Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

6 Servings
In the culture and cuisine of the Southwest, chili is serious business. But contrary to what many believe, good chili doesn't require "carne" or meat. The key to great chili is knowing how to harness the fiery flavor of a wide range of available chile peppers to make the dish exciting yet edible. ("Chili" commonly refers to the dish made with "chile" peppers.) My favorites are the red New Mexican chile peppers traditionally tied in strings called ristras or available as ground powder, and chipotles which are ripe (red) jalapeños that have been dried and smoked. Experiment with different amounts until you find a level of intensity you're comfortable with. Be aware, however, that capsaicin, the active component in chile peppers that gives them their heat, is concentrated in the white tissue attached to the seeds. If you're using whole chiles, you may want to remove that white tissue if you don't want your chili too hot.

Ingredients:
7 1/2 cups cooked beans, like pintos, anasazi, adzuki, or kidney (roughly four 15-oz cans or 1 pound dried beans, cooked)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 dried or canned chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon mild red New Mexican chile powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon dried whole oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained
5 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnishes:
Chopped raw onion
Chopped tomato
Shredded lettuce
Tortillas

Instructions:
1. Drain beans in a colander.

2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until onions are soft and golden.

3. Crush the chipotle pepper if using dried, or mince if using canned.

4. Add the chipotle pepper, red chile powder, oregano, cumin and allspice to the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 45 minutes, adding liquid if the mixture gets too dry.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more chili if you want a hotter dish.

7. Serve in bowls with warm tortillas. Garnish with chopped raw onion, chopped tomato, and shredded lettuce.

Muenster, Turkey and Apple Quesadillas

Serves 4
Prep time - 10 minutes
Total time - 35 minutes

1 T veg oil, plus more for baking sheets
1 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
8 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 1/2 cups shredded Muenster (6 oz.)
8 oz sliced cooked turkey
1 Granny Smith apple, halved, cored, and thinly sliced

1) Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Lightly brush two rimmed baking sheets with oil, and place in oven to warm up. In a small bowl, combine honey and mustard; set aside.

2) Place 4 tortillas on a work surface. Dividing evenly, sprinkle with half the cheese, top with turkey, honey-mustard, and apples; finish with remaining half of cheese. Cover with remaining 4 tortillas, and brush tops with oil.

3) Carefully remove hot baking sheets from oven; place 2 quesadillas on each. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes, flattening with a spatula, and rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken tortilla soup

1 (49 oz) can chicken broth
1 large onion, diced
4 large celery stalks, chopped
1 (32oz) can pinto beans or white beans (do not drain)
1 (15oz) can black beans (drained)
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (we usually just boil up chicken
breasts and de-bone them)
2 cups frozen or canned corn
2 jars salsa (we like Chi Chi's brand)
1 tsp. oregano
tortilla chips
1/2 cup diced cilantro (we usually leave that out)
1 tbsp. butter

Saute garlic, onion, and celery in butter, then in a large soup pot combine
with pinto and black beans, chicken stock, chopped cooked chicken,
corn, salsa, oregano and
tabasco. Simmer on low heat for one hour (or until hot.) Serve in a
bowl with tortilla
chips (we like Tostitos brand) on the bottom or top or both. Optional: a
dollop of sour cream on the top.


---Courtesy of Joan Snipes