Finding Comfort

I've been thinking alot about comfort lately.

As a nurse it's my job to give it to others...to my patients...to their families...

Sometimes, for the sick and weary, it's hard to find...

For the grieving it may even be harder...

But comfort comes in many forms...

An outstretched hand to hold...a kind word...a tissue given in a moment of sadness...

Some much needed pain medicine...a warm bath...soothing words...

I am blessed to be able to bestow comfort upon others in their time of need.

But what about those who aren't sick?  How do they find comfort?

For some it's a soft blanket...a warm bed...a hot bath...a cup of tea.

For others it's in the arms of their loved ones...or the table of their best friends sharing stories over a glass of wine (holla!)

Still...for others...

It's in food.

Can you guess where I find my comfort???

Only half kidding...I've been known to find it in all of the above, but I do appreciate some good comfort food.

Once I went vegan I figured my days of real comfort food were over...

HA!

Was I wrong...there is an entire book devoted to vegan comfort junk food (comfort and junk are not always synonymous, but for this purpose they are).

Also, as I became more talented at cooking up my own fabulous vegan/gluten free food I was able to experiment and create some of my staple comfort foods in vegan fashion (partly how I became a food blogger of course).

In my normal life (i.e. when I'm not at the hospital) I still yearn to comfort others...and now I am still able to do that with healthy, nutrient dense, soul warming food. 

Also with kind words, encouraging posts (isn't that why you read this??), helpful hands, and a kind heart...or you can just cook up a batch of my staple comfort food...chili.

This recipe actually came about from my dad. 

He went vegan years ago and is a fabulous cook.  He also tends to dole out comfort to his family in the form of food.  This is his newly modified recipe.  He took some of the heat out so that the kids could enjoy it, but feel free to put some in in the form of peppers, soyrizo, whatever your heat loving soul desires!

Vegan Chili

by Jaclyn Trosper

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients (1 large stockpot)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 yellow onions diced
• 2 yellow squash diced
• 2 gloves garlic chopped
• 4 carrots chopped
• 2 bell peppers (any color you choose) diced
• 2 cans organic pinto beans (drained)
• 2 cans organic garbanzo beans (drained)
• 2 cans organic kidney beans (drained)
• 2 cans organic black beans (undrained)
• 1 can organic refried black beans
• 1/2 C dried lentils (I used red but any color is fine)
• 5 tomatoes diced (from my garden!) OR 2 cans organic diced tomatoes
• 2 C water
• 1/2 C cilantro chopped
• 1/2 C chives chopped
• 1 C huumus (I use Trader Joes original)
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp Kosher salt
• 2 tbsp chili powder

Instructions

Place oil in large stockpot or dutch oven and heat. Cook onions, squash, and garlic until onions are translucent. Add carrots and bell peppers and cook for approx. 5 more minutes. Add all drained beans then add 2 cans black beans including liquid (be sure to look for BPA free cans such as Eden's Organic line). Add dried lentils, tomatoes, and remaining ingedients to pot. Bring to low simmer and cook, covered, for 2 hours until vegetables are soft (can cook longer). Be careful to stir frequently so as to prevent burning. Serve over quinoa, brown rice, or grain of choice. Top with avocado, vegan sour cream, or whatever sounds good! Enjoy!

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