SPICY VEGGIE CHILI

Okay, I must admit this was very good.  I liked the spices so well that I will try and make meaty chili using them.  When I get it figured out (once I am totally void of veganism in my life) I will definitely blog it.  Again, my boys really enjoyed this dish as well and didn’t really miss the meat.  However, they wouldn’t allow themselves to call it chili.  It even had the texture of chili, which I’m thinking came from the grated cauliflower, even though you don’t really get the taste of cauliflower at all.   So if you want a healthier version of chili flavors, definitely give this a try.

 2 TB olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
2 large bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow) chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
Kosher salt
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 TB chili powder (I use Gebhardt)
1 TB ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. dried oregano
1 chipotle chile pepper, seeded and chopped and about ½ t. of the adobo sauce*
1 TB tomato paste
2 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
½ c. brewed coffee
1 – 28 oz can crushed whole plum tomatoes
2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
2 – 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
½ head cauliflower
½ c. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Optional Toppings:

Extra cilantro leaves
Shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese (vegan varieties are available)
Light sour cream (vegan sour cream is also available)
Diced green onions
Fritoes (We like ours on the bottom – ok, I know, not so healthy, but oh so yummy. FYI -- they are naturally vegan!)

Have everything diced, all cans open, and spices all on the counter before you begin.  Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, bell peppers, carrots and ½ t. salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes.  Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, chipotle with adobo sauce, tomato paste, and tortillas and cook, stirring until the tomato paste is brick red, about 4 minutes.  If the mixture begins to stick add a splash of water.  Add the coffee and simmer until almost completely reduced, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes, cocoa powder, beans and 2-1/2 c. water and bring to a simmer over low heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

 Meanwhile, trim the large stems off the cauliflower and coarsely grate the florets on a box grater.  Stir it into the chili and cook 10 more minutes and remove from the heat.  Stir in the chopped cilantro and taste to see if it needs more salt.  Add some water if the chili is too thick – I probably only added about ½ c.  If you have to add more then next time add it in with the other water so it won’t water down the seasonings at the end.

 Ladle it into bowls and serve with the toppings.

 *This gave it just a bit of a kick.  If you like your chili really hot add more of the chipotle or the adobo sauce.   If you don’t usually cook with chipotle then be careful, because a little bit goes a long way.