Vegan Chili Cook Off

Week 8 Browns vs. Chargers

Chili, a myriad of colors

Chili is one of those comfort foods that some meat eaters prefer vegetarian.  The mix of beans, veggies and spices lends itself well to any palate.  It warms you up, through the heat of the food and the heat of spice.  We needed something warm on a cold rainy day in Cleveland.

For a tailgate, chili is extremely versatile.  We decided to make breakfast burritos and chili cheese dogs for a nice breakfast/lunch combo.  Often we dont eat anything but appetizers for the first few hours, so the though of a hearty breakfast burrito is appealing.  A key to keeping the chili warm throughout the day is either to plug in a crockpot or bring a pot to heat on the grill.

There are two kinds of vegan chili as defined by the Long Star Veggie Chili Cookoff: traditional and all veg.  “All Veg” chilis are made with only vegetables, while the “Traditional” chili contain a meat analog or substitute like seitan or tempeh.  I opted to make a traditional chili with seitan and TVP, and my buddy Chris made the multi-bean and roasted veggie chili (recipe coming later this week).  I'll also include my recipe for tofu scramble for the breakfast burritos. Enjoy!

Seitan/TVP Chili

• 1 package store bought seitan, chopped (West Soy brand) 
• 1.5 cups Textured Vegetable Protein, reconstituted (what the hell is TVP?)
• 1 can kidney beans
• 28 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen organic brand)
• A few ounces of tomato sauce as needed
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 3 jalapeños, chopped with seeds
• Half head garlic, minced
• 2 chilis in adobo, chopped with sauce
• 2 tbs Penzey's Salt-Free Chili 3000
• 1 tbs cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp ground ancho pepper
• 1 tsp chipotle
• Salt/pep to taste
• 1 tbs soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbs blackstrap mollasses
• 2 tbs chia seeds
• A splash of whiskey

Sautee the peppers, onions and garlic until soft.  Toss in the crockpot.

The steam burnt my eyes!

Sautee the seitan until browned. Toss in the crockpot.

Sauteed seitan

Reconstitute the TVP by pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 1.5 cups of TVP.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.  Sautee the reconstituted tvp until browned. Toss in the crockpot.

TVP looks and acts like ground beef

Add the tomatoes, beans, chilis, spices, soy sauce, mollasses and stir well.  

Love me some Penzey's

Tons of complex flavor

I had to add a bit of tomato sauce

Turn the crockpot on low for at least 5 hours or overnight.  Add the chia seeds and whiskey about 15 minutes before unplugging.  Add tomato sauce as necessary if its dry.  

Feel free to add the following as garnish:

• Avocado
• Tomato
• White onion
• Scallion
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges

Serve over Field Roast Frankfurters  in ezekiel buns topped with Daiya Cheddar cheese.  Don't forget the hot sauce!

Can't have enough!

Tofu Scramble

• 12 oz package extra firm tofu
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Sautee the peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic.  

Crumble the tofu in the pan and keep heat at medium or lower.

Add spices and sautee gently for 10 minutes.  

Just when its about done cooking, add the nutritional yeast and lemon.  Add water as needed throughout.

A go to breakfast

Serve on a whole wheat tortilla, with chili, daiya cheese, and any of the garnish from above.

It was still dark when we ate these