30-minute recipes - fast food

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 2003

Wine Suggestions

Are you inclined to use more garlic, ginger and chili sauce than the recipe calls for? Then drink Riesling with this stir-fry. Do you want to draw attention to the mushroom stock, gluten, black beans and Chinese broccoli? Then drink a New World Shiraz. Do you love unctuous, full-bodied Chardonnay? Then add a little sesame oil to the finished stir-fry.

Fired-Up Chili

SERVES 6            30 MINUTES OR LESS

A robust meal that can become as incendiary
as you choose, this chili calls
for a trip to your supermarket's salad
bar where you can choose a variety of
fixings as garnishes, making this dish
two meals in one: a salad and a bowl of
beans. The chili is delicious served hot,
but even cold as a midnight snack the
dish is very pleasing. Because the meal
is so substantial, you may want to keep
dessert light and with a Tex-Mex flavor
such as serving a custard flan. But if
calories are not a concern, try sopaipillas
or cajeta, or caramelized milk, easy
to make at home. Of course, the best
beverage for this meal is a well-chilled
Mexican beer or perhaps a heady, frothy
margarita.

1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 12-oz. pkg. taco-flavored meat
  substitute
1 3/4 cups black beans
1 3/4 cups white beans
1 3/4 cups kidney beans
2 cups chopped roasted tomatoes
  with can juice
1 tsp. canned chipotles in adobo
  sauce, pureed with sauce, or
  to taste
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced, or
  to taste
1 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups salad bar fixings such as sliced
  radishes, shredded cheese, olives,
  sliced celery, shredded carrots,
  sliced scallions, sliced onions, thinly
  sliced red or green bell peppers,
  cubed tofu, cauliflower florets,
  nuts, corn kernels and green peas

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium
heat. When hot, saute onion and meat
substitute for about 7 minutes, or until
meat substitute browns slightly.

2. Meanwhile, combine beans and tomatoes
in large saucepan, and heat over
medium heat. Stir in chipotles, jalapeno
and chili powder to taste. Season with
salt and pepper. Cook until mixture begins
to boil. Stir in meat substitute and
onions. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3. To serve, arrange salad bar fixings in
separate serving dishes, spoon about 1
cup chili into individual bowls, and top
with 1 cup fixings, as desired.

PER SERVING: 320 CAL; 25G PROT; 3G TOTAL
FAT (OG SAT. FAT); 50G CARB; OMG CHOL;
430MG SOD; 20G FIBER; 7G SUGARS

Shopping List

Staples

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

Ground cumin

Coriander seeds

Salt

Black peppercorns

Chili powder

Curry powder

Sugar

Cornstarch

Soy sauce

Produce

Portobello mushroom caps, jumbo

Zucchini

Red bell pepper

Flat-leaf parsley

Plantains

Garlic

Fresh coriander

Onions

Jalapeno, fresh

Fresh ginger

Chinese broccoli

Scallions

Celery root knob

Edamame

Grocery

Orzo

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin puree

Apple juice

White beans, canned

Black beans, canned

Kidney beans, canned

Vegetable stock

Mushroom stock

Salsa

Chipotle chiles, canned

Roasted tomatoes, cubed

Asian chili sauce

Black bean garlic sauce