"Sage-Approved" Chili

We experienced our first bit off cooler weather yesterday. Or at least cooler for the standards of our part of Florida. It still got up to the late 80's in the afternoon, but the morning and evening were wonderful! I spent nearly the entire day outside with my little one, and was ready to make something hearty for dinner. I had the makings for chili already, so it was an easy decision.

Now here's the issue I face. If you ask Sage, he will say he doesn't really like chili. But I love it and enjoy making it, so I sneak it in from time to time. I've figured out over time, it's not that he dislikes chili, its certain versions of it he doesn't care for. I never have used any kind of recipe and really make it different all the time. I love a chili packed full of chunky veggies, lots of beans, and could care less if there is meat or not. I'm even cool with more untraditional items- like corn or cinnamon- finding their way into it. A few chili batches ago, I discovered what Sage likes best is when it has limited veggies and a thicker, meaty and very rich tomato-y base. So, my various versions of chili have began to evolve into this recipe to make my husband happy.

I usually use ground turkey, but what I had in the freezer happened to be Boca Crumbles, a meatless beef substitute, (we are reducing the amount of meat we eat,) and it worked really well in this. Sage loved it, and told me several times how good it was. For a guy who "doesn't like chili," that is success to me! So, I decided to write down what I used for once. I'll switch things up a little depending on what I have on hand, but this will be the standard version in our house from now on.

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, finely choppped

1 large onion, choppped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (12 oz.) package of Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles, frozen (or 1 lb. thawed ground turkey)

2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes (I used 1 with mild green chilis & 1 Italian style this time.)

3 (15.5 oz.) cans of beans (light and dark kidney, black, or any combo,) drained and rinsed (I used 1 can of dark and 2 light because I was out of black.)

1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp corriander

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsps sugar

1/4-1/2 cup water

shredded cheese and sour cream, for serving

In a large pot, heat oil. Add celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and crumbles and cook, stirring frequently to keep crumbles from sticking, for about 10 minutes, or until meat is cooked through. (If using turkey, omit oil, and drain any fat before proceeding.)

Add tomatoes, beans, paste, spices, sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Mix well, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. If chili is too thick, add more water.

Serve topped with cheese and sour cream.

*I'd like to add to this post. One of the perks making a big pot of chili is delicious leftovers. However, we didn't like this so much reheated. The Boca Crumbles were very chewy. I don't think I've ever had something as a leftover with either the Boca or Mornignstar Crumbles before. From now on, I will only use them in something we'll be eating up that night. Its a shame, because it was so good fresh, but I'll be back to making this with turkey next time.