The Herbivore's Out-of-this-World 5-Bean Chili

Okay, so Recipe #4 of The 2011 Cookbook Challenge required a little something extra. We need some chili to go with our cornbread! So I came up with a new chili recipe. I just love experimenting! I decide to post this on VegWeb.com and soon after they gave a special announcement on Facebook about my recipe! How exciting! You can really find some really good vegetarian/vegan recipes on their website. Hope you enjoy my latest creation!

The Herbivor's Out-of-this-World 5-Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/2 yellow onions, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 5 (small- to medium-sized) carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15-oz) can organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-oz) can organic soy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-oz) can dark red kidney beans, undrained
• 1 (15.5-oz) can light red kidney beans, undrained
• 1 (15.5-oz) can black beans, undrained
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 jalepeno chili pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. In a dutch oven pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onions, minced garlic, celery, and carrots until tender (about 5-7 min).
2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, beans, red bell pepper, jalepeno and hot sauce.
3. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, cumin seeds, garlic salt, and oregano. Stir to combine.
4. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
5. Optional serving suggestion: Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro. Stir into chili for a delicious flavor.
6. Serves 4-6.

The cilantro mixed into the chili brought out an amazing flavor. Cilantro is an acquired taste. It has a very distinct flavor and most people either love it or hate it. If you bring up the word cilantro to my sister she freaks out and will go on and on about how much she despises it. I will admit, I did not like it at first, but after quite a bit of experimenting with different foods and flavors, I have realized I do in fact like this little herb! And again, it is AMAZING when stirred into this chili! Enjoy!

Edy's Super Experimental, All Original Black Bean Turkey Chili

So I decided to take a stab at making my own chili recipe. The result was very yummy! It has all the flavors of chili, minus the hot ones! I think the lack of hot spices was why this wasn't David's favorite! Usually he's throwing in jalepenos or hot sauce but I decided to leave those out for this one (I like to taste my meal, or else my mouth gets so hot and everything just become numb!). I wanted to make a healthier chili too, so I added ground turkey breast in place of ground beef. AND I love the addition of a variety of veggies to a chili!

I also added red wine this time. I happened to have an opened bottle that I didn't particularly care for. Adding wine to your cooking is, by the way, always a great way to use it up! It gives the meal a nice flavor too!

And I would just like to update everyone: I used dried beans again! Yay! And they worked out great after soaking them in water for a day, then boiling them for about an hour to an hour and a half more before adding them to my chili. Perfect! I'm glad I didn't give up on them :)

Here is my super experimental, all original black bean chili:

Ingredients

• approx. 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 1 onion, chopped
• 7-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14.5-oz) cans stewed tomatoes, chopped and with juice
• 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine, dry
• 1 (14-oz) bag of dried black beans, soaked overnight & boiled in water for 1-1 ½ hrs
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chiffouna
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt 

Directions

1. In large skillet or dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high heat. Cook turkey, onion, and garlic until turkey is no longer pink. Drain off any excess oil/grease.
2. Add stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine. Stir to combine.
3. Add beans, peppers, zucchini, carrots. Stir to combine.
4. Add basil, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili

This is what you end up with when your ground beef, that’s been sitting in the fridge, goes bad! I have never cooked with the dry beans, so I decided to give it a shot. Ok, so my first attempt at using dry beans was not a good one but it doesn't mean I won't try again. The beans seemed to be a little undercooked. I boiled them for a good amount of time before making my chili, but unfortunately it was not long enough. I made enough for an army too! It was about 4 or 5 nights in a row that David and I ate chili - yum! Believe it or not we are not even sick of it. Ha!

I really didn't mind that there was no meat in this chili. There were so many different kinds of beans and vegetables, I loved it! David would tell you otherwise, but then again, he is a "steak and potato" kind of guy...