As the days get shorter and shorter, I begin to find that it’s a real challenge to be able to fit running into my working schedule almost every day. As I run in a wood and I am generally a scaredy cat anyway, I am not comfortable running after dark, so I need to make sure I set off at least 45 minutes before sundown. At the moment this is 4:50 pm and its getting earlier as we speak.
At the moment, I am trialling running straight after shooting, as running first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is certainly not my jam. It’s a bit tricky, but I am proud to say that I have been very consistent so far – the near absence of negativity and self-flagellation offers plenty of motivation and I certainly like the side-effect of getting fitter too. Duncan, who is a massive running addict (he runs way more and way faster than I’ll ever be able to), offers plenty of encouragement and an occasional ass kick when I try to get out of things on the account of bad weather (like this past Saturday when it was raining and cold and I wanted to hide under a blanket). An encouraging partner is invaluable. If you are able to get one of these, I highly recommend you do 😉 . When you’ve come back in from the cold, there is no better dinner proposition than a bowl of vegan chilli that is smoky, savoury and a little bit spicy. It’s filling and deeply comforting too. Forgive me, but this chilli is a bit of a fridge and cupboard clear-out. I’ve had some celery that needed using up and heaps of chocolate shavings from making way too many chocolate chip cookies lately 😛 . I don’t use chocolate chips, as my local shop doesn’t sell dairy-free ones, so I always end up with lots of chocolate dust that is too small to go into the cookies, but it happens to be perfect to give a chilli deep savoury and earthy tones. If you would rather use cacao powder that is certainly an option, just be aware that it will add a hint of bitterness, which may need to be balanced by a bit of sugar. In terms of a replacement for mince, this stew is bulked up with Puy lentils (which worked so well in this recipe) and lightly-roasted walnuts chopped small. They both work a treat, adding a bit of body and much needed crunch. Finally, I added cubed sweet potato, which I had lying around and some red kidney beans as I am hoarding so many cans of them that it’s high time they finally saw some action.
