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Cheers to Nutrition Month: Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole

March 6, 2020

March is National Nutrition Month!! Nutrition is my passion, which makes this month one of my favorites. This is the month where individuals spend more time than usual to focus on a healthy eating lifestyle and what that truly means. Here are some tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Choose one of these tips and work on making it part of your lifestyle! 

  1.  Eat Breakfast
  2. Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables
  3. Watch Portion Sizes
  4. Be Active
  5. Get to know Food labels
  6. Fix Healthy Snacks
  7. Drink more Water
  8. Reduce Added Sugars
  9. Slow Down at Mealtime
  10. Eat Seafood Twice a Week

Here is a chili casserole recipe for you to try out for Nutrition Month. It may seem like it has a lot of ingredients, but it is an easy meal that follows an important tip that was left off of the list above that is to GET COOKING! Being in the kitchen and making things from scratch can have an impact on the nutrition profile of foods and be more cost-effective than eating out and relying on processed foods. Make your kitchen the gathering place for friends and family.

Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • ¼ c tomato paste
  • 1 ½ tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ¾ tsp salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 (15 oz) can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed (can do half with chickpeas)
  • 1 c water

For the cornbread topping:

  • 1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp warm water
  • 1 ¼ c almond milk + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ¼ c whole grain cornmeal
  • ¾ c white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/3 avocado oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Heat oil in oven safe dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots, celery and bell pepper and sauté for another 7 minutes or until softened.  Add tomato paste, all space and stir for a minute.  Add tomatoes with juice, all beans and water, stirring to combine.  Increase heat to medium high.  Once boiling ,reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes while you make the cornbread.  Taste for seasoning before your pour batter on top.  Preheat oven to 400◦ F.  Mix together flax seed and water in a small bowl and set aside.  Add almond milk and vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and set aside.  Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a  large mixing  bowl.  Add almond milk mixture, flax mixture, oil and maple syrup,  stirring until just combined.  Do not over mix.  Pour batter on top of chili and bake for 20-22  minutes or until a fork comes out clean.  Let rest for 15 minutes before before serving.

Nutrition Information: 417 calories, 13.3 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 63.2 g carbohydrate, 672.7 mg sodium, 14.9 g protein

Recipe Source: Hummusapien.com