Vegetarian Chili

Adapted from Emeril Lagasee, 2003 on the Food Network

February 2010, Valentine's Day - We had a few of the regular crowd over and I had a hankerin' for chili. A web search turned up Emeril's recipe and I made a few changes to it. You can eat this without the brown rice, but the nuttiness of the rice adds a key flavor component. Together it was spectacular.

The big hunks of Portobello mushroom substitute for meat. Our meat eating friends often think this has cubes of steak in it. If you don't add the yogurt at the end, then this is vegan as well.

You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time and then just cook it up at the end. These instructions assume to you want to do it all at the same time and be ready in just over an hour.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 70 minutes
Serves 8

Shopping list at the bottom.

More super recipes!

A. chipotle chili, dried 1  
Anaheim chili, dried 1  

Place both chilies in a cup of boiling water to soak for 10 minutes.

B. yellow onion 1 medium Chop into 0.25 inch pieces.
red bell pepper 1 medium Chop into 0.25 inch pieces.
garlic 5 large cloves Minced.

Place all in a bowl and set aside
C. zucchini 2 medium Cut into 1/8 inch cubes. About the size of corn kernels.
frozen corn 8 ounce bag Allow to thaw.
Portobello mushrooms 6 caps Remove stems and cut into 0.5 inch cubes.
Opt brown mushrooms 2 pounds Substitute these for the portobellos. Remove stems and cut into 0.5 inch pieces.

Place these into a second bowl and set aside.
D. chili powder 2 tablespoons  
cumin, ground 1.5 tablespoons  
salt 1.5 teaspoon  
  oregano, dried 2 teaspoons  
  thyme, dried 2 teaspoons  

Place these spices into a cup and set aside.
E. tomatoes 15 ounce can Chopped. Look for a brand with calcium in the ingredient list.
tomato paste 3 tablespoons
black beans 2  15 ounce cans Drain and rinse.
  vegetable stock 15 ounces  
  Liquid Smoke, mesquite 1 teaspoon  

Get these all ready to go.
F.      

Take the chilies from the water, discard the water. Cut open each chili and remove the stem and seeds. This recipe is spicy but not hot; leave in the seeds if you like more heat. Finely chop the chilies.

Add them to the bowl with the onion and bell pepper.

G. vegetable oil 2 tablespoons  

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium high heat (8/10). Add the first bowl (onion, pepper, etc.) and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes.

Clear a spot in the pan and add the tomato paste. Stir it and let it cook for 1 minute. It should start browning a bit on the bottom of the pot.

Now add the second bowl (corn, mushrooms, etc.) and continue cooking for 6 minutes more. The vegetables should be giving off liquid and you should be able to smell the Portobello mushrooms.

Now add the cup of spices and stir for about a minute - smells good!

Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered. Simmer at least 10 minutes

H. avocado 1 Diced into 0.25 inch pieces.
plain yogurt 1 cup Thick Greek style is best
brown rice 4 cups or as much as you like

Place a spoonful of rice in a bowl.

Add a spoonful of chili.

Add a dab of yogurt and a few pieces of avocado.

Enjoy!
Shopping List
avocado 1
yellow onion 1 medium
red bell pepper 1 medium
garlic 5 large cloves
zucchini 2 medium
Portobello mushrooms 6 caps substitute 2 pounds brown mushrooms
frozen corn 8 ounce bag
chili powder 2 tablespoons  
cumin, ground 1.5 tablespoons  
salt 1.5 teaspoon  
  oregano, dried 2 teaspoons  
  thyme, dried 2 teaspoons  
chipotle chili, dried 1  
Anaheim chili, dried 1  
  Liquid Smoke, mesquite 1 teaspoon  
tomatoes, canned 15 ounce can Look for ones with calcium added
tomato paste 3 tablespoons
black beans canned 2  15 ounce cans
  vegetable stock 15 ounces  
vegetable oil 2 tablespoons  
brown rice 4 cups or as much as you like
plain yogurt 1 cup Thick Greek style is best