David and Nicole came over for dinner a couple nights ago before heading back to Canada. I whipped up a batch of my famous chili, and Nicole asked for the recipe, so here it is. This is a vegan recipe but could easily be carnalized.
- 1 large can of pineapple chunks in juice (not syrup)
- 1 package Melissa’s Soyrizo or similar
- 1 lb firm tofu, cubed
- some olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- several cloves garlic, crushed
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 15 oz can kidney beans (or your favorite bean), undrained
- 12 oz jar mild salsa / picante sauce
- chili powder to taste — 1 TB for mild, 2 for TB moderate, 3 TB for hot
- 1 TB whole cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
In a large pan, brown tofu in oil, then add soyrizo, then add onion and bell pepper, then add garlic, stirring all the while. When the onion is transparent and the garlic smells good, transfer to large pot, add remaining ingredients, including juice from pineapple, but reserve the pineapple chunks themselves. I like to break the tomatoes up with a spoon while stirring. Simmer for an hour and a half, covered, stirring occasionally. Add pineapple and heat through. Serve with beer and bread.
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Impressive, it’s even vegan.
Yum.
Looks great, thanks. Saved to the recipe file.
For heat and smokiness, I usually add a couple of chopped, canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to to my vegetarian red beans, but you’ve got me wondering about sausage substitutes.
Have you tried making N.O. red beans and rice with Soyrizo, or something similar?
I haven’t tried that, Brooks, but it’s a good idea.
Also, for what it’s worth, Xy makes a pretty good vegetarian biscuits and gravy using Morningstar breakfast patties.
Can’t argue with biscuits and gravy. Will pick up some Morningstar patties, and thanks.
I’ve been vegetarian since the ’70s, but am weirdly ignorant about faux burgers, sausage, and chickie tenders. (In my defense, fake meat in the ’70s wasn’t great, so I stuck to tofu, tempeh, and seitan.)
Old dog needs to branch out!
Also in your defense, a (vegetarian) friend of mine was telling me recently that some questions are being raised about the healthiness of soy as a meat substitute. I don’t know much about it but I gather there’s a book on the subject that is creating something of a stir.
As a meatier substitute and a substitute to soy, you can use seitan. Just throw it in a blender to make your own crumbles. I steam a batch of seitan from scratch every now and then so I can add my own seasonings. The seitan crumbles make amazing grill-worthy veggie burgers. With the tofu, I’ve also found that a lot of people freeze the tofu, then thaw it before cooking. This gives tofu a bit more texture.
Thanks for posting this. It was super yummy! (Says Nicole)
I’m aware of that soy controversy, Bart, but my soy intake is so modest that I can’t get too het up about it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Did you hear the sad news? Brooks died.”
“Yeah, I saw it coming. You know those Morningstar Farm Breakfast Patties? He started eating ’em by the crate. Soy kills.”
“It does? How?”
“Sent his estrogen levels through the roof. When he went from flat as a pancake to a 38D, I knew the end was near. Although, to be fair, he looked lovely in his final days.”
🙂
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I’ve never tried grinding seitan, Sean, but I’m going to experiment. Thanks for the idea.
By the bye, some friends told me that I shouldn’t call this “chili” because they adhere to a historical definition with cult-like fervor. According to their view, nothing with tomatoes can be called chili, beans are highly suspect, and tofu is simply beyond the pale. I guess they think I should call this “pineapple stew.”