Hearty Veg Chili

I've made this recipe dozens of times... very easy, quick, filling, healthy, cheesy, heavy, satisfying, like... totally fart-worthy.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon 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 about
1 cup of TVP (soy protein mince)
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 black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

1. First, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, corn, jalapeno peppers, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the TVP. 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 and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 40 minutes. Add the cheese, stir in and serve.
(optional): sprinkle fresh coriander or basil, parmesan cheese to top


Drink of choice: Terrazas de los Andes, Malbec 2006


"In Zen, they say: If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, try it for eight, sixteen, thirty-two and so on. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all but very interesting." -John Cage, _Silence: Lectures and Writings_