Recipes Veggie Chili

Ben's veggie chili recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 16oz can pinto beans
• 1 16oz can black beans
• 1 16oz can kidney beans
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 medium onions
• 1 or 2 bell peppers (I usually do one green and one yellow, for color)
• serrano peppers (or whatever hot peppers you like - to taste; 2 to 4 is good)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (why sarah fears my chili)
• Vegetable oil (I use olive)

Spices:

• Black pepper (fresh ground is best) (heck, any other peppers you have would be good too...white pepper, green pepper...)
• salt
• oregano
• coriander
• cumin
• paprika
• cloves

Super Optional Spices:

• Molassas or honey - adds a nice sweetness.
• Bakers Chocolate - adds a nice richness to chili, I would just use half or one block.
• strong coffee (ellyn's suggestion)

Recipe:

1. Chop onions and peppers, dice garlic.
2. In a stew pot, heat a few tablespoons of oil over a medium flame.
3. Saute peppers and onions to soften them. Add garlic after the onions and peppers, but before they are soft; we want to saute the garlic along with everything, but we don't want to burn it. Delaying adding it a little works.
   I usually toss a tablespoon or so of salt over them when they are sauteing, along with some black pepper. Maybe a teaspoon?
4. Drain cans of beans, and stir them into the pot.
5. Stir diced tomatoes (liquid and all) into the mix.

Spicing this is a feedback process - taste it as you go.
I've never actually measured my spice amounts, but off of my head I would start with something like this:

• 1 T oregano
• 2 t coriander
• 2 T cumin
• 2 t paprika
• 1 t cloves
• 2 t black pepper
• 1 t salt

Simmer partially covered for about an hour stirring occationally - the chili will cook down a bit.

This recipe can be reduced pretty easily - just use less. ;^)