kidney beans

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onions until tender. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix the mushrooms into the skillet, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, 10 minutes, or until tender.

2. Pour the tomatoes and beans into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 195 calories, 9.3 g protein, 28.3 g carbohydrates, 9.7 g fiber, 5.5 g fat.

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