Yesterday, students participated in The Beecher Flagship Program’s “Pure Foods Workshop”. Students learned a lot about food additives, chemicals, food dyes to which one student let me know, “Mr. Regala, I don’t know if I can listen anymore. This is SO disturbing.” To culminate the interactive morning presentation, students worked together to create a vegetarian chili, which they later got to taste and enjoy, to which many replied, “Mr. Regala, I usually hate chili, but this is SOOOOO good!!”
To learn more about the “Pure Foods Workshop”, check out: http://www.purefoodkids.org/ andhttp://www.purefoodkids.org/purekidsworkshop/
Here’s the recipe in case you are interested in making it at home! {More information, photos, statistics, questions to ask your child etc. to come….it was a fabulous learning experience for all!!!}
Hearty Vegetable Chili
Makes 6 1 1/2 cup servings
- 1T vegetable or olive oil
- Onion (enough for 1c chopped)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1c green bell pepper
- 1c red bell pepper
- 1T chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 15.25 oz can of black beans
- 15.25 oz can of kidney beans (or any beans your family likes!)
- 28 oz can of tomatoes
- 1c frozen or fresh corn
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (washed, dried and chopped)
*Buy organic of all ingredients whenever possible (especially corn and bell peppers)
Measure 1T of vegetable or olive oil and add to a medium soup pot. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Peel and chop 1c of onion into small pieces. Smash, peel and chop 4 cloves of garlic into very small pieces. Add to the soup pot, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes to allow the onions and garlic to ‘sweat’. Chop 1c each of green pepper and 1c of red bell pepper into small pieces and add to the soup pot. Add the chili powder, oregano, ground cumin, salt and pepper. Add to the soup pot and stir until all of the vegetables are coated with spices. Drain and add one can of kidney beans and black beans. Open one 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces, add to the soup pot and stir. Turn the heat up to high and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Chop 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro. Turn off the heat on the soup pot and add the cilantro. Stir the soup, serve and enjoy the fact that you’re eating healthy, whole foods and not all the chemicals found in cans of chili and other soups!
*Recipe courtesy of the Beecher Flagship Foundation
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