Well, my lovelies, it's October. LATE October. It's practically Halloween, and the pumpkins, squashes, and Oktoberfest beers have taken over the grocery stores. Stores are featuring patterned tights and boots. My favorite recipe blogs have featured half a dozen different soup recipes in the past few weeks.
There's just one problem.
IT'S 85 DEGREES OUTSIDE.
Apparently someone forgot to tell the big guy upstairs that we should be somewhere in the 50s or 60s by now, enjoying our mulled cider and roasted vegetables, while we pull out our winter clothes from storage and realize just how shabby we looked last year and just how badly we need to go clothes shopping.
I'm in denial. It's FALL, damnit. I'm still riding the high of that first chilly snap, and someone at work had the unfortunate lapse in judgement to put me in charge of scheduling this year's annual chili cookoff.
So, the cookoff is tomorrow, and I'm in the kitchen today, whipping up a batch of the best cold-weather food under the sun.
So, without further ado, here is my favorite veggie chili recipe, which I am now devouring with much gusto, along with a bottle of Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest, in spite of the fact that it's making me sweat through this lovely mid-September afternoon.
VEGGIE CHILI
1 cup wild rice mix (I used a blend of wild and brown basmati)
Olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
5-8 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small can of Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, also chopped
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 T cumin
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can unsweetened corn kernels
Water or broth (1-2 cups)
Cook the rice according to package directions.
Heat up a big ass pot, add some oil, and throw in the garlic, jalapeño, and onion. Now let these cook for a few minutes - do yourself a favor and don't rush this step. You'll end up with crunchy onions, and a lot of people hate crunchy onions in chili.
Once your onions are soft and translucent, add the chipotles and adobo sauce. Stir around for a few minutes. Now add the chili powder and cumin and stir it around. It will seize up a bit, which is fine - now your add your crushed tomatoes.
At this point you have an insanely delicious Mexican tomato sauce which you could use for enchiladas, over tamales, to bake or simmer stuff in... The possibilities are endless. We, however, are making chili. So let that reduce a bit while you crack open your beans and corn. Rinse the contents of the cans in a colander to get all the gunky stuff off, and then recycle said cans, because cool people recycle. Add all the beans and corn to the sauce. Let it all simmer and get acquainted and fall in love.
At some point, the wild rice will be finished - add most or all of it to the chili. In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't use all of mine this time. Add it until it looks right. Also, your chili will be really freaky thick at this point. Grab that water or broth, and add it in 1/2 cup increments until you get the consistency you want.
Let it simmer for a while until you can't stand it any more, and then eat a big ol' bowl with various toppings. Sour cream, cheese, avocado, olives, jalapeños, onions, Fritos, green onions, and cilantro all work well. Cold beer is also a recommended companion.
NOTE: This recipe is crazy adaptable. Meg, you can use sweet potatoes instead of corn - just cook them for a while in the tomato sauce before adding the beans. Add more peppers, or different kinds. Use fresh corn. Add a giant handful of spinach at the end. Use fake or real beef, browned and drained before getting started, instead of the wild rice. Use different kinds of beans. Use different spices. Do whatever you want. You're an adult. I promise I won't tell.
