During the winter months we often crave "stick to your ribs" food such as oatmeal and chili. And while I like the idea of a meal that warms me to the core, I tend to associate these rib-sticking dishes with also being waist-thickening. I can assure you this chili is far from fattening, and it will so thoroughly satisfy you that you won't have the desire to indulge in any fattening snacks a few hours later. If you have a family to feed and a busy life, then think about cooking this on the weekend and then warming it on weeknights for a fast, healthy meal.

Ultimately, this recipe is a classic, but with one key difference that I encourage you to adopt and thus avoid the uncomfortable flatulence that typically comes with chili: say goodbye to canned beans and hello to dried ones. Beans are superstars when it comes to fibre, minerals and protein. And the practice of soaking dried beans is is great as the process releases enzyme inhibitors that are present in canned beans and phytic acid which can prevent the absorption of minerals.

Recipe after the jump!

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup of Bob's Red Mill 13 Bean Soup Mix
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
20 grape or cherry tomatoes chopped in half
1 can of drained whole tomatoes (low sodium, organic)
2 tbsp dried Italian herbs: oregano, basil, thyme
Dash of sea salt and pepper.

Method:

Soak the beans overnight. Drain the next day and cover with water in a large pot and simmer until tender on the stove, about 3 hours.

Sauté the onions and garlic on medium heat with walnut, sesame or coconut oil. Once tender, add the carrots, cherry tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes and add the herbs. Once the beans are tender, add them to the tomatoes and mix together. If you want the chili thicker you could add a few tablespoons of tomato paste, but then you may need to kick up the herbs a knotch because tomato paste has a strong flavour.

Here's my little trick for the ultimate chili: If you let the chili sit overnight in the fridge, you will find the flavours enhance greatly by the next day. It will be that much more delicious and enJOYable. I like to put my chili on a bed of quinoa and, of course, garnish it with something green like parsley or cilantro. If you need basic instructions for cooking quinoa, please check this recipe for quinoa salad.

Joy McCarthy, owner of Joyous Health, is a certified holistic nutritionist and health coach with a passion for inspiring people to eat well, live well and feel more joyous on a daily basis. Joy welcomes your questions or comments and although you may not receive a response, your submission will certainly be read and may be selected as a topic for a future column.