California Chili

One of the great things about chili is that it’s kinda hard to mess it up and you can put anything in it to suit your own preferences. After stating that, I hope there aren’t any chili aficionados reading this because I know they would say, “No, you can’t put anything you want in chili! Beef, chiles and spices, that’s it!” True, Texas style chili has no beans and no tomatoes either. Thankfully, I’m Californian and we do whatever we want here.

Chili has an interesting history. Incas, Aztecs, and Mayan Indians were combining meat, beans, peppers, and spices for centuries before Europeans came to the Americas. The popularity of chili developed in San Antonio, TX, and other cattle towns in the 1800s. On cattle drives, the cooks would use spices and chiles to preserve meat or to mask the taste of near-spoiling meat. Then came the “Chili Queens” of San Antonio. These were women who would come to public areas, build a fire to reheat big cauldrons of pre-made chili, and sell it to customers who rode in from all over. The competition between the Chili Queens created better chili and gave rise to what we think of as modern chili.

This vegan chili uses faux ground beef, but you can easily skip it as there is lots of protein in the beans alone.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive olive
• peppers/chiles - I'm using 2 small green bell peppers, 2 Anaheim peppers, and 1 jalapeno that I got at the farmers market this morning.
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 lb faux ground beef (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 12 oz bottle beer- use one you like because the flavor will be prominent

1. Dice the peppers, chiles, onion, and garlic, and sweat in large skillet with olive oil.
2. Add in faux ground beef, spices, brown sugar, tomato paste and tomatoes and combine well.
3. Pour in beer and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, until chili is thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.