Light Bright White Chili

I'm SO excited...















about all the health-oriented blog posts I've read lately! I love how the New Year inspires us to seek out healthfulness, and treat ourselves with the joyous care we deserve. This leads me back to my initial mission for this blog, namely seeking the nourishment both our bodies and our taste-buds crave - with no compromises in either arena! Healthy food should be 100% delicious, and delicious food should be 100% nourishing! Impossible? I'm convinced it's not. Pack in the flavor! Bring on the good stuff!

Let's start with a recipe that, at first glance, sounds, well, more decadent than healthful. Chili? With sausage (or vegetarian sausage...)? And cheese? Absolutely! The trick is to use variations on classic ingredients, that still retain all the flavor our tongues remember and long for.

A hearty, bean-based chili is a prime candidate for healthful comfort food, with its excellent supply of fiber and protein. I love how this recipe manages to be "light" yet still every bit the warm, creamy dish we crave during these frigid months (yes, even here in the south, although perhaps I have a different concept of "cold" than some others do! For those of you in the snow, you're very brave... This is me sending some warm chili to you! :-)

White Chili

2 T olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. jalapeño chicken sausage OR vegetarian "sausage" - the spiciest you can find, chopped into small pieces

1 (14.5 oz) can canelli beans, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can pinto beans, drained

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

salt to taste

1 cup low-fat Monterey jack cheese

~ In a medium (approx. 3 quart) stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are limp and translucent.

~ Reduce the heat to medium, add the sausage or vegetarian "sausage," and continue to sauté until the sausage is cooked through and a bit browned in places.

~ Stir in the beans, cumin, and oregano, and simmer until the beans are heated through and nicely softened and incorporated with the onions and sausage.

~ Add salt to taste.

~ Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cheese, and serve right away! It's fantastic over rice, whole wheat pasta, or just by itself... Rolled up with a whole wheat tortilla, the leftovers make great burritos!