Vegetarian 3-Bean Chili

and it’s a new year baby!!!

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, thoughts, and faves in your inbox every Tuesday!

CATCH UP!

Happy New Year!!!

2022 was a big year for me. I bought a house, got married, and got a new pup! It’s going to be hard to top last year, but I am quite excited about leaning into the parts of my life that are already in place and expanding the rest of the things I love. A big shift for me has really been focusing on balance vs huge goals, and I have to say, I think it’s working out well.

I haven’t really made concrete goals for 2023, but I’ve never really been a huge New Year’s Resolution person since I tend to think about my life year-round. That being said, I think it’s always a good thing to be proactive and write down what you want, so I’m thinking there may be a vision board in my near future?!

As most of you know, I’ve had my paid tier on hiatus for the past few months, and I was planning on coming back in the new year! That is still the plan, but please bear with me as I hold off just a little longer. I will be back next week with an update on what the future of the paid newsletter looks like!! Yay!! I’m excited!

Here’s to a year filled with good thoughts, good moods, and good food!!

THINGS I’M LOVING!

I am often hesitant about buying furniture from Urban Outfitters, but after reading the many positive reviews on their Lucia Nighstand, Grant and I pulled the trigger and bought a set for our bedroom! They were super easy to assemble and look beautiful! I love how they were compact enough to fit into our bedroom space but roomy enough for storage, and they were really affordable, at only $229 a piece!

My friend Raven hosted a birthday party, and she made these incredible Za’atar Crackers that absolutely blew my mind. Luckily for me (and you), the recipe is online from Bon Appetit. You basically marinate the crackers and rebake them, and I cannot explain to you how decadent they tasted this way, especially coated in the za’atar. These will absolutely be a staple on all my cheeseboards moving forward.

I am very, very late to the game, but I just recently ordered Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons after not only Justine made his butter board go viral, but when I discovered he was the creator of my all-time favorite lemon kale salad (I always credited it to True Food, but someone recently informed me of its true origins, and for that, I am grateful). I love cooking seasonally, and this cookbook is great to have on hand to give you inspiration.

RECIPE!

This recipe has been a long time coming! I made this chili for my family about a month ago and they were obsessed, except, of course, I didn’t measure, so I had to remake it in order to write down everything I did!

It’s a pretty straightforward chili recipe, but my favorite components are the diced green chili and cocoa powder. They add a nice kick and richness to the dish. I also think the smoked paprika is pretty essential, as the smoky flavor helps add depth to the chili since it has no meat.

Toppings are highly recommended with this one — it is a bean chili after all — so don’t skimp!!

Chili

• 3 cups of dry beans (I used 3 different kinds from Rancho Gordo: Pinto, Jacob’s Cattle, and Domingo Rojo)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 4 large cloves garlic, minced

• 2 1/2 tbsp chili powder

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 2 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

• 4 oz diced hatch green chile

• 2 tsp cocoa powder

• 2 cups vegetable broth

Toppings

• Shredded white cheddar cheese

• Sour Cream

• Green Onion

• Avocado

1. Add the beans to a large pot or Dutch oven and fill with water until beans are covered by a least one inch. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes to soften the beans. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same pot, add the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, and sauté for another minute. Then add the chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and mix together.

3. Add in the diced tomatoes, green chile, and cocoa powder. Mix together and bring to a simmer. Add back in the beans and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook for 1 hour or until liquid has been absorbed and beans are fully cooked. Serve with toppings!