A green take on chili

Chili: a pot of beans and spices simmered over a long period of time. Goes good with cornbread. Is that what vegetarians thinks when they hear the word "chili"? Not all chili has to be red. A light, green one is in order, especially with spring around the corner.

White bean chili verde

Caramelized onion and scallion cornbread

The chili started of with the usual: sauteed garlic and yellow onions, along with bay leaves, cumin powder and dried oregano. When the onions were almost translucent, I added white wine and reduced the mixture before adding sliced jalapenos. Next to join were steamed Yukon gold potatoes, dry roasted tomatillos, sliced granny smith apples...and finally, the cooked small white navy beans. All simmered in vegetable stock for what appeared to be a long time. The chili was garnished with chopped cilantro, sliced avocados, and grated granny smith apples. Rather a deep, dense red chili, this chili verde was lighter, cleaner, and a nice prelude to spring. And as for the cornbread, the recipe can be found here.

Two lentil and tempeh chili with an Ethiopian twist

I really enjoy Ethiopian food. The fact that you eat with your fingers grounds down the experience. The injera, a fermented spongy flatbread made with teff, a gluten-free grain, is used as a vessel to pick up all the amazing dishes. What stands out the most to me is this red lentil wot that I usually order. Made of berbere spices, the red lentils are simmered until done and it's amazing! Today, I took it a bit further: a full-blown chili with berbere and some good old cornbread...and you can use a fork.

Spicy berbere tempeh and lentil chili

Cornbread

The chili was initiated with sauteed yellow onions, garlic, tomato paste, and a blend of berbere spices. The spices comprised of toasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, whole cloves, cardamom pods, and soaked dried chilies del arbol then ground and mixed with turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, paprika, and fresh ginger. My gosh - the aroma, you can just imagine - was amazing. Into the chili pot in it's respective order: celery, carrots, ground tempeh (mimics ground meat), black beluga lentils, tomatoes, and red lentils. Vegetable stock was added periodically throughout the process as the lentils cooked and swelled.
The cornbread was made by using a modified blue-ribbon recipe. In lieu of the soy milk and canola oil, I used almond milk and coconut oil, both of which I find more nourishing.

Two lentil chili and skillet cornbread

As I was making this dish today, what came across my mind was how chilis are very similar to Indian dals. It's a legume stew with spices that have been simmered for quite a period of time. The difference? The spices used, the type of lentil at times, and some other "secret" ingredients.

Two lentil chili with butternut squash and okra

Skillet cornbread with lavender honey butter

The initial start of chili was made of grapeseed oil, garlic, chili spices (bay leaves, cumin, chili powder, rubbed sage, and red chili flakes), tomato paste, celery, carrots, and green bell peppers. I had debated in my mind whether or not to pre-cook the black beluga lentils as I know they take a bit longer to cook through than red lentils. I decided to stir in the uncooked belugas so that as they cooked, the flavors from the spices and vegetables would infuse. The butternut squash, okra, and tomatoes were up next, along with plenty of vegetable stock. Second to last, the red lentils. And to finish? Tamari, a wheat free soy sauce that gave the chili even more depth and umami-ness.

It was my first time making a skillet cornbread and after making the cornbread batter, I was a bit nervous of how it would turn out. The batter was quite thick as a blend of whole wheat flour and regular flour was used. Rather than questioning, I gave it a go and ladled the thick batter into hot cast iron skillets that had been heated with oil until smoky. After about 25 minutes of baking in a 340F oven, this was the result.