Untitled Recipe #3

Here is an interesting chili I came up with, which has tofu as a meat substitute, and does not really look like chili if you are using all fresh ingredients.

What you'll need:
1/3 cup (dried) kidney beans; soaked for 8-12 hours
1/3 cup (dried) black beans; soaked for 8-12 hours
1/3 cup (dried) pinto beans; soaked for 8-12 hours
1/3-1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 stock of corn
1/2 block of firm tofu; crumbled by hand
2 small habanero peppers, finely diced
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Onion, about 1 cup, chopped
Garlic, about 6 cloves minced
Green bell pepper (about 1/3-1/2 cup)
1 large carrot, chopped
4-5 large tomatoes, diced
1 lime
1 lemon
Avocado (optional)
Olive oil
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Cumin
Chili powder
Paprika
Oregano
Salt & pepper
Cilantro


First you want to marinate the tofu with a bit of cumin, paprika, chili powder, a squirt of lemon & lime, and a splash of soy sauce. You don't need to marinate for more than 30 minutes. Next you probably want to cook your beans. After they've been soaked, bring them to a boil in enough water to let them expand, and simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes, until soft. Drain and put aside. I like to do my beans separate because different kinds take longer, but I've never tried them all together. While cooking your beans you can stew your tomatoes as well. To do so, simply simmer diced tomatoes on medium heat in a sauce pan, covered, for about 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Ok, now for the good stuff. Begin by sauteing marinated tofu in a large pot with a tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes, just to give it a bit of color. Add your onion and garlic, and saute another 5 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies (peppers included), and continue sauteing. After about 5 more minutes, add a teaspoon of cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Next put in the vegetable broth, and saute until it pretty much burns off. Now you want to put everything together (e.g. the just-cooked ingredients) and let the whole thing simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. The first time I made this, it came out a little bit watery from the tomato juice. It was still good, but you may need to let it simmer longer to burn off any excess liquid. So when it is all said and done, feel free to season it with salt and pepper, lemon and/or lime juice, and even a bit of hot sauce or salsa (the habaneros should make it pretty spicy to begin with). Garnish with avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and enjoy!