Chili

I guess it's sort of funny to have a recipe persay for chili. One really isn't warranted since it's a catch-all for whatever you happen to have onhand. However, I've made it twice in my crockpot in the last week, so I decided that would be a perfect starting point for this blog.

My first chili was back during my carnivorous days, and it was essentially based on a very simple recipe from Men's Health magazine in the late 1990s. Transitioning it to a vegan recipe was quite simple since the highlights of a good chili are the seasonings, not the protein.

Naturally, this recipe begs for experimentation. Nothing here is set in stone. Use more or less of anything, remove something, add something else. It really doesn't matter. This is especially true for the beans. I'm using kidney beans in this recipe, specifically a can of light and a can of dark because I like the way it looks. There's certainly nothing wrong with substituting your favorite beans, whether it be black, red, white, or otherwise. The same thing holds true with the yellow bell pepper, as I just wanted to add to the eye appeal. Any bell pepper or none at all is perfectly fine. Some people put a cup of coffee in their chili. If you want to try this, substitute it for one of the cups of broth or water. I think the most important ingredients are the chili powder and cumin. Everything else is optional.

Chili
Serves 6-8

2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 med onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
4 fresh green chilis, deseeded and diced
Chili powder
Coriander
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Unsweetened cocoa powder
12 oz beer
1 lg can diced tomatoes
2 cups dry TVP
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 can light kidney beans
1 can dark kidney beans

In a large pot over medium heat, sautee the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and chilis in the olive oil until the onions become translucent and fragrant. Add the seasonings at a time. Use a LOT of chili powder but go easy on the coriander. Use very, very little cinnamon and cocoa powder, or just leave them out. If your chili peppers aren't spicy enough, add some cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, or hot sauce. Add the beer, tomatoes, TVP, broth/water, and beans. Simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Season as you see fit.

Alternatively, prepare in a crockpot by adding ingredients in the order listed. Cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours, or the high setting for 3-4 hours.

Welcome To The Nutty Vegetarian!

Here you will find my rantings, ravings, and otherwise about the vegetarian world. Hopefully I'll also get to a few recipes!