Fit Fare

By Ralph Villers

This month’s recipe idea really has its roots in my childhood. However, this dish takes the basics and adds my numerous adaptations since I first prepared it in 1979.

This recipe is for vegetarian chili. In order to get the feel of this dish, you have to go back to my Mom and the family. I am the second of seven children, and my mother had to prepare food that met the following criteria: It had to be reasonably easy to prepare, and it had to be tasty enough for everyone to like it and thus eat it.

The original dish was prepared as follows (this month’s recipe is found later, but you can spot the similarities):

1) Brown ground beef in vegetable oil
2) Add chopped onion, cook for a couple of minutes
3) Add chopped celery, cook a bit more
4) Add (2) cans of tomato soup, no water
5) Add (2) cans of kidney beans
6) Cook for at least one hour

That was it. It was in essence a beef and bean stew. Back then, I would add lots of saltines. I add slightly less now. The results were and still are good, and really, the prep took longer than fully cooking it.

I can remember this as far back as age 6 in Bayside, N.Y. in the early 1960s.

For today, I made a vegetarian chili in which I substituted black beans for the beef. I add peppers and other vegetables to the old recipe as enhancements. The prep time is still longer than the cook time, but the results are as satisfying.

Vegetarian Chili

1-1/2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium to hot peppers, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery
1 medium carrot
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans tomato soup (don’t add water)
1 can kidney beans (19 oz.), drained and rinsed
1 can black beans (19 oz.), drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz.), drained and rinsed
1 12-oz. can beer (any type)
dried oregano
chili powder
dried thyme
Hot sauce to taste. I am using Trappey’s Original Louisiana sauce.

Add oil to heated stockpot. Add the onions, peppers, celery, carrots, and garlic to the pot, and cook until tender.

Add the tomato soup, beans, tomatoes, beer, spices and hot sauce.
Cook for at least one hour, but longer is better if you want less crunchy vegetables.TO SERVE:
We serve topped with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and plenty of saltines.

To compare with the original recipe, I have only added items that the young Villers might have not been exactly overjoyed to eat.

The item that gives this a creamy consistency is the tomato soup. Also, the sweetness of the soup stands up well to any heat you add with the peppers and hot sauce.

If you want to make with any ground meat, you can add this after the vegetables are tender. I would not drain the meat, because if you add 85 or 90 percent lean beef, you are not adding much fat to the entire pot.

PAIRING:
I would serve any beer with this. As for wine, a red Zinfandel would be fine.

The other side:
OK, Patti here. Now it’s Mumsie’s turn.

My take on this recipe is it’s good because it’s a) healthy for you; b) hearty and filling; c) easy to prepare; and d) inexpensive because it’s easily split in half and frozen for another meal. Since Ralph and I are trying desperately to get more organized (and thrifty) with our family meal planning, making chili every other week seems like a great idea.

It’s also portable and easily microwaveable for a hot lunch at work.