Recipe Rehab: Chili with a healthy kick

Our weekly feature, Recipe Rehab, takes a recipe -- sometimes basic, sometimes decadent and sometimes just plain unhealthy -- and turns it into a scrumptious and healthy dish, pumped up with nutrition. Sometimes all it takes is a few alterations to prepare a dish that would make even your nutritionist proud.

The playoffs are over and it's almost time for Superbowl Sunday, complete with unhealthy snacks like chicken wings and chili. Luckily, this chili recipe delivers all the flavor, but won't break your diet. Add some baked corn chips and low-fat sour cream and you'll never believe it was good for you. It's also vegetarian, so it will feed all your guests, and makes more than enough for a crowd. You can adjust the amount of spice to suit your taste buds.

Vegetarian Chili

fat-free cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 square baking chocolate
2 garlic cloves -- crushed
2 pounds vegetarian crumbles or TVP crumbles
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 28 ounce can diced low sodium tomatoes
3 cans low sodium kidney beans, canned -- 12 ounce
low-sodium vegetable stock or water, to cover
salt & pepper to taste

Optional garnishes:

low-fat sour cream - about 15 calories and 1.grams of fat per tablespoon
shredded low-fat cheddar cheese - about 60 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per ounce
finely chopped red onion and fresh cilantro

Cook onions and peppers until soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until the chili thickens and the flavors blend together, about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.

Vegetarian Textured Vegetable Protein crumbles can usually be found in the frozen foods section by the veggie burgers. You can always substitute lean ground turkey or beef, but the recipe will no longer

Rehab Rundown

• Substituting vegetarian crumbles for ground beef reduce the fat and cholesterol while keeping the protein and make it a recipe everyone can eat
• Peppers add more flavor, fiber and antioxidants
• Low-sodium beans and tomatoes reduce the total amount of sodium
• Using low-fat and low-calorie toppings even further reduces the total amount of fat and calories per serving

Rehab Reveal