Smoky Vegetarian Chili

I made this chili for a Chili Cook Off my friends hosted. Of course, a beef chili won, but I thought this vegetarian chili turned out very well. This recipe gets its strong smoky flavor from smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder.

Smoky Vegetarian Chili
Serves 8

2 cans black beans
1 can red kidney beans
2 large carrots, pealed and diced
1/4 of a white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup corn
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup tomato paste
4 tomatillos, husks removed and diced
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth (optional)
Salt and pepper

1. In large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add onions and saute about 5 minutes.
3. Add carrots and saute 5 minutes more.
4. Add garlic and saute for one minute.
5. Add beans, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomatillos, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, cumin, and red pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. If chili gets too thick while cooking, add a cup of vegetable broth or water.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Barbeque Chipotle Chicken Pizza

Since I don't like my food really spicy, a can of chipotle chili peppers lasts me a while. That's why I've been posting chipotle recipes all week! Chipotle's have a smoky spicy flavor that enhances many dishes. Here I added chipotles to barbeque chicken pizza and used pepper jack cheese for an extra kick.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup corn meal


1. Mix yeast, water, and sugar together. Let stand about 10 minutes, until mixture has bubbles.
2. In a food processor fitted with a dough hook, mix yeast mixture with all other ingredients until just combined.
3. Put dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle corn meal on surface. Roll out dough until desired shape.

Barbeque Chipotle Chicken Pizza
Serves 4

Basic pizza dough
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (I used a store bought roasted chicken)
Chipotles in adobo
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 of a red pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow pepper, diced

1/2 of a red onion, diced
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

1. Mince two chipotle peppers. Add one to the barbeque sauce, along with two tablespoons adobo. Set other chipotle aside.
2. Top rolled out dough with chipotle barbeque sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top.
3. Top pizza with chicken, peppers, onions, and reserved minced chipotle.
4. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Burrito

This recipe was inspired by Chipotle's Chicken Fajita Burrito, but it ended up tasting nothing like it. As far as I can tell, nothing on Chipotle's menu actually has chipotles. This recipe is a much healthier burrito using real chipotles for flavor. For the chicken, I bought a whole roasted chicken and shredded the breast meat.

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Burrito
Serves 2

2 burrito size flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast, warmed
1 corn on the cob
1 avocado
1 small tomato
1/2 of a red pepper
1/2 of a yellow pepper
1/4 of a red onion
Canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lime
Head lettuce
Salt

1. Cut peppers and red onion into fajita-style strips.
2. Dice 1 chipotle pepper, or more if you like spicier burritos.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers, onions, and chipotle.

4. Meanwhile, cut corn off cob. Add another diced chipotle pepper and one tablespoon adobo sauce. Add juice of half of the lime.
5. Mash avocado. Dice tomato and add to avocado. Season with salt and other half of lime.
6. Dice some head lettuce.
7. Heat tortilla on a dry skillet or over an open flame.
8. To tortilla, add half of chicken, corn mixture, avocado mixture, fajita peppers and onions, cheese, and lettuce.
9. Fold over ends of tortilla and roll into a burrito.
10. Repeat with other tortilla.
11. Serve with watermelon, if desired.

Grilled Honey-Chipotle Wings and Vegetables

Trying to cook for meat eaters and vegetarians at the same time? Using a grill lets you take care of the meat on one side and the vegetables on the other. Wings cook up quickly, so watch these carefully as you grill.

 

Grilled Honey Chipotle Wings
Serves 4

8 chicken wings
1 chipotle in adobo, diced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon oil
Salt and pepper
Cilantro

1. Using a sharp knife, cut wing at the elbow join. Next cut off wing tip.

• Note: Working with raw chicken wings isn't for those of us who hate handling meat. I ended up asking my husband to do this part!

2. Combine honey, chipotle, adobo, honey, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Note: If you are looking for spicier wings, dice up more chipotles. My recipe has medium heat.

3. Mix chicken wings in honey-chipotle sauce.
4. Grill over medium heat, about 5 minutes on each side. Reserve remaining honey-chipotle sauce.
5. Boil remaining sauce about 2 minutes.

• Note: Since the sauce previously contained raw chicken, boiling is necessary to kill any bacteria. 

6. Top chicken wings with remaining sauce and cilantro.



Grilled Honey Chipotle Vegetables
Serves 4

1 chipotle in adobo, diced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon oil
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 large sweet potato
1 red onion
Salt and pepper
Cilantro

1. Cut vegetables into large pieces. Pieces need to be large so that won't fall between the grill grates.
2. Combine honey, chipotle, adobo, honey, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Mix vegetables with honey-chipotle sauce.
5. Grill over medium heat, about 5-10 minutes on each side. Reserve remaining honey-chipotle sauce.
6. Top vegetables with honey-chipotle sauce and cilantro. Serve with chicken wings.