With the impending move and my taking evening classes, we haven’t had a lot of time to cook at home as of late. Lisa did, however, have the time to whip up this hearty, beany (ahem) chili last week. The recipe comes from Elise’s site, with a few small changes, as shown below:

Spicy Vegetarian Chili
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1 1 lb eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium portabello caps
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, diced
1 jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely minced
1 28 oz can Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cup cooked white beans (1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans (1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
zest of one lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the eggplant and mushrooms in a roasting pan and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onions and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook for a minute more. Add zucchini, red bell peppers, and jalapeños. Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Coarsely chop the canned tomatoes, and add them to the pot, including their liquid. Add the wine, cumin oregano, fennel, and chili powder. Stir in the eggplant and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
4. Add beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and cilantro. Add the salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and top with chopped green onions. Get your beans on.