The Curvy Carrot

This time of year screams “chili weather.”  Or “football food”.  Or, you know, something along those lines.  What I decided I wanted, literally in the middle of weekday work day, was a big fat pot of chili for the weekend…with ample flavor, ample leftovers, and ample cheese on top.  And a side of corn bread to go with it (recipe to follow.)  And, since I’ve got a lot of different chili recipes on here (chili with quinoa, chili with lot of beans, and chili with black beans and salsa), I figured I’d jump a little bit outside of the norm and try a new recipe.

Enter hominy.  Something that I’ve never cooked with before. Thanks to this article, I educated myself a bit before attempting to use it in a recipe.  The result?  A really good (really spicy) batch of chili that satisfied every craving I had.

Here’s the deal with this recipe:  It does pack a significant punch as far as spice goes, so feel free to reduce the amount of heat here.  I substituted a few chipotle peppers (in a can with adobo sauce) instead of the poblano peppers that the original recipe calls for.  And, in the end, I like my chili to have a little bit of liquid-I’m not a fan of just a big bowl of cooked beans (I like to dip the cornbread in.), so I increased the amount of water here significantly. (You can eyeball this and always add more later, if need be.)  Substitute in different beans if you would like.  I thought the hominy added an extra bit of texture to the recipe.  If you aren’t a fan of meat substitutes, skip the veggie sausage. And, as always, add more vegetables if you like.  For a vegan version, use the appropriate toppings that you would normally use.

Enjoy.  And stay warm.

White Bean and Hominy Chipotle Chili

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

One 4-ounce meatless Mexican chipotle sausage (I used Field Roast), sliced

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped and seeds removed (as best you can.  Keep the rest of the peppers for the cornbread recipe that will follow.)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 cups water

2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons Sriracha, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

One 15.5-ounce can white hominy, rinsed and drained

For garnish:  green onions, cheese, Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, etc.

Instructions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium heat.

2. Add the olive oil and what until shimmering.

3. Add the sausage, and sauté for about 4 minutes.

4. Add the onion, garlic, and chipotle peppers; sauté for about 5-6 minutes.

5. Add the chili powder and cumin; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

6. Add the cannellini beans, water, dried oregano, Sriracha, salt, and hominy.

7. Bring the chili to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Garnish with toppings, and enjoy.

Source:  Adapted from Cooking Light as part of my monthly contribution to the Cooking Light Bloggers Connection.