It is never to early start thinking about your Thanksgiving and holiday menus. I am so happy to be able to share this recipe by Maria Koutsogiannis's, founder of FoodbyMaria, new cookbook, Mindful Vegan Meals. 

This recipe drew me to this book instantly! The depth of flavors and the heartiness of this dish is magical! It is perfect for your Thanksgiving or just any night of the week! 

​See below for the full recipe! 

I can't lie and tell you that this is the perfect recipe for Fall. Because I make this chili year-round. It can be 90+ degrees outside, and I still crave this chili. 

If you follow me on Instagram or for the Vegan Month of Food, you will most likely see me post this! I am obsessed with it and share it every chance I find. Especially for the pantry cooking challenges. Everything for this recipe comes out of the pantry unless you add cheese at the end.

It is so simple to make ​since I use canned beans. And it gives me an excuse to take a rolling pin to soy curls! I also like to make this the day before I serve because all of the chili flavors have developed. Chili is honestly better the next day! 

I will be the first to admit that I hated broccoli. I didn't like the texture, taste, or smell. Then one day, I roasted some for my husband, Steve, for dinner, along with whipping up a quick cashew cheese sauce for it, and decided to give it a try again. Well crap, it was actually good! I couldn't keep making faces at people when they would talk about broccoli or offer me any. Since that day, I have been hooked. I now eat it steamed, roasted, pureed, and even raw. Steve hasn't let me forget my long ago hatred of it though. That is ok, he used to hate mayo, but now he can't live without vegan mayo! So I have that! 

Tamale pie filling...taco filling... enchilada filling... burrito filling... it can really be used to fill almost anything. 

I was hungry and hadn't been to the grocery store in almost a week, but I wanted to find something creative to make. 
I threw open the cabinet doors and started pulling out everything I thought sounded good. I mean, when does taco seasoning not sound good? I am always telling my husband that can make a taco out of anything. 

The cornbread was calling to me, and I decided to throw everything else that I pulled out of the cabinets into one pot while the cornbread was cooking. Bam! It was one of the best meals of summer! 

Maria Koutsogiannis's, founder of FoodbyMaria, new cookbook, Mindful Vegan Meals, is full of creative and healthy recipes. I connected with her story of overcoming an eating disorder and learning to love food and herself once again. 

Maria's open and honest approach to life and her meals is inspiring. I love her food philosophy, "Food isn’t your enemy, it’s literally the best thing for you."  

I am thankful to be able to share a few recipes from her new cookbook!