Quick Stovetop Chili

It's been a hectic week here so I haven't had the time or energy to spend in the kitchen. However, last week I did manage to make some healthy chili, modified from Ellie Krieger. As I mentioned before, I sometimes have to force myself to eat veggies, so I decided to double the amount of carrots and red bell peppers in the chili, in order to up the nutritional value. This is also a good way to incorporate more protein in my diet, with the extra lean ground beef and variety of beans. Pour over whole grain spaghetti and top with lowfat cheddar cheese to make a complete meal!

What you need...

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (1 cup)
• 2 red bell peppers, diced (2 cups)
• 4 carrots, diced (1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• About 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

What to do…
Heat the oil in large pot or over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.