Step 3: Slowly Goes It

Stewing, Chilis, Soups, and Roast: Good things taken slow.
Some walks beg brevity, like these long cold mornings commuting to and fro.
Others, a strolling pace through the summer sun, autumn leaves, and not-soon-enough puddling spring.
On this cold weekend, wedged nicely between a snowy week and an uncertain storm to come, Chili reaching south to the flavors of warmer places is a thing cooked slow and low.

Drawing from a recipe I saw in Vegetarian Living for South American Spicy Chocolate Chili with Banana, I made my own rendition.

A Dollop of Sweet Goats Cheese, a bed of Kale and Brown Rice. A warm and hearty dish on a cold winter night and appropriate on a week meant for love and chocolatey things. I added more vegetables and a touch of meaty seitan to more suit my tastes, that and forwent the beans in light of a Lentil bounty!
Next time though, I really would have preferred good iconic Kidney Beans...

An Inspired Chocolate Lentil Chili

• 1 Cup Lentils, Cooked
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 medium Onion, half sliced, half diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 large carrot, halved and slivered
• 1 stalk Celery, sliced in 1/4" pieces
• 1 tsp gresh Ginger, minced or grated
• 2-3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 Cup Vegetable Stock
• Seitan: I used a 1/2" slice of Field Roast Celebration Loaf diced into small cubes, but any meaty seitan will work cut-up small.
• 1/2 or whole Chopped Bell Pepper
• 1/2 banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup good strong ale
• drink some, not a bad one.
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Begin by boiling those lentils according to the directions, reserving a bit of liquid to add to the chili; if you used an equivalent amount of beans, drain, rinse, and set aside. Sweat out the Onions, Garlic, and Olive Oil for ~5 minutes on medium-low heat. Add in the Carrots, celery, and pepper and let it brown together, stirring occasionally and add Seitan and paste after a few minutes; allow to brown on slightly higher heat. Let this simmeh' and adding stock and beer reserved from drinking a bit after allowing the tomato paste to seep in for a few minutes first. 

Add spices, ginger, and seitan, stirring but allowing the ingredients to bubble together. Increase heat again and add lentils, more stock + lentil water saved if necessary. Now, add that delicious Chocolate powder and stir well - it doesn't like to homogenize. Add Banana after 10 or so minutes on medium heat, stirring in. Let simmer at medium-lo heat for ~15 minutes, stir, and reduce heat. Cover and simmer, checking consistency to assure it doesn't burn or non chili-like.

I Would like to change my Chili to actually be a chili - not a lentil stew as it so stands. That said, it accompanies a good cup of brown rice very well!

Lesson learned: Cooking for one doesn't mean you cant have your Valentine's Chocolate too.

Be Present and food is a gift enough?