Saturday, November 7, 2009

chili domination......

5:30 am involuntary beginning of day.
6:00 am feel like a slug crossed with a sloth crossed with a gharial
7:00 am thoughts becoming more appropriate
8:14 am decide to enter chili cook-off
9:16 am at store, list of ingredients at home
11:10 am chili complete, one eye is burning
2:00 pm internal debate to take a nap or eat some halloween candy
2:15 pm still awake, feel kind of sick
3:00 pm off to chili cook-off. quick stop at fiesta for bowls, good luck candles (cheating),
and beer
6:45 pm congratulatory photo taken with winner's ladle and two charming gift baskets
8:30 pm adoration from family trying to score chocolate from winner's basket.
8:32 pm hide chocolate in mud room


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my adaptation of...

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
12 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp. ginger, peeled and grated
3 tbsp. san antonio chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 chipotle peppes w/ adobo, chopped (i also added as much of the adobo as i could spoon out)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
8 cups broth
2 cans hominy, drained
2 1/4 cups black, brown or green lentils (i used combo of green and black)
2/3 cup pearled barley
2/3 cup bulgar wheat
1-2 tsp. smoked salt (i used alderwood smoked)

In large stockpot, over med. heat saute onions in olive oil. when translucent, add
garlic, ginger, chili powder and cumin. stir and cook until fragrant. stir in serrano,
chipotle pepper, tomatoes,and broth. now add hominy, lentils, barley, and bulgur.
stir. i began adding the smoked salt here and kept adding and adjusting as it
cooked. simmer for about an hour until grains and lentils are cooked. as it cooks
you might need to add additional broth or water. i needed to make sure this was
very chili-like and thick, but next time i make it for the family i will add more to
be a bit more soupy.

*i made chipotle guacamole to top it with. holy guacamole it was good. just add
some of the left-over canned chipotle peppers, chopped, of course, to your guac.
i also offered a dollop of crema if someone was scared of the heat. this is a pretty
spicy chili. adjust the pepper amounts as you feel like. you can get a little less
heat if you use only 1 or 2 chipotles and scoop out the adobo to add without the
actual peppers.

1 comment:

  1. I kid you not, one of my goals in life is to win a chili cookoff! And now that I have your recipe, I think that day is nigh...

    ReplyDelete