The Annual Chili and Beer War Submission for 2014

The 8th Annual Connell Chili and Beer War was yet another unqualified success. A great time was had by all. Every time I go, I make new friends and feel so welcome and happy. I told my lovely hostess this is one of those events where I sometimes lament about not eating meat. As I look around at all of the simmering creations in the crock pots, I am amazed at all of the creative culinary definitions of chili. My friend and hostess was so considerate. She made a vegan chile so that we could experience more than one of the entries. It was really awesome, chunks of hearty vegetables, beans and soooooo much flavor.

Mr. Host is a beer aficionado. He has probably done the beer tour at OC many times. He shared some fun brews with the crowd by serving tastings of several unique microbrews. I was pleasantly surprised by a pumpkin ale he offered. Nothing better than excellent beer with hot chile!

Our chili was pretty well received. The flavor was rich and smokey. When I discussed it with the prior year's champion (and third place winner this year), she suggested that while it had very good flavor, it needed more texture. I concur, so I made some slight adjustment in the recipe below to add beans for more texture.  I used the DePuy or French lentils because A) I had a small amount left in the pantry and B) they are the type of lentils that stay more firm when cooked for long periods of time. I love the smokiness of the paprika and chipotle in this. I hope you do to! This a a pretty spicy chili. If you are more delicate, reduce the amount of jalapeños by half and use a milder chile powder.

Smoky Red Hot Chili

1 cup french lentils (DePuy)
2 1/4 cup water
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large pasilla chile pepper, diced
3 medium jalapeños, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon hot chile powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan brown or red ale beer
1-15 oz. can fired roasted crushed tomatoes
1-15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1-8 oz can El Pato Salsa de Chile Fresco
1-6 oz can tomato paste
3 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 cup organic textured vegetable protein (TVP)
1 - 15 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

In a medium sized saucepan add lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 25-35 minutes until lentils are tender (they will still be somewhat firm).

In a large stock pot over medium heat add oil then onions and fresh peppers. Saute until softened and onions are translucent, about 7-10 minutes. If mixture starts to stick, add a little water Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chile powder, oregano, cocoa, smoked paprika, cumin, chipotle powder and salt. Sauté until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze with beer and simmer for about 2 more minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, El Pato, tomato paste, vegetable broth and bay leaves. Combine well. Stir in TVP and beans. Let simmer for at least and hour to let those flavors develop.

Serve with diced green onions and vegan sour cream if desired. Oh and corn bread is a natural for this chili!

The Food Traditions of 4th of July with Upton Naturals - Giveaway!!!

You don't often find a 4th of July gathering without certain traditional 4th of July fare. Of course most people will be busting out the grill and we'll be no exception. I'm going to making some veggie burgers from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet later on today. If I can find non-GMO corn on the cob, we'll be grilling that up too!

No 4th of July picnic or cookout would be complete without BBQ Baked Beans. When I lived in the midwest, I remember just about every outdoor gathering had a pot of sweet and smoky beans. The ladies at my grandma's church started their beans with chopped, fatty bacon and added loads of sugar. These days, I opt for a much healthier non-animal version using Upton Naturals seitan bacon and agave nectar.

BBQ Baked Beans

8 servings

1 - 15 oz. can pinto beans with liquid

1 - 15 oz. can red kidney beans with liquid

1 - 15 oz. can butter beans with liquid

1 tablespoon olive oil separated

1 - 5 oz package Upton's Naturals Seitan Bacon, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup molasses

2 tablespoon agave nectar

2 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Add beans with liquid to slow cooker or casserole dish. 

In 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Saute seitan bacon in olive oil until browned, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Add to beans. Add remaining olive oil and diced onions. Saute until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add to bean mixture. In a small bowl stir together remaining ingredients and add to bean mixture, stirring to combine. If using slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours. If baking, cover casserole and bake at 325 for 2 hours.

Upton's Naturals and a Giveaway!!!

