e weather is making it seem like summer's over! It's dramatically cooled down, so much so that I can wear a sweater or hoodie out and not over heat. Now, I'm not complaining as autumn is my favourite season, it's just funny how abruptly it's changed over the past week.
That being said, what better time to make a nice large pot of beef chili with loads of vegetables and beans! I was out of chili powder, and not wanting to go out to buy it, Mr. Google had some excellent recipes on how to make your own. It's really nothing special- paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne powder. I used chipotle instead for an extra bit of smokiness and it worked out just great. I didn't really follow a recipe and used what vegetables I had. Opened up two cans of beans, kidney and chickpea and mixed my ground beef with half TVP (texturized vegetable protein) for an extra boost of protein without the extra fat. You couldn't even tell that it was a 50/50 mix! Not only does it stretch the meat out without compromising flavour, texture or nutrition, it also stretches out your money. :)
We ate this with homemade bread rolls and a side of salad. There's still a lot of left overs!