I am so excited! The sun is still warm and the nights are cooling off and this weekend I am going to be escaping into the woods to do some camping! I personally love camping and not that RV nonsense, the sleeping in a tent, cooking over a fire, snacking out of a cooler camping!

There is something so satisfying and serene about hiding out in the woods, I often fantasize about becoming a survivalist and escaping deep into the forest with no technology, no noise and no stress. I am a total nemophilist and love to partake in werifesteria and have incredibly romantic notions about living off of the grid.

This camping trip is not the serene escape that I usually enjoy but instead is a time of celebration and a gathering for a number of friends from far and near so some planning does need to take place. It always seems that camping in general revolves around food and drink and this time is no different. As a vegetarian, I cannot just rely on hamburgers and hotdogs to see me through so I have to become a little creative especially since I want to share my bounty with others.

Not only have I packed up some veggie burgers and marinated some carrot dogs but I decided to throw together a batch of my delicious, hearty, and warming Cocoa Chipotle Chili filled with sprouted beans, TVP, corn, and a touch of cocoa powder to mellow that spicy little kick. TVP, better known as Texturized Vegetable Protein is made from soybeans and is a wonderful meat substitute that will likely trick all of you meat eating friends. I always let everyone taste it before I let it out of the bag that it is a Vegetarian/Vegan meal as I like people to embrace eating healthy even if trickery is involved.

I like to pre-make a few things when going camping so that way I can spend more time with friends soaking in the atmosphere, hiking, kayaking or meandering instead of chopping veggies in the woods. This way I can throw the pot on the fire, do a little stirring and then divvy it up and enjoy. I hope that you try this awesome warming Chili as fall descends on us. Enjoy and healthy eating!

Cocoa Chipotle Vegetarian Chili with Sprouted Beans and TVP

2 cups of TVP

2 cups of Water, boiling

2 tbs Olive Oil

2 medium Onions, chopped

2 Sweet Peppers, chopped (you can use a mix of colors, I used 1 bell and 2 Italian peppers because I had them on hand)

4 large cloves of Garlic, chopped

1 -2 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo, chopped (the rest reserved for another purpose)

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped

1 tbs Cumin

1 1/2 tbs Chili Powder

1 1/2 tsp Oregano

1 pinch of Cinnamon

1 tbs of Lime or Lemon Juice

6 cups of Sprouted Beans or 4 cans of Beans (I used a mix of black and kidney beans)

1 1/2 cups of fresh Corn

3 (14oz) cans of Stewed Tomatoes in their juice

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 tbs Cocoa Powder

Place the 2 cups of TVP in a large bowl, pour the boiling water over top and let hydrate. Put aside.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, peppers, garlic, and chipotle to the oil, sauteing for 5 minutes or so until tender. Add the spices, lime or lemon juice, beans, corn, TVP, and stewed tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmering for 30 minutes.

Stir in cocoa powder and salt to taste. Divide into bowls or cups and top with your desired condiments. Enjoy!

I always let my chili rest for a few days in order to develop the flavors. This chili is awesome the first day but even better after 2 days so if you can make it ahead, do so.