If you were a chili lover before going vegetarian, you may have thought that you’d have to give up the spicy, hearty, filling treat when you gave up meat.  Luckily for you (and every other chili lover in the world), there is a vegetarian chili recipe out there to suit absolutely every taste. 

The best part of chili isn’t the meat at all – it’s the way all of the ingredients come together to form a cohesive and unforgettable taste that’s coveted the world over.  These may sound like strong words about something as simple as chili, but it really is a dish that is loved around the world!  Chili chefs from every corner of the globe try constantly to come up with the perfect chili recipe.  Vegetarian chili chefs are no exception, and they are constantly striving to come up with the best vegetarian chili recipe.

Making Your Own Vegetarian Chili

There is no end to the variations you can use when making a vegetarian chili recipe!  Some people prefer lots of beans, and others prefer almost none.  Vegetables are a source of much debate in the chili community: some chili chefs insist that vegetables have no place in chili, while others swear by all of the carrots, bell peppers, and celery that they can fit into the pot. 

No matter how you make your chili, you’ll start with a few basic ingredients.  If you’re making a vegetarian chili recipe, you’ll most likely be using beans since it’s difficult to make a vegetarian chili without them.  Water or vegetable stock will be the base of your chili, as well as some tomato sauce or a can or two of whole, un-drained tomatoes.  If you decide to use vegetables, you’ll need to chop them up into very small pieces.

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is a meat substitute that is perfectly suited for use in your favorite vegetarian chili recipe.  It comes in small granules that mimic ground beef in a recipe.  For spicy chili, hot peppers are a must; if you prefer less spice, packaged chili powder may be hot enough for you.

No matter what else you put into your vegetarian chili recipe, the spices are what make the chili taste like chili.  Cumin, chili powder, garlic, and onion all come together to complement each other perfectly and give your chili the classic taste that has won over taste buds all around the world.

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Like a Slice of Spongy, Moist Cornbread Dunked into a Bowl of Perfectly-Spiced Piping Hot Chili. Short on prep time, short on clean-up time, but long on flavor.Serves: 6 Prep Time: 20 min. Bake Time: 30 min.

Batter

Mazola Simplicity canola or olive oil cooking spray

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

2 envelopes Fleischmann’s Quick-Rise yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup very warm milk (120° to 130°F/50º- 55ºC)

3 tablespoons Mazola corn oil

1 egg

1/2 cup whole kernel corn, frozen or canned, drained

Chili Filling

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1/2 cup diced onion, fresh or frozen

1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

1 package Chili seasoning mix

1 can (500g) dark red kidney beans, drained

1 can (250mL) tomato sauce

Topping

1 cup (120g) shredded Mexican style cheese

MIX corn bread batter ingredients together in a pre-sprayed 8 X 8-inch/20×20cm baking dish. Add remaining chili mixture ingredients to browned hamburger in a large skillet. Cook and stir over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, until mixture simmers.

TOP batter evenly with chili filling. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

BAKE by placing in a COLD oven; set temperature to 350º F/180ºC. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

RECIPE NOTE: If desired, batter may be mixed in a separate bowl. Proceed as directed above.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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The proper ingredients and techniques for cooking with chocolate depend, of course, on your recipe. For most cooking chores, unsweetened chocolate is best. As the name suggests, this is ‘pure’ chocolate with no sugar added. Other recipes will require using semi-sweetened chocolate, which is about 40% sugar. In some cases, dark chocolate with the highest cocoa and sugar content (55% or more) is called for. Milk chocolate rarely makes the list of ingredients.

Whichever type you use, some of the same principles apply.

All chocolate melts at close to human body temperature. That ‘melt in the mouth’ quality is one reason we enjoy it so much. But it also means that it isn’t necessary, or desirable, to heat chocolate to very high temperatures unless already part of a recipe mixture. Generally 120F/49C is the upper limit, otherwise the chocolate will get scorched, the sugars will caramelize and the dish will be ruined.

On the other end of the temperature scale, it isn’t usually necessary to store your chocolate in the refrigerator. Excessively cool temperatures can cause sugar and cocoa butter crystals to clump together, creating a ‘bloom’, as it’s called. This can happen with excess heat, too. While not unsafe, it doesn’t lead to the best taste. Melting will undo most of that, but not all. Best to store in a cool, dry place instead.

Chocolate makes its way into some surprising dishes. As a confection or dessert, it’s well known. But there are many meat dishes where it adds a little je ne sais quoi (French for “I don’t know what”), that indefinable hint of deliciousness that we can’t describe but can always taste.

Chili Con Carne with Chocolate is a great example. You’ll need two ounces of bittersweet chocolate added to your favorite chili recipe, such as:

2 lbs of minced beef
14 ounces of black beans
14 ounces of tomato paste
2 cloves of chopped garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 chopped red chilies
2 teaspoons of salt

Prepare the chili as you would normally. Cook the beef and add the olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and chilies, salt, then add the beans and heat. Now for the special part. Add the chocolate and melt it in slowly over low heat. The result is a very different, but highly tasty, chili dish.

Sometimes chocolate is used not in the dish, but on it. It often makes for a great sauce. To make a white chocolate sauce that is perfect for pork chops, for instance, is simplicity itself. You’ll need:

2 ounces of white chocolate
1 cup broth
3 tablespoons of butter
3 teaspoons of flour

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, then add the flour and blend. Pour in the broth and heat for about 15 minutes, stirring gently. Remove from heat and add the white chocolate, stirring gently to mix well. That’s all there is to it!

Try something new once in a while with your dishes and your diners will be grateful. You will too when you taste the delicious concoctions you create.

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Preparation Time: 5 min. Microwave Time: 4 min.

2 cans (85 g each) Clover Leaf Garlic and Hot Pepper Flaked Light Tuna

1 cup (250 mL) canned diced tomatoes, with juices

1/2 cup (125 mL) canned mixed beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup (50 mL) corn kernels

1 tsp (5 mL) chili powder

1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cumin

sour cream (optional)

sliced green onion (optional)

whole wheat toast, buns, or dinner rolls

(optional)

Stir the tuna with the tomatoes, beans, corn, chili powder and cumin in a microwave safe bowl until well combined. Heat in the microwave on High, stirring twice, for 4 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top with a dollop of sour cream and sliced green onion; serve with bun (if using). Makes 2 servings.

Tips:

. For a milder, kid-friendly chili, substitute Clover Leaf Tomato and Onion Light Flaked Tuna for the Garlic and Hot Pepper flavour.

. Combine more tuna and the beans leftover from the can with your favourite salad ingredients to make a hearty lunch or supper for the next day.

Look for more recipe ideas online at www.cloverleaf.ca.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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