Every two years, right when the weather starts to tip into I-wish-I’d-worn-my-heavier-coat-today temperatures, I like to repost my chili recipe. It’s old news for those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, but I think it’s nice to have a reminder every now and then anyway! And if you’ve never tried my chili recipe before, well…you really don’t know what you’re missing. It seriously is the best chili ever.

ANNA’S VEGETARIAN CHILI (vegan, actually)
Makes 6–8 portions

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder*
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil**
14 oz can black beans**
14 oz can kidney beans**
1 cup corn kernels
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup bulgur wheat
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions, carrots and garlic; sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add yellow pepper, jalapenos, celery and chili powder; cook another 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans (with liquid), corn, salt and spices. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in bulgur wheat. Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes (I usually let everything simmer for a couple of hours to let the flavors really develop, but it’s okay to take it off when the veggies and bulgur are soft), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Just as you’re taking the chili off the heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar. I know it might seem weird to put it in, but trust me—it really does make the chili taste extra amazing.

*What we call “chili powder” in the US is actually a blend of several spices. Please don’t use 2tbsp of straight cayenne pepper! If blended chili powder is not available in your part of the world, you can add an extra tbsp of cumin, and then just add your cayenne a pinch at a time to taste.

**I take the easy route and use canned beans and tomatoes. You can soak dried beans and use fresh tomatoes if you prefer, of course, but you will want to add water to make up for the liquid in the cans.

As always, I’d love to hear what kinds of modifications and variations you’ve made to this recipe, since it is really flexible. I’ve subbed chickpeas and edamame in place of kidney beans plenty of times, and I often use farro instead of bulgur wheat depending on what I have in the house. I’m really partial to Muir Glen’s fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, and using ancho chili powder in place of regular changes the flavor of the whole thing completely. Sometimes I sprinkle a little Daiya on top if I have it, but it’s definitely not essential.

This chili freezes really nicely, by the way. One pot will yield six very generous portions, so after you’ve gobbled down dinner, you can divvy up the rest into containers to heat up for lunches during the week.

It’s insanely hot in New York (and across much of the country) right now, but late last night Evan and I were struck by cravings for dessert so intense that we decided turning the oven on for while was worth the increased temperature. Despite being limited by the meager contents of our pantry, we managed to put together a pretty tasty treat—almond butter blondies!

(This recipe is a variation on Isa’s recipe for peanut butter blondies. I’ve never tried making them with peanut butter, but I’m sure that’s awesome too!)

ALMOND BUTTER BLONDIES (vegan)
Makes 12 blondies (or 4 if you have a generous “slicing hand”)

3/4 cup unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup almond milk (soy or rice milk would be fine, too)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat your oven to 350°F. If it’s already a million degrees in your kitchen, have a refreshing beverage on hand.

Since there was no way I was going to hand-stir refrigerated almond butter at 10PM, I used the food processor. I have really weak arms, though, so if you’re stronger (or if you’re willing to wait for your almond butter to soften at room temperature), you could just use a fork/spoon and a bowl.

1. Combine the almond butter, oil and sugar.
2. Add the milk and vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour, salt and baking powder.

The dough is going to be really thick, almost like a paste. Spread it into an 8×8″ baking pan (very lightly oiled if it’s not non-stick), and put it in the oven for about 25 minutes. When the edges are looking crispy and the top is bubbly, it’s done.

LET IT COOL COMPLETELY. Not warm, COOL. No, really. I mean it. I know it’s late at night and you really want to have a blondie NOW, but don’t do it. We made the mistake of trying to cut and eat ours after only half an hour last night, and we had a goopy, greasy mess on our hands. We should have been patient and waited.

Here’s my advice: Make the blondies at night and let them cool down. Before you go to bed, cut them into squares and wrap them up in paper towels and foil and stick them in the fridge. In the morning, you will be greeted by BLONDIE AWESOMENESS. Isa describes hers as being kind of “fudgy”, and she’s not kidding. This is serious business. I had a sliver this morning with an iced coffee on the side, and…yeah. Pretty much the best breakfast ever, if not the healthiest.