Vegetarian Chili

Two of my children and one of their spouses are vegan.  I confess I love the adventure of designing menus that make everyone happy at family dinners.  This is one I first made for my birthday party, which also happened to be the "big game" where the Seahawks beat Denver and became world champions of the 2013-2014 season.

This is another winning recipe from my current favorite pressure cooker cookbook, Diane Phillips' "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook."  If you have a pressure cooker, you need this cookbook!  What I love about this recipe is that it uses four different kinds of beans, making it more interesting, both in taste and visually.  I usually make a batch the day before my daughter visits, then freeze it in individual portions for her to take home.  It gives her a quick meal between work and school.

Note: Although the pressure cooker compresses the cooking time, you still have to start this recipe five hours before you want to serve.  Soaking the beans is critical to soften the beans.  I always add baking soda to the soaking liquid; it cuts down the acids which cause gas.

Here is my version of this recipe.

Bean and Veggie Chili
1 cup pinto beans
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup black beans
1 cup red beans
1 tbsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. oil, divided
2 large sweet onions
1 tsp. chile (ancho suggested)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 (28 oz. can) chopped tomatoes, with juice
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups corn kernels, freshly cut from the cob or frozen corn, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soak beans in water and baking soda for four hours.  Drain and rinse well.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and saute for 2 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.  Add the bell peppers, beans, tomatoes and stock.  Drizzle with remaining oil.  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.

Release the pressure naturally and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam.  Stir in corn.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Serve or freeze immediately.  Serves 8.

Don't have a pressure cooker but interested in buying one?  Here's how we chose ours.
Don't have a pressure cooker and don't plan to get one soon?  Here's a great blog on how to cook beans on the stove.
Don't live in the U.S.?  Here's how to convert the recipe to Commonwealth measurements.

Football Chili - Not my Mother's Recipe

One thing I like about football season is I always know what's for dinner on Sunday: Chili.  Last year, I experimented with different recipes, until my husband said in polite exasperation, "I just want your regular chili.  It's great!"

My "regular" chili is the family recipe, which is the one found on the back of the McCormick-Schillings package of chili mix.  Don't get me wrong, it's a great chili, but I needed to be creative as a cook.  So sometimes I'd make a double batch, using the mix for half the seasoning and getting a little creative with the other half.  (He never knew the difference.)

About a month ago, I realized if I bought very lean meat, I wouldn't have to brown it before making in the slow cooker.  Much easier and quicker.  First batch was made with very lean ground beef.  Turned out great.  The second batch, I used lean ground turkey.  This was a step too far for my somewhat traditional husband.  He wanted to have real meat, and he wanted it more spicy.  I took this as permission to experiment.

Instead of the slow cooker, I used my Enamel-Coated Cast-Iron Dutch Oven.  While watching the Packers-49ers Wild Card game, I put it together.  (OK, it wasn't really "fast," but who counts the hours when you're watching football?)

Pushing the Envelope Chili

Olive Oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 large onion, diced
1-2 chili peppers (I used one red and 1/2 green left over from Christmas)
1 Jalapeno chili, carefully and finely chopped with seeds and white membranes removed
1 lb pork or beef stew meet, cut into smaller pieces
2 (1 lb) cans tomatoes, whole or minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 (1 lb) kidney beans, including liquid
1 tsp (more or less to taste) Cayenne pepper powder

Over medium heat, cook garlic in small amount of olive oil while chopping the other vegetables.  Be extremely careful with the Jalapeno. It can burn through scratches in the hand.  Definitely do not touch your eyes, and wash your hands thoroughly when you're done.  Wear gloves if need be.  Add vegetables to the pot as you chop.

Add the meat and brown.  Add the tomatoes, cumin, salt and cocoa powder. Cook over low heat for 1-2 hours (you can't really overcook it).

Add the beans, and taste the chili, adding the cayenne pepper in 1/2 tsp. increments.  We settled on 1 tsp., which we considered to be a "medium" chili.

Cook for another hour and serve.  We top with fat-free sour cream (which is useful if it's too hot) and shredded cheese.  Our son likes chopped onions.