I used to be a carnivore.  There I said it, it wasn’t a fashion statement, or animal rights, or to look cool to my friends that led me to a Vegetarian and subsequently a Vegan life style it was my health.  Plain and simple I’d eat meat, and I’d get sick, so no more meat.  Now after 16 or so years as a Vegetarian my doctor said, “You’ve got diabetes, and I think a Vegan diet would work wonders for you”  Sooooooooo guess who’s Vegan?  7 months and counting.  I’m loosing weight, and controlling my blood sugars.  Woo Hoo!

But I have to say, this is a lot harder than being Vegetarian.  It is more difficult to find foods, extremely hard to go out to dinner (even in Portland, OR) I love vegetables, but I also want something a bit more substantial than salad to eat.

Red Chili, spicy, rich, robust and full of the goodness of Texas, is comfort food for me.  I hope it fits the bill for you too.

Vegan Chili Recipe

• Dried Red New Mexico or California Chilies 6-10
• Dried Red Guajillo Chilies 3-5
• Dried Chipotle peppers 1-3 (if desired for heat)

The day before:  Break stem ends off the chilies and discard (wear rubber or latex glove to protect your hands) place peppers in large bowl, and cover with boiling water.  Allow to set for several hours or overnight to rehydrate.  Place peppers and about a cup of the soaking liquid into a blender or food processor and puree.  Strain through a mesh strainer, mashing the pulp through but extracting the seeds and skins. Discard the seeds and skins.  Refrigerate until ready to make Vegan Chili

1 Tablespoon of light olive oil (or if living light, spray pan with Cooking Spray such as Pam)
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon Cumin, ground in spice grinder or with mortar/pestle
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano, crushed in palm of hand
1 teaspoon dried Cilantro, crushed in palm of hand
2 Tablespoons of tomato paste
1 lb of ripe tomatoes, roasted, peeled and chopped (see note)
½ bottle beer (cook gets the other half or in my house, hubby does)
3-4 cups Beans – Use canned, or cook dried beans, I use a combination of Pinto, Black and Red Kidney.  But Garbanzo, Adzuki, Anasazi, or Red Beans would all work.
1 ½ cups Additional Protein – Boca Burger (crumbled), or Boca Ground Crumbles, TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) or Tofu crumbles – if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
*Chipotle peppers, hot sauce, jalapenos etc. for extra heat if desired*

Directions:   Heat large pot over medium heat, and oil, onion, bell peppers, garlic and sauté until vegetables are translucent.  Stir in tomato paste the paste will change color slightly as it cooks from a bright red to a brick color, this only takes a minute or two, add beer and stir to deglaze the pot.  Add in remaining ingredients and spices, including the chili puree.  Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer.  Cover and simmer for at least 45 minutes, (a couple hours is better).

Serve, hot in bowls with Vegan Tortillas.

Serves a small army or a hungry family of 4

Note- To roast the tomatoes, heat oven to 425°. Place halved tomatoes on an oiled sheet pan, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until browned, turning once.  Allow to cool, then the peels should slip right off the tomatoes.

Lately, there has been a lot of talk going around about a new sub-culture called freeganism or freegan. Freegan, a mash-up of words, combining free and vegan, has been hitting the already strict lifestyle of vegans in major metropolitan cities around the world.

So what exactly do freegan's do? Well, imagine that you need a new pair of shoes or some more fresh produce for your family, rather than hopping in the car and heading down to the local superstore, you would wait until night fall and head for the dumpsters in your area. That's right, freegan's place their focus on ridding the world of corporate America's wasteful nature and putting discarded items back to good use, along with saving money and focusing on a "simpler" lifestyle.

While the process of dumpster diving is nothing new to our country, in fact I have crossed paths with several people that make a living from reselling discarded treasures such as electronics and furniture, but I must admit that salvaging food may be a little over the top for many of us, certainly myself.

Now you are probably thinking that the people taking part in this frugal lifestyle are those that are less fortunate than many of us. This however is not the case at all. In a special aired on the television recently, one of the featured couples consisted of a lawyer and doctor in New York City, but these are not the only well payed freegans, no, actually it would seem that quite a few of the people participating in freeganism are by no means experiencing a shortage of money. It seems that people are not turning to this lifestyle due to a lack of finances but rather to more of a rebellion against consumerism.

I must admit that while some of the freeganism methods seem to make sense, I have a hard time stomaching the thought of eating food out of a grocery store dumpster. My life has not always been easy and I am, by no means, used to the finer things, but I do worry about disease and illness, which I can only imagine is a very real concern for people taking part in this lifestyle. Take a look at the video below and decide for yourself.

Well, after watching the video what do you think? Did it make you hungry or sick?

There is a lot to say about this type of urban foraging, the idea of living without any concern of money and schedules almost makes freeganism seem sort of surreal, nothing matters. Its almost as if they have found a way to float through life without all of the worries we face on a daily basis, but at the same time we have to imagine that it really takes a certain type of person to flourish in this lifestyle.

I wish freegans the best with their movement, I think it is a positive step in the right direction, the videos that have been shown on YouTube and the news, really manage to show us all how much is being wasted and that is surely a good thing. For now I will stand on the sidelines on this one, but at the same time feel a little more compelled to do my part. Thank you freegans!