Mediterranean Chili

When I got home work today .. I just wasn't feeling it. I wasn't in the mood for eating leftovers .. and I wasn't really in the mood to cook ... that is until I came across a packet of Falafel Mix in my pantry. Even then ... I wasn't in the mood to sit around waiting for it to bake etc. As I was standing in my pantry holding the box wondering whether or not I should take the plunge, I saw the recipe on the back of the box. Yahoo!!! Vegetarian Chili!!! 

Mediterranean Chili

Prep Time: 40-60 min

Adapted from: A box of Ziyad Falafel Mix

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1. 1 x 12 oz box Falafel mix
2. 1 cup cold water
3. 3 x 14.5 oz cans of Chopped/Diced tomatoes
4. 2 x 15.5 oz cans of Chickpeas 
5. 2-3 tbsp Texas Chili Seasoning
6. 8-10 leaves fresh Basil
7. 8-10 leaves fresh Sage
8. Salt, to taste
9. Hot Sauce, to taste

Directions:

I followed the directions on the box, with a few variations. Combine contents of the box of falafel mix (about 1.5 cups of dry mix) with 1 cup cold water. Mix well and allow the mix to rest at room temperature for 20 min. The ingredients include ground chick peas, ground fava beans, spice blend, minced onion, garlic, baking soda, salt and sesame seeds. It has no added fat. Preheat a non-stick stock pot to medium heat and add the water-falafel mix to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, dry saute the mix over medium heat, breaking up the mixture into crumbles. This part worked really well for me. I was able to get a nice crumbly mix in about 20 min of dry sauteing. Once the mix is dry and crumbly, add canned tomatoes (with liquid), salt, chili seasoning and chickpeas. Mix well. At this point the box said to reduce heat and to cook the chili until everything was thoroughly heated. To me the whole dish at this point looked really dry. Since I wasn't planning on using any of the traditional toppings (sour cream, cheese etc.) which would add moisture, I decided to add some water to make it a little more moist. Consequently, my crumbles became a thick gravy. Lesson learnt (that's why they didn't ask for water to be added to this dish!). Once I added water, I lowered the heat and allowed the chili to simmer on medium-low for about 10 min. Once the dish was bubbling nicely, I turned off the heat, added some fresh herbs (Basil and Sage) and allowed it to sit (covered) for 5 minutes. I served my not-so-crumbly chili with Couscous (also prepared with minced herbs, no added fat), and my favorite hot sauce. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 269 (Fat Calories 74)
Total Fat 8.3 g; Carbohydrates 40.5 g; Fiber 7.6 g; Sugars 2.7 g; Protein 12.2 g