pstamler
Well-known member
Hi folks:
The fiddle player would be there in an hour, and hungry. So on the spur of the moment, I said, "chili". And Rebecca said, "Make it vegetarian." So I did.
True chili purists, tune out now. Folks that like to eat, keep reading.
Vegetarian Chili (5-6)
In a cast-iron skillet, caramelize in olive oil:
1 sweet onion, chopped
None of this "cook until transparent" crap; brown the little suckers. Meanwhile, open:
2 8-oz cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 16-oz cans reduced-sodium organic pinto beans (drain one of them) (note 1)
When the onion is good and caramelized, add:
1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. Gebhardt's chili powder (note 2)
Stir well, continue sauteing for about 30 more seconds, then dump into a largish cooking pot. Deglaze pan with the liquid from the undrained can of beans, pour/scrape into cooking pot. Add the beans and tomato sauce, maybe a splash of white wine too. Also add:
1 bay leaf
~1/2 tsp marjoram
3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
In something or other, dry-toast until they start popping:
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (note 2)
Add to the chili. Bring to a bubble, turn down, simmer at least 1/2 hour but preferably longer.
Meanwhile, in another pot, combine:
1 c. coarse bulgur wheat
2 c. cold water
Bring to a boil, turn down to low and cook, tightly covered, for 20 minutes. Add a bit of water if it gets too dry.
When chili is ready to serve, put a dollop of bulgur in the bowl and pour the chili over top. Stir, eat.
NOTES:
1. These are available as a house brand at grocery stores (in St. Louis, Schnuck's); look at the nutrition label. If it says the sodium content is 100 mg per serving, that's the one you want.
2. The chili powder is an important variable. Most mainstream chili powders aren't terribly hot, and contain a good deal of cumin. Gebhardt's is hotter, but under-cuminized, so it needs the extra. If you use, say, Spice Islands chili powder, use 2 tbsp or more, and taste before adding the extra cumin; you may not need it.
The fiddle player would be there in an hour, and hungry. So on the spur of the moment, I said, "chili". And Rebecca said, "Make it vegetarian." So I did.
True chili purists, tune out now. Folks that like to eat, keep reading.
Vegetarian Chili (5-6)
In a cast-iron skillet, caramelize in olive oil:
1 sweet onion, chopped
None of this "cook until transparent" crap; brown the little suckers. Meanwhile, open:
2 8-oz cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 16-oz cans reduced-sodium organic pinto beans (drain one of them) (note 1)
When the onion is good and caramelized, add:
1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. Gebhardt's chili powder (note 2)
Stir well, continue sauteing for about 30 more seconds, then dump into a largish cooking pot. Deglaze pan with the liquid from the undrained can of beans, pour/scrape into cooking pot. Add the beans and tomato sauce, maybe a splash of white wine too. Also add:
1 bay leaf
~1/2 tsp marjoram
3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
In something or other, dry-toast until they start popping:
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (note 2)
Add to the chili. Bring to a bubble, turn down, simmer at least 1/2 hour but preferably longer.
Meanwhile, in another pot, combine:
1 c. coarse bulgur wheat
2 c. cold water
Bring to a boil, turn down to low and cook, tightly covered, for 20 minutes. Add a bit of water if it gets too dry.
When chili is ready to serve, put a dollop of bulgur in the bowl and pour the chili over top. Stir, eat.
NOTES:
1. These are available as a house brand at grocery stores (in St. Louis, Schnuck's); look at the nutrition label. If it says the sodium content is 100 mg per serving, that's the one you want.
2. The chili powder is an important variable. Most mainstream chili powders aren't terribly hot, and contain a good deal of cumin. Gebhardt's is hotter, but under-cuminized, so it needs the extra. If you use, say, Spice Islands chili powder, use 2 tbsp or more, and taste before adding the extra cumin; you may not need it.