Let's talk about Upton's Naturals for a moment, shall we. The Chicago-based company was founded in 2006. They use all natural ingredients. There seitan products are low in fat, high in protein and fantastic in texture and flavor. I was thrilled to find out they use non-GMO ingredients. Hurrah!!! Sadly, at that time, you could not find their products here in Arizona. That has all changed. Several Whole Foods locations and the Tempe Farmer's Market are now carrying Upton's. You can find their products all over the country now and even in Germany! Yay!

I first tried their ground seitan when I was visiting home (Illinois) a couple of years ago. I was really impressed with both the flavor and the texture of the crumbles. When I stumbled upon their seitan bacon at Whole Foods, I was really anxious to give it a try. It comes in a 5 oz. package of smoky slices. Fred had a hankering for BLT's, so that was the first thing I made with their bacon. 

For Father's Day I broke out another package and made Fred a breakfast fit for a king. The texture was chewy, like I remember bacon being. It is much lower in fat, so there is not greasy nastiness going on. 

Upton's is opening their new vegan cafe this summer in Chicago. Even more exciting? Kelly Peloza, the Vegan Cookie Connoisseur is going to be creating their baked goods!! Stop by Upton's Naturals website for more information on their line of vegan "meats" and where you can find them. 

I'm super excited about today's giveaway. Upton's Naturals sent me coupons for free packages of any of 4 of their seitan products: Traditional, Ground, Chorizo or Italian. Yes, REALLY! Leave a comment on today's post about what recipe you would use their awesome seitan in before midnight Sunday, July 7th for your chance to win. There will be two, yes, two winners drawn. Each winner will get 2 coupons. Make sure to leave a way to contact you if you win. Happy and delicious 4th to you!!

Chipotle - Sausage - Bean Breakfast Burro

I woke up really hungry today. I mean really hungry. I've been on a mission to shed the 40+ extra pounds I've gained since I met Fred. I'm not blaming him at all, but I tend to cook, eat, and drink more when I am happy. Happy is a good thing, fat is not. So, I am cutting back on the unhealthy, fried, high-fat, sugary crap and eat more nutrient dense foods. Today I wanted to splurge a little. While this is a little indulgent, it is not totally unhealthy as it packs a whopping 24.9 grams of protein per serving. It is a little high calorie at 495, but only 23% of the calories are from fat.

Why all the nutritional mumbo jumbo you might ask? I have become obsessed with the MyPlate tool on the livestrong.com website. I have been plugging in many of my recipes to see how well they fare on the fat/carb/calorie scale. Eventually my obsession will cause me to find another nutritional site to track vitamins and minerals too, but that will be for another day when I have more time on my hands.

Are you still with me and awake? If so, you will win the bonus prize of an awesome recipe to treat you and your family too when you are craving some good hearty breakfast burros!

Chipotle - Sausage - Bean Breakfast Burro

6 - 1/2 burrito servings

Canola spray

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 package of gimme lean sausage broken up or crumbled

1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup cooked red kidney beans

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1 12 oz package firm tofu

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon tumeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup Daiya Italian Blend (or cheddar if that's the way you roll)

3 12" whole wheat tortillas (if you find low fat, you can lower the calorie content here)

Spray a bit of canola spray into a 10" iron skillet or non-stick pan. Over medium heat, saute garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add Gimme Lean and brown. Once sausage is browned, add cremini mushrooms and a touch of water if pan is getting dry. Saute until the mushrooms just start to release their juices. Add kidney beans, tofu, nutritional yeast, tumeric, and salt and mix until everything is well distributed. Turn heat to med low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Mixture should be moist but not wet. 

Once mixture is cooked, sprinkle 1/4 cup Daiya on one end of each tortilla. Top with tofu mixture and roll up burrito style. You can eat them at this stage, but I like to cook them a little longer. In another large skillet, spray a bit more canola oil. Place rolled burritos in pan seam side down. Cook for 3-5 minutes until just starting to brown and crisp up a bit. Flip and do the same on the other side.

Serve with your favorite salsa.

The filling can also be enjoyed as a scramble without the tortillas. That cuts 110 calories and 2 grams of fat from the recipe. Leave off the cheeze and cut out 90 more calories and 7 grams of fat. So yes, I probably could have done without the tortillas and cheese, but sometimes it is just worth it. Hey, I still have 700 or so more calories to consume today! So there!!!