Not So Chilly Chili

Technically, I believe that you can't really call this chili, since it has beans and it is meat free. Apparently, "real" chili contains meat and no beans. That said, this is my version of chili-- safe for my current elim diet but also it is top 8 free, vegan and almost FPIES common trigger free (depends if you include this type of legumes in the legumes listed on the common triggers). This is wonderful served with Corny Preschooler Corn Bread in the previous post. It also freezes well and would be a lovely filler for bread bowls and/or stuffed veggies (like stuffed bell peppers). Makes 3-4 generous servings and freezes well:

Hot Mama Chili
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain) with green chilies (I like these)
1 can chili beans (do not drain)
1 can refried beans (I used refried black beans)
2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 cups diced baby bella mushrooms
1/4 of a large sweet onion, diced
3 small bell peppers (I used yellow, orange and red), seeded and diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, depending on preference
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa powder (opt)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup uncooked quinoa, prepared in a separate pot according to package directions

Bring one cup of quinoa with two cups of water to a boil in a medium, covered saucepan. Once boiling, reduce heat and allow to simmer until all moisture is absorbed. Once water is absorbed, remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare mushrooms, garlic, onion, and peppers. In a large saucepan or medium sized stockpot, add 1/2cup of oil and bring to medium low heat. Add in veggies and spices; saute on med to med low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon/wooden spatula. Once oil has been absorbed, add in water, chili beans, refried beans, and tomatoes. Add in cocoa, honey and brown sugar. Stir all ingredients until well blended and cover pot, continuing to simmer for about 30 minutes (add more water if water cooks off). After 30 minutes, add in cooked quinoa. Stir and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, again, adding liquid as needed and additional spices to taste. Once flavors have been well blended, serve with cornbread, in bread bowls, or in large whole roasted peppers.

For Hot Daddy Chili:
Follow recipe above. Add to entire pot of chili or to separate serving bowls:

In a separate skillet on low-medium heat, brown 1 diced garlic clove in two tablespoons of olive oil. For each person that will be eating the non-vegan version of this chili, add half a pound of ground buffalo, half a pound of bacon, and the insides of one large Italian sausage. Cook meat in the skillet until done and until all oil has been absorbed. Drain fat, dice the cooked bacon, and add all meats to either the entire chili pot or in separate portions to individual bowls of prepared chili.