My lucky older sister had a subscription to Seventeen magazine when she was a teenager, and I was what's now called a tween. I learned a lot from that magazine, about fashion, boys, friendships, boys, makeup, boys, and... cooking. Does Seventeen still include a cooking feature? In the late seventies, each issue included a recipe with illustrated step-by-step instructions. That's where I learned to cook chili, Cincinnati chili, to be specific. I made it for my family, made it through college, and kept on making it, after I graduated, got married, had children. I was known for that chili. Many people requested that recipe. Since going vegan, though, I've never had a good, basic chili recipe. Sure, I've had my confetti chili, with corn and all colors of peppers and beans, and a delightful sweet potato chili that I make in the slow cooker, but just not a good, basic chili. I resisted taking my old recipe and adapting it; you know how sometimes adaptations just fall short of the mark? I was reluctant to do that with my treasured old recipe, but it was time to try.

I'm not a fan of meat substitutes for a variety of reasons, so I decided to try bulgur to give that chunky, "meaty" texture. Add some onions, peppers, beans, tomatoes and seasonings, and viola! A delicious, low-fat vegan chili.



Chili sin Carne
3/4 cup bulgur
2 cups boiling water
1 large onion, chopped
1 large pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chili beans (do not drain)
1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 TBS chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 TBS brown sugar

Pour boiling water over bulgur, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and press out excess moisture.
Water saute onion and pepper in dutch oven until soft and translucent; add garlic and saute 1 minute more.
Add remaining ingredients and bulgur to the pot; bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes.