Lazy Person's Vegetarian Chili

I've been remiss in not posting any recipes lately. With the election, my pregnancy, and Vivi's various adventures, I really have not been paying much attention to my culinary endeavors. It's not that we haven't been having good meals lately. In fact, now that my nausea has completely abated and my energy is back, I've generally had it together in the kitchen. I've been whipping up mushroom risotto, Tuscan bean soup, vegetarian pot pie, and large quantities of homemade macaroni and cheese. (I've also been eating large quantities of all of the aforementioned dishes.)

Still, there are nights when all I want is an easy, hearty meal. That's where my recipe for Lazy Person's Vegetarian Chili comes in. It'll cook on the stove in half an hour or you can let it sit in the crock pot for most of the day. You can also substitute fresh ingredients for any of the canned/frozen items. Here are both variations below:

Lazy Person's Vegetarian Chili

1 tennis ball sized onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 6 fresh tomatoes, chopped)
1 green, 1 red, and 1 orange pepper (or any variation thereof,) chopped*
* You can also use 1/2 a bag of Trader Joe's Melange a Trois Pepper Mix
1 package of LiteLife Smart Ground Taco/Burrito tofu crumbles
2 15 oz. cans of red kidney beans*
*(If you soak and cook your own beans, use one cup dried)
2-3 cups water or vegetable stock or beer
Salt
Pepper
Chili Powder
Lime Juice, all to taste

Cook onions, peppers, and garlic until softened. Add tomatoes, tofu crumbles, beans, liquid, and spices and simmer on stove for at least half an hour. If using a crock pot, cook onions, peppers, and garlic until barely soft. Put those and the other ingredients into the crock pot and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4.

It's easy, healthful, and very versatile. (Vivi ate 2 bowls of it last night!)