Try vegan chili for vegie Lenten feast

[Guest guest]

From The Morgan County Citizen........... By Amanda Vernon Staff Writer With this week being the beginning of Lent, many people are engaging in the tradition of fasting. Fasting is done in many different ways; some people will completely fast every Wednesday and Friday, others will sacrifice meat, fish, eggs or butter, and many will temporarily give up a treat, such as chocolate or caffeine. Dr. Pamela Hall gave a presentation to members of the community on Wednesday, sharing her knowledge about the effects of fasting on the body. She says that after just one day of fasting, proteins are broken down for energy instead of sugars, which are normally the primary materials that the body uses to gain nutrition. Hall compares this state of

breaking down proteins to the one that the Atkins diet tries to achieve. Fasting for a day also causes levels of the stress hormone cortisol to rise, as well as slightly raising blood pressure, but Hall says these changes are not harmful to the body. "It really doesn’t hurt anyone, it just makes you aware," she says, talking about how fasting makes you realize your advantages. However, before fasting, please discuss your ideas with your doctor to ensure that fasting will not have a negative effect. For those people sacrificing meat, fish, butter or eggs, below is a vegan recipe from www.vegsource.com. Black Bean Chili with Toasted Spice Seasoning Ingredients: 3 cups dried black beans, soaked 8 cups water 2 jalapeno peppers, minced 1 1 / 2 tablespoon grated ginger 1 bay leaf 1 cup chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 tablespoon chili powder 1 / 2 tablespoon oregano 1 / 2 cup sun-dried tomatoes 4 cups plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1/3 cup bulgur wheat, uncooked 1 / 2 cup boiling water Salt and pepper Seasoning: 1 / 2 tablespoon mustard seeds 1 / 2 teaspoon fennel seeds Olive oil Directions: • Soak beans overnight. Drain beans. Place in a large pot and add 8 cups water. Bring beans to a boil, and then add peppers, ginger, bay leaf, and one half cup cilantro. • Cover loosely and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. • Toast cumin seeds in a dry skillet. After seeds darken, add chili powder, oregano, and tomatoes. • Stir well and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. • In another bowl, combine bulgur with boiling water, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. • When beans are cooked, remove 1 cup and puree it with some cooking liquid. Combine puree with remaining beans. • Stir in tomato mixture and

bulgur. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. • Place mustard seeds in a pot over medium heat, cover and cook until seeds start to pop. • Add fennel seeds and cover. Cook until popping stops and fennel darkens. •Pour over chili. Add remaining cilantro and drizzle with olive oil.Peter H

 

Photos – NEW, now offering a quality print service from just 8p a photo.