A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the calendar and the forecast, and the combination of the two led to this meal. My sous chef had a Little League game that night, and the weather at kickoff was set to be about 45 degrees with 20mph wind gusts. While 45 didn’t feel too bad, the cloud cover and the wind had everyone in the stands (and the dugouts) shivering. Anyway, foreseeing this chilly eventuality, we decided to create a preemptive countermeasure in the form of Chili!
For this one, we decided to go with a more classic feel with a lot of the flavours and ingredients…but we also decided to go vegetarian and go to town with the beans! We served our chili with a side of cornbread to complement the heat from our habanero and jalapeno peppers with some rich sweetness. Some melted cheddar atop this would have also been a great addition!
Time: 90-120 Minutes (a lot of which is simmer time)
Ingredients:
- Pinto Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Black Beans
- Black Eyed Peas
- Green Bell Pepper
- Red Bell Pepper
- Jalapeno
- Habanero
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Corn
- Diced Stewed Tomatoes
- Cumin
- Cilantro
- Chili Powder
- A Pinch of Salt
Method:
- Dice all your veggies. For the hot peppers, leave more seeds in the hotter you want your chili in the end.
- Heat up a large pot (we used a cast iron dutch oven) with a little oil in the bottom.
- When the oil is hot, add in your onions, hot peppers, bell peppers, and garlic. Then, sprinkle on your ground cumin, fresh or dried cilantro, chili powder, and a little salt, and sautee for about 10 minutes.
- When your veggies start to soften, add your mushrooms, and stir to combine.
- As your mushrooms cook, open your beans, and rinse them with a colander.
- When your mushrooms have shrunken a bit, pour your beans into the pot, and add your corn. Stir to combine.
- Pour in your stewed diced tomatoes, and bring everything to a simmer. Let simmer for about an hour to break down your tomatoes so they turn into a sauce. Taste intermittently, and add more spices as necessary.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
