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Chili - Great cold weather food, hearty, freezes well, a good source of protein that isn't soy if you're vegan... Chili is awesome. In NoVa there are a lot of small Central American grocery stores that sell dried peppers and this is one recipe which utilizes them. With this simple way to prepare dried peppers for chili you will never have to buy chili powder again.
Pretty good guide to dried Chilies: http://www.foodsubs.com/Chiledry.html
Ingredients:
2 Small Hot Chilies such as Piquin, Arbol or Japon
3 Fruity Chilies such as Ancho, California, or New Mexico
3 Earthy Chilies such as Chilhuacle negro, Mulatto or Pasilla
2 whole chipotle chilies in adobo sauce with two tablespoons of the sauce
2 (14 oz) cans chickpeas drained, rinsed and chopped in a blender on pulse for a few seconds
2 (14 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can tomatoes pureed in a blender
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, grated or pureed
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more for seasoning)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
splash of bourbon or some other whiskey
some cornmeal to thicken if desired
Optional Garnishes: sliced avocado, spring onions, chopped shallots, cheddar cheese and sour cream (if you're vegetarian)
1. De-seed and de-stem the peppers and boil them in about 6 cups of water for 20-30 minutes.
2. While the peppers are boiling fry the onion and garlic with the oil in a large heavy bottom pan or dutch oven till the garlic is fragrant and the onions are soft and translucent. Add the cumin and oregano and fry that another minute. When the onions are nice and cooked pour in your tomato puree and simmer that until your chilies are cooked.
3. Puree the chilies in a blender with about 2 cups of water (reserve the rest of the water you boiled them with) and the chipotles with the adobo sauce. This is your intensely flavorful chili sauce. Add the chili sauce, tomato paste, beans and the nutritional yeast to the dutch oven and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes covered on low.
4. OK your chili is sort of done. If it's too watery reduce it a bit and add some cornmeal till it's the desired thickness. If it's too thick add some of the reserved chili water. If it's not salty enough add more soy sauce. Give it a splash of bourbon to finish it off and you're actually done. Garnish with whatever you like.
