Vegan Chili

Chili is one of the all time best comfort foods in my opinion!  It's warm, hearty, and has a full, well-rounded flavor that makes your mouth water just thinking of it!  Nothing says fall or winter better than a nice, big bowl of chili, and a side of corn bread!  This is a blend of 2 amazing recipes, from 2 amazing people...my mom, who has been a HUGE inspiration for my love of kitchen (and who also has some of the BEST recipes known to man!)...and my sister, who has been my counterpart in learning to cook as healthy as possible!  Between the 3 of us, we are always trying something new, and then passing it on!

1 med white or yellow onion, chopped
1 full head of fresh garlic, minced (or chopped if you don't have a mincer)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped finely (if you don't like spicy, skip this, if you REALLY like spicy, leave the seeds in it!)
1-2 c. carrots, sliced (or just buy a bag of shredded carrots and throw them in if you hate cutting carrots as much as I do!!)

Saute this in a little bit of oil with 1 package of low sodium taco seasoning or low sodium chili seasoning, until onions are transparent.

Add:
1 large jug of V8 (whichever variety you prefer...I typically do the low sodium or the spicy!)
2 large can of petite diced tomatoes
1 can of chili beans (don't drain them, just dump them all in)
1 can of kidney beans (drain them and rinse them before adding)
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed as well)
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/2 t. cumin
2 T. chili powder
1 T. garlic powder

You can leave the chili as is, and let it simmer for a while on low, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn...OR you could add some or all of these things:

2-3 zucchini, chunked
1-2 c. of frozen corn
2 c. prepared barley or brown rice

I like mine with a lot of veggies, and when I don't make it too spicy, the kids will eat it this way too!

Top with fresh cut avocado, green onions, tortilla chip pieces, and a dollop of vegan cream cheese (Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese).

Serve with corn bread muffins with the following substitutions:

whole wheat flour
agave nectar
coconut oil or applesauce
almond milk

(buy the cornmeal, not the pre-boxed mixes, because they tend to add a lot of sugar to those...otherwise, just follow the recipe on the bag)

Try adding in:
1/4 c. chopped jalapenos
1/4 c. thawed, frozen corn