2 Bean Vegetarian Chili with Grilled Polenta
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- One 240 mL can whole tomatoes (Buy the next size up if you can’t find this size and use remainder in another meal)
- One 540 mL can white kidney beans
- Two 540 mL can red kidney beans
- ½ cup unsalted chicken stock
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks green onion, minced
- 2 tbsp. regular chili powder
- 1 tbsp. Mexican chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. whole cumin
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or sherry
- 1 tbsp. Maple syrup
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
Method:
- Heat oil in heavy pot or Dutch oven. Sauté onions for 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, beans, wine, stock, salt, paprika, and bay leaf. Simmer for 1-1 ½ hours. Add oregano and garlic and simmer for another 15 minutes. Lastly, add red pepper and green onions. Simmer for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf before serving.
Polenta:
- 2 litres of water
- 2 tsp. salt
- 400 gram (about 2 cups) coarse grain cornmeal preferably Italian if you can get it.
Method:
- Bring water and salt o a boil in a heavy saucepot
- Very slowly sprinkle cornmeal into the boiling water stirring constantly (this must be done slowly to avoid lumps which can form easily) until all cornmeal is used.
- Cook over low heat stirring constantly. Polenta will start pulling away from pan. Cover and cook on minimum heat for approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Pour cooked polenta on to a large cutting board lined with plastic wrap. Cool for about 10 minutes then fold plastic wrap around polenta and roll (as a jellyroll) to form a log. Set aside to cool. Heat an indoor grill. Slice polenta, brush slices with olive oil and grill. Serve with chili.