rants & recipes

Ingredients:

• 6large cloves of garlic, minced (yes, really, 6!)
• ~2 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp cocoa or 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes (with liquid)
• 3 14 or 15-ounce cans of beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/2 cups TVP or 1 block of tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed and diced or a 4th can of beans or a similar amount of Soy Curls (just find some more vegan protein, ok? =)
• 3 - 4 1/2 cups water (depending on your protein (more for the dehydrated stuff) and how thick you want your chili)
• Optionally, use 1/2 cup strong coffee for 1/2 cup of the water
• 2-3 tbsp corn meal

Instructions:

1. In a large stock pot, saute garlic in oil for about 5 minutes.
2. In a dry, non-stick skillet,  toast spices over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant. (Optional.)
3. Add tomatoes and spices to garlic.
4. Rinse out tomato can, adding water to the pot.
5. Add your protein and beans.
6. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Cooking times may vary depending on your beans, and protein.)
7. Add soy sauce about half-way through simmering time.
8. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in corn meal.
9. Serve with crackers or pasta for chili-mac.

Notes:

• I've started to use dried beans in this chili. 1/3  to 1/2 cup of dried beans, when cooked, is equal to a can of beans. So I would use approximately 1 1/2 cups dried beans for this recipe.
• I also like lentils as one of my beans - a good 5 hour soak in warm water, and lentils will cook in 20-30 minutes. Put them in early. (Sometimes, if using canned beans, I don't put them in for the whole cooking time because they are already cooked.)
• Do most people add cream cheese or sour cream to their chili? I add a dollop of whatever Tofutti we have in the 'fridge.
• This is a combination of Bryanna Clark Grogan's 30 Minute Chili and VegNew's Chocolate Chili, with my own adjustments.