chunky vegan chili

here it is. my favorite chili. yes, buying the bulgur is worth it. recipe from epicurious with a bit of changes. make this recipe with some homemade mac-n-cheese-with-broccoli !

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 cup shredded carrots
jalapeno minced (optional)
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup bulgur
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans
2 cans black beans
salt and pepper to taste
few pinches of cayenne (optional, to your liking)
pinch of thyme
1 1/2 cups water
parsley chopped as garnish

how to:

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and jalapeño and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the bulgur, add the spices (chili powder, cumin, cayenne, thyme) and stir until well combined.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans. Add in the water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Season with salt to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley, if desired.

vegan/vegetarian

what does it mean?

vegan: "someone who avoids consuming or utilizing any product that is, or was once, part of an animal or is sourced from an animal"

• i.e no dairy products like milk and cheese, or eggs and honey. also they do not use materials such as fur and leather as it is derived from exploitation of animals and furthermore try to avoid using products that were tested on animals such as cosmetics and toiletries

vegetarian: someone who chooses not to consume any meat-which includes red meat, seafood and poultry

however there are subsections to vegetarianism

• ovo-vegetarian: diet includes eggs but not dairy products
• lacto-vegetarian: diet includes dairy products but not eggs
• ovo-lacto vegetarian: diet includes both eggs and dairy products
• pesco-vegetarian: diet includes fish but not the flesh of other animals

as you can see there really are no rules and shouldn't be when  you're deciding what is the best choice for you. i believe you can change and add things to your diet as you want and as you're ready for them. i wouldn't call myself 100% strict vegan but about 99% of the time i'm able to eat vegan. no one is perfect and sometimes you don't have much of a choice or choose to be lenient at a given situation.

peter singer considers himself a "flexible vegan" and so do i. sometimes with travel or whatever the circumstance you can choose to eat out of your natural diet. although this is rare it can happen and doesn't make you less of a vegan/vegetarian.

 i strongly suggest doing what you can if you're deciding to change or add things to your diet and remember to start small. being vegetarian for 3 days a week still matters and does not have to be an all or nothing deal. things never really are black & white! do what you can with what you got, there is no veg police!

being a sustainable vegetarian/vegan is what matters- so being a vegetarian for 4 days of the week is better than strict for 4 months and quiting!

reasons people decide to go vegan?