three bean vegetarian chili

 

it is game day weekend!!!! you know what that means? endless amounts of the BEST kind of foods.. chili, nachos, wings, pizza. i mean, football! it means football. okay, but let's be real here, you don't need to be a football fan to enjoy the superbowl. host a party & whip up a killer spread! i will be spending it in toronto this weekend & i can't wait to be back in the city. it feels like it has been forever! but before i head off to my weekend away, here is the recipe for this three bean vegetarian chili.

when hosting parties, there are SO many dietary restrictments you have to be cautious of. so leave the meat for the sliders, burgers or wings & keep the chili meatless. i love setting up a little station with various toppings for chili. i usually do cheddar cheese, guacamole, sour cream & something crunchy. i served this chili up with black bean habanero harvest snaps! they have the perfect kick of spice as i tend to make the chili a bit more mild for people who can't handle spice as well as others. for those who LOVE spice (cough, my dad) they can pile on as many habanero harvest snaps as their heart desires! they are even gluten free incase you have a gluten intolerant guest as well. this chili is seriously for everyone! so happy football weekend. i can't wait to see what everyone is cooking up.

go broncos!!!!! errr i mean patriots?

ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 yellow or green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 stocks of celery, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled & chopped
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chilli powder
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust this based on your spice preference)
  • 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 cup black beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup red kidney beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups of low sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 jar of crushed tomatoes
  • cilantro, to garnish
  • sour cream, to garnish
  • black bean habanero harvest snaps, to garnish

directions

  • in a large pot over medium heat add the red bell pepper, yellow or green bell pepper, celery, carrots, red onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cumin & cayenne pepper. cook until onions turn translucent, about 15 minutes.
  • add in the chickpeas, black beans & red kidney beans. cook for an additional minute or two.
  • pour in the vegetable stock & crushed tomatoes. stir until the two are evenly mixed in.
  • bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer. cook with the lid on for one hour.
  • remove from heat & serve hot!
  • top with cilantro, sour cream, habanero harvest snaps & whatever your heart desires!

this post was created in partnership with harvest snaps! thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love. xo

dessert chocolate + cheese board

 

growing up my parents took us to quite a few fancy restaurants in niagara-on-the-lake & fine dining restaurants on cruise ships. they wanted us to be part of every celebration & every milestone they reached. whenever we went to these types of restaurants & it was time for the dessert menu to be served, it always had a local cheese board dish on it. i never understood how cheese was considered a dessert?! it was probably because my knowledge of cheese didn't stretch past the basic marble cheddar & kraft singles i was used to eating... two cheeses i wouldn't dare to eat now. as i got older, it all began to make sense. pairing creamy style cheeses with fruits, nuts, jam & of course chocolate was the best way to end a perfect meal.

today i am teaming up with my friends at ghirardelli to present to you the ultimate dessert cheese board to serve at any party! be it awards, game day, or a casual gathering with friends, everyone is sure to find something they love on this board! now the star of this platter doesn't necessarily have to be the cheese, it can be all the fun chocolate you pair with it too! because you can't have dessert without a little chocolate i paired the cheese board with ghirardelli's snack line of chocolate covered treats! they make for the best finger foods as you saw in my previous salted cashew trail mix recipe (which you can find here). this board contains chocolate covered sea salt cashews, sea salt almonds, blueberries, and toasted coconut.. it has every flavour you can dream of.

ingredients

  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt almond
  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli dark chocolate blueberry
  • 1 4.8 oz package of ghirardelli milk chocolate toasted coconut
  • 1 wheel extra creamy brie
  • 1/4 wheel extra creamy danish blue cheese
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced
  • 1 pomegranate, seeded
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 pear, thinly sliced
  • 1 baguette, thinly sliced & toasted

directions

  • on a large wood serving board place the brie & blue cheese.
  • arrange all other ingredients around it starting with the fruit, chocolate & baguette slices.

chocolate cashew trail mix

 

because the entertaining season never truly ends after the holidays, i am teaming up with ghirardelli this month to create the perfect snack foods to serve if you are hosting a party or get together! between game day, the awards + everything in between there are plenty of opportunities to invite your friends over this winter season & put together the ultimate snack table! if you are anything like me, chocolate has to be included in everything. for this snack recipe i incorporated Ghirardelli's various chocolate covered products into a fun trail mix. i basically incorporated all my favourite munchies into one bowl of pure deliciousness. trail mix is easy to mix up, serve & even easier to devour! the first time i put a bowl of this out, it was gone within the hour. i love seeing what ingredients people pick out as a favourite. i am totally that person who sneaks all the chocolate covered pieces first! i used cashews as the base & used raw cashews, Ghirardelli's sea salt dark chocolate cashews & Ghirardelli's sea salt milk chocolate cashews. ALL the cashews! the result is a wholesome, high quality snack that you can take or serve just about anywhere. it works as a perfect grab & go snack as well to tuck into lunches. what do you mix into your trail mixes?!

ingredients

  • 1 4.8 oz package of Ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 1 4.8 oz package of Ghirardelli dark chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 2 cups banana chips
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup salted large cashews
  • 1 cup coconut chips or shredded coconut
  • 2 cups mini pretzels

directions

  • in a large mixing bowl add milk chocolate sea salt cashews, dark chocolate sea salt cashews, banana chips, dried cranberries, cashews, coconut chips & pretzels.
  • toss until combined & serve in desired serving bowl.
  • can be stored up to two weeks.