Chili recipes

[Callalily]

12. Actually, I have two . . .

First one is vegan - the second one not!

Bean Chili

Serves 6 to 8

We like this chili made with pinto, black, red kidney, small red, or navy beans. You can use one pound of a single variety or a combination of beans. For a spicier chili use both jalapenos. Serve the chili with diced avocado, chopped red onion, lime wedges, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.

Salt
1 pound dried beans, rinsed and picked over
3 dried shiitake mushroom, chopped coarse
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and juices reserved
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped fine (3 cups)
¼ cup chili powder
7 cups water
2/3 cup medium grain bulgur
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Bring 4 quarts water, 3 tablespoons salt, and beans to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse well.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grind shiitakes, oregano, and cumin in spice grinder until finely ground. Process walnuts in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl. Process drained tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapenos, garlic and soy sauce in food processor until tomatoes are finely chopped, about 45 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Heat oil in Dutch-oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt; cook, stirring occasionally until onions begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add chili powder and ground shiitake mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rinsed beans and water and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven and cook 45 minutes.

4. Remove from pot from oven. Stir in bulgur, ground walnuts, tomato mixture and reserved tomato juice. Return to oven and cook until beans are fully tender, about 2 hours. Let chili stand, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve. (The chili can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

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All American Chili

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese)

6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese


Preparation

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.

Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.

Note: Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day.