Chili is standard fare in our home throughout the winter. It is one of the first dishes I make when the leaves start to turn colour. We have it at least once a month - September through April.
My recipe started as the recipe for chili con carne from Jamie Oliver’s - Food Revolution cookbook. Over the years, I’ve adapted, adjusted, and fiddled with the recipe, making it my own. When we had the cafe, I handed the recipe to Chris, the chef who delighted our lunch crowds daily. He was an absolute wiz with building layers of flavour, and he made adjustments too. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to work with Chris. I am thrilled for the people who work with him now. I hope they know how fortunate they are. We were a good team. I learned so much from Chris, and he contributed significantly to the success of our tiny lunch spot.
This chili was always a hit. We topped servings with sour cream, grated cheddar, and chopped fresh cilantro. Hearty butter toast on the side was a must.
Buttered toast is my favourite accompaniment for chili. It reminds me of lunch when I was a kid. I loved canned spaghetti or baked beans on toast. I would carefully meter my eating so that there was a bite of toast for every spoonful of alphagetti. It would take me eons to eat, but no one ever rushed me. They must have recognized early how content (and quiet) I could be with food. I can’t stand canned spaghetti or those tinned baked beans now, not even with toast, but back then, it was heavenly.
Today, our house is filled with the aroma of chili simmering on the stove, and the sink is filling with a mess of tasting spoons. No one enters the kitchen without sampling. With any luck, there will be enough left for dinner.
Vegetarian Chili
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 bell pepper or zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
2 - 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 - 19 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 - 19 oz. cans of mixed beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
A healthy handful of cilantro sprigs - washed well
For garnish, use what you have on hand: grated cheese, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, sour cream, avocado - there’s no wrong topping here.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot.
Brown the onions, and add the garlic to heat through. Add carrots, celery, and peppers. Saute until tender.
Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika
Stir in tomatoes and one can of mixed beans. Simmer for a little while until the carrots are tender.
Use an immersion blender or traditional blender to puree half of the chili. Pureeing a portion adds thickness and texture to the chili. Similar to chili made with ground beef ground beef.
Add the remaining can of mixed beans and the kidney beans.
Add the cilantro whole. Do not chop it up. You will remove the stems before serving. It is just steeping in the chili as it cooks, imparting flavour but not offending cilantro haters.
Chili can simmer all afternoon. An hour at minimum, but don’t be afraid to leave it for 4 or 5 hours. Long-simmering develops serious flavour.
Taste for seasoning before serving, and add salt & pepper if needed. A bottle of your favourite hot sauce on the table allows heat seekers an opportunity to spice up their servings to taste.
Hozzászólások