Chili goodness

It's that time of year again - time for some delicious chili. With my new found love of tempeh, I've decided to start by marinating a pound of tempeh that I broke up in 1 1/2 chipotle chilis, 2 serrano peppers, 1 jalepeno, 2 cherry peppers and 4 cloves of garlic. I tossed in about 1 tsp of salt as well. This has basically sat for a day and, I can tell you, is spicy and delicious.



I'm a fan of heat, but not crazy, burn the hell out of my mouth heat. I like the flavor that accompanies it as well. So typically, I use a lot of chili peppers, but stay away from scotch bonnets and crazy fire like that.

Once the tempeh has sat for about a day or two, really the longer the better, it's ready to go.

2 tbsp oil
2 medium purple onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, the color is up to you, chopped
1 pablano pepper, chopped

tempeh mixture

1 dark beer (I think Rogue's Shakespeare Stout is perhaps my favorite chili beer, but since I couldn't find any, I'm using the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter made by the Great Lakes Brewing Co.)

1 can crushed tomatoes (strangely, italian style works really well as the subtle sweetness pairs well and cools down any excess heat brought on from the peppers.

2 cans of beans, mashed (I use cannelini beans as a default)

Chicken broth for extra liquid (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups worth).
1/2 - 1 tsp cumin, to taste
Salt and pepper

Start by heating some oil in a large pan. Add 2 medium or 1 1/2 large onions to the oil and saute until transluscent and beginning to brown. Next, add the bell and pablano peppers. Once those guys have started to soften, add the tempeh mixture and increase the heat to medium high in order to begin browning everything in the pot. Brown food is good food. Add salt and pepper at this stage, but don't go crazy... you can always add more later.

After about 10-15 minutes, add the beer, scraping up delicious brown bits along the way. Next add the tomatoes, broth, and finally the mashed beans. Bring this to a boil over medium high heat, then cover and reduce to low for 45 minutes to an hour.

Once the time is up, check the chili, add salt and pepper to taste. If it's a little too thin, cook uncovered for about 20 minutes longer. Cool, cover with cheese and crumbled tortilla chips and enjoy. This would also be delicious over a baked potato... omg drool...