Okay, even though chili came in second place in last video's election, I could not resist the urge to try it out.
And even though it's the middle of summer, it would appear people are clamoring for slow cooker recipes.
Really, Alexa?
So today we're having slow cooked chili with, wait for it, gluten-free quinoa skillet cornbread.
Yes, not only is this crispy cast iron skillet cornbread suitable for celiacs,
but I took the liberty of throwing in some quinoa because it's insanely good for you.
It's a complete protein, and I will take pretty much any excuse to throw it into whatever I'm making.
Oh, and my camera's still in the shop, so we're on the iPhone again.
First, in the dead of night, combine half a cup each of dried kidney,
pinto, and black beans in a large bowl.
Then fill the bowl with water and allow them to soak overnight.
When the morning comes, simply drain and rinse the beans and they'll be ready to go.
Skin and coarsely dice one yellow onion and throw it into your slow cooker.
Next, de-seed and coarsely dice one green bell pepper and one red bell pepper.
Mince up two to three large garlic cloves.
Then carefully de-seed two serrano chili peppers and dice them up.
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards because these peppers are hot.
Next, add one chipotle pepper, or two if you like things extra spicy,
and a couple tablespoons of the sauce that comes in the can.
Followed by one teaspoon of cumin, a couple of bay leaves, and a few sprigs of thyme.
Remember to remove the stems after cooking.
Next, add one cup of textured vegetable protein and the beans.
Also add one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and a beer.
You could substitute this with an equal amount of vegetable broth if you prefer,
but why would you?
Last, add a hefty pinch of coarse salt and cover the pot.
I usually cook this for eight hours on high, but remember that slow cooker times do vary.
If you can, give the chili a stir occasionally throughout the cooking process.
To make the cornbread, place your cast iron skillet in the oven as you preheat it to 415 degrees.
And mix up the following dry ingredients in a large bowl.
To whip up some quinoa, add one third of a cup to a small saucepan,
then add two thirds of a cup of water. Bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Then cover it, lower the heat, and let it simmer until it's fully cooked,
which should only take about 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime, mix up the wet ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.
Then incorporate the quinoa.
When the oven's finished preheating, melt a couple tablespoons of vegan margarine in the
hot skillet, then pour on the batter. Bake it till it's crackly and golden on top,
which should take about 30 minutes. Then spread a bit more margarine across the top,
and allow the cornbread to cool before flipping it out of the pan and slicing it up.
