Written by Abbie Stutzer
The days are slowly getting shorter and colder. There's no better time than the present to start practicing your most warming and wholesome winter meal: chili! Now, when most people think "chili," thoughts of hearty, meat- and bean-filled bowls typically come to mind. But a plethora of meat-free, vegetarian and vegan chili recipes exist.
A great drink pairing with flavorful veggie chili is a robust stout beer. Many breweries make this heavy beer during the fall, into the winter. Stout beers, such as dry, Imperial, oatmeal, chocolate and coffee, come in organic varieties, too.
Read on to discover two chili recipes (one vegan, the other vegetarian) and breweries that produce thirst-invoking, organic stouts.
Chunky Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups organic onion, chopped
1/2 cup organic yellow and green bell pepper, chopped
2 organic garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons organic chili powder
1 teaspoon organic ground cumin
1 teaspoon organic dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon organic black pepper
16-ounces of organic tomatoes
15-ounces organic black beans, soaked 4-6 hours or overnight and rinsed
15-ounces organic kidney beans, soaked 4-6 hours or overnight and rinsed
15-ounces organic pinto beans, soaked 4-6 hours or overnight and rinsed
Method
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add onion, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes or until tender.
Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until beans are completely tender about 1 to 2 hours (you will know when the beans are done when you can easily mash the beans between two fingers or with a fork).
Notes:
• A Dutch oven isn't necessary. A large, scorch resistant, heavy bottomed pot works well, too. Also, bulk up the chili with vegetarian "beef" crumbles from LightLife or MorningStar Farms.
• We love the taste of fresh beans over canned, but if you must, look for beans that come in a Bisphenol A or BPA free container.
(source: CookingLight.com, MyRecipies.com)
Delicious Vegan Chili
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil (suggested: extra virgin olive oil)
1-3 organic garlic cloves, minced
2 organic bell peppers, chopped
1 organic sweet onion, chopped
3 organic carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon organic cumin
3 tablespoons organic chili powder
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of organic cayenne
15-ounces of each: organic black beans, organic white kidney beans, and organic red kidney beans, all soaked 4-6 hours and rinsed
2-4 organic tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoon organic oregano
7-15-ounces of organic mushrooms
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Juice of 1 lime (optional)
2 tablespoons of Chia Seeds (optional, used to thicken sauce)
Method
Place extra virgin olive oil in large pot, heat on medium. Add garlic, peppers, onion, and carrots. Sauté until everything is soft (approximately 5 minutes).
Add the rest of the ingredients, cover. Cook 1-2 hours on low to medium heat until beans are completely tender (you will know when the beans are done when you can easily mash the beans between two fingers or with a fork).
(source: OhSheGlows.com)
Note: Yes. You can used canned beans, but if you must, look for beans that come in a Bisphenol A or BPA free container.
Scrumptious Stouts
The following breweries have concocted mouth-watering stout beers:
HUB: Hopworks Urban Brewery's Organic Survival Seven-Grain Stout, Portland, Oregon:
This stout contains barley, wheat, oats, amaranth, quinoa, spelt and kamut. A note to coffee lovers: Cold-pressed coffee is a main ingredient in this beer's brewing process, too.
Eel River Brewing Company's Organic Raven's Eye Imperial Stout, Fortuna, California:
This beer boasts a "deep espresso character." It's brewed with nine domestic and imported malts, and hops from the Pacific Northwest.
Bison Brewing's Organic Chocolate Stout, Berkley, California:
This beer has a rich texture. It's "bitter and charismatic flavor" comes "from the addition of cocoa powder in the mash." Five organic malts help create this beer's flavor, too.
If you can't find these organic beers at your local liquor store, ask the store manager if these beers can be ordered. While you wait for your order to come in, try out a local stout brew. While it might not be organic, it's local, and that matters, too.
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