Eggplant Vegetable Chili Recipe & Chicago Cutlery Giveaway

I am finding that having the right tools for cooking makes the whole process so much more enjoyable!! Since becoming a Chicago Cutlery Ambassador, I am learning just how bad my previous knives really were.  The ability to cut into ripe produce with completely mashing it makes cooking easier (and a lot less messy).

One of my favorite fall recipes is for an eggplant based vegetarian chili.  I love making big batches of it, freezing them, and then serving it on a cool night over brown rice.  Easy, delicious, and surprisingly filling.  As I prepared several batches with fresh eggplant I scored at our local Farmer’s Market, I realized that my new Chicago Cutlery knives were making the prep work go much faster and I was getting a much cleaner cut.  If you’d like to experience this difference yourself, be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post!!

Here’s the recipe for my favorite chili:

Vegetable Chili Recipe

Serves 8 and freezes very well!!

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplant (unpeeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 C. olive oil
2 medium yellow onions
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 peppers, seeded and diced (I use a mix of red, orange, and yellow)
2 28-oz. cans of Italian plum tomatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup carrots chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp ground black pepper (freshly ground is best)
1 tsp salt
1/4 C. fresh parsley snipped
1 C. dark red kidney beans (drained)
1 C. chick peas/garbanzo beans (drained)
2 zucchini chopped or sliced
1 Tbsp dry dill
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

• Place eggplant in colander and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp salt.  Let it stand for one hour. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 1/4 C oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and saute until almost tender (add more oil if needed).  Remove eggplant to casserole or dutch oven.
• Heat remaining oil in skillet over low heat.  Add onions, carrots, garlic, and peppers. Saute until softened (about 10 minutes). Add to eggplant.
• Place casserole over low heat. Add tomatoes with their liquid, celery, chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, pepper, salt and parsley. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes.  Stir in beans, zucchini, dill and lemon juice and cook another 15 minutes.

One lucky Wisconsin Mommy reader will receive a Chicago Cutlery DesignPro Chef Knife.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chicago Cutlery and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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