"Joe's Red Neck Chili", veganized.

Hey all! Was in the mood for a comforting chili this weekend after a horrendous Friday. I've had this funny little book called COWBOY CUISINE (Recipes From Around The World by Friends and Performers of Buffalo Bill's Wild West) for a while and I've been meaning to cook something from it even though it is VERY meat centric. I chose a chili recipe (there are several in the book) that is called "Joe's Red Neck Chili". "Joe" would ask you to use venison and beef but here I am using Gardein ground veggie crumbles which I think works great for a meaty texture.

Came out great! I made my own addition of pureeing red new mexico chilies that were dried and soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes. It really gave it a good flavor.

Served with hot flour tortillas and a dollop of Tofutti sour cream and a sprinkle of Trader Joe's mozzarella vegan cheese.

JOE'S RED NECK CHILI, VEGANIZED
Ingredients:
2 TB oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks of celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 (6 oz can) of tomato paste
1 TB chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TB lime juice
1 1/2 cups or so of gardein ground veggie crumbles (I eyeballed it.)
2 cans pinto beans, drained
1/2 bottle of mexican beer
1 cup water or more as needed

For chili mixture:
3-4 dried new mexico chilis
1 TB masa harina
Soak chilis in hot water for 15 minutes. Pluck chilis out and blend with a little bit of the soaking water until pureed. Pour out into a bowl and mix in 1 TB masa harina.

Method:
Heat oil in a pot and sautee onion, green pepper and celery until translucent. Add the rest of ingredients plus the chili mixture. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer, covered for an hour or so. Season with salt and pepper.