After a big holiday – like Thanksgiving – it is best to get right back on track if you were derailed with different foods and lots of food. Healthy food and lots of walks help. Thank goodness for the closeness of the beach when we visit Grandma in Murrells Inlet. It makes it so much fun to go for a walk, and even more so when you have an adorable puppy who wants to run and run and run at the beach. Go Gus Gus!
Having a vegetarian meal is a great idea. We enjoy the local No Bull Veggie Burgers that are made with organic lentils, spinach, carrots, egg whites and spelt. They come frozen in a four-pack. We will have two for a dinner, and that leaves two for another use. Perfect for a meatless chili. I add lots of diced onions to our cold-weather chili. And the veggie burgers just need to be coarsely chopped.
Brown the onions in olive oil. Add the veggie burger pieces to heat through.
Add canned diced no-salt-added tomatoes and rinsed canned kidney beans.
And then the good flavors from seasonings- this can vary with your particular prefs. I added, as you can see, chili powder, prepared Dijon mustard, minced garlic and minced parsley. And then a slow simmer until serving time. Better the second time around, too, so best to make enough to have leftovers.
Nutrition Note: Fiber and vegetarian are two important pieces to getting back on track after the holidays. Fiber helps with weight management (beans are tops in fiber content), and then vegetarian pretty much encourages both more fiber and fewer calories.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 veggie burgers of your choice
- 2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (16-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder - adjust to your taste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon parsley-in-a-tube
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1. Heat oil in skillet. Add onions and sauté until tender. Add veggie burger pieces.
- 2. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir to mix. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- This chili is even better leftover because the flavors get very happy the longer they stay together.
What a smart use for veggie burgers… I bet you could use them as a substitute for ground beef almost anywhere – in tacos or enchiladas, perhaps?
I agree. They could be crumbled and used in any ground beef recipe. Although using the veggie crumbles would do the same thing and might be a tad cheaper. I would think that a preformed burger costs more because of labor costs.
Hmmm. Interesting idea, Auntie Rita and Ab. I never thought to use veggie burgers (or crumbles- which I’ve never even heard of) as substitutes for ground beef. I’m all over this! Any particular brand of veggie burger/crumbles you prefer? I haven’t used them- ever.
You’ll find an assortment in the vegetarian section of the freezer. I like the Morningstar Farms and BOCCA brands for veggie crumbles. They come in a bag, and look exactly like ground beef – only NOT! Made from soy usually. The veggie burgers that I used are locally made so not available where you are. But I bet you can find some locally made ones, if you prefer. The veggie crumbles are an easy way to make a vegetarian dish – spaghetti sauce, tacos, chili, ground beef casserole, etc. I am always trying to serve more meatless meals each week than with meat.