Now that the holidays are over I’m craving something simple, light but nourishing and that won’t be too much of a strain on the budget.  After all that rich food, I’m opting for vegetarian.

Easy Black Bean Chili with Brown Basmati Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 16-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil or vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 14-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• ¾ cup water
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In large nonstick fry pan or sauce pan, heat onion, bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic in the oil or vegetable broth.  Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to
soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add spices, tomatoes, beans and water, and simmer 15
minutes. Stir in corn and cook 1 minute. Stir in cilantro and serve with Brown Rice and  Loaded Corn Muffins (see below).

Loaded Corn Muffins

This is a really delicious way to pack in some more vegetables and the kids will love them, and since I’m taking the easy way out here, I’m using up that box of corn muffin mix I had sitting around.  Prepare the mix as directed.  Stir in 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables, and spoon into a muffin pan.  This recipe makes about six giant muffins.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. It just doesn’t get much easier.