Troll Echos

Over the years I have revised my own home made vegetarian chili into an inexpensive and very delicious adventure in meatless dining.  In the beginning, I used dried beans as a base but rapidly realized that they simply aren’t worth the trouble, even if they are a little cheaper.  I also used my own blend of spices and seasonings and realized that too was a waste of time and in fact tends to increase the cost of the chili.  Here is the current incarnation of the chili.  The best it’s ever been in my opinion.  Enjoy.

Recipe:

• 9 cans of beans.  (Any kinds you like.)
• 2 cans of potatoes.  (I like sliced, but any will do.)
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes.  (Unseasoned.)
• 2 packets of chili seasoning.  (One mild and one hot.)

Preparation:

1. Place a large pot on a large burner using an aluminum heat spreader disc in between the two.  The heat spreader disc is crucial for avoiding burning any chili to the bottom of the pot and the lack of burnt chili means nothing odd in the flavor when you are done.
2. Dump all 13 cans of beans, potatoes, and tomatoes and both packets of seasoning into the pot unceremoniously.  For best results, you should drain the potatoes but nothing else.  This gives the chili its moisture so no water needs to be added.  In my pot once everything is in, the pot is full to within around one quarter of an inch from the top.
3. Turn the heat up to roughly half way between low and medium on your dial, stir the contents very carefully, put the lid on the pot, and wander away.  This level of heat with the heat spreader disc in place will eventually make the chili bubble gently but never really boil.
4. Stir every now and then.  I tend to stir about once every 30 to 45 minutes when I make it.  During your stirring be sure to rub the spoon on the bottom of the pot to ensure nothing is burning to the bottom, if you find that it is, turn it down.  If you used a heat spreader, you should be ok.  Please stir very slowly, the pot is very full and you don’t want to lose any chili to the burner in haste.
5. After about three hours, remove the lid, and stir it again.  Do not put the lid back on the pot, it’s time to reduce the liquid.  Good chili takes time and we aren’t done yet, so go find something else to do.
6. Continue to stir occasionally as before.  You may find “chili skin” on the top each time you come back during this phase.  This is entirely normal.  Press it down into the pot and stir gently to break it up.
7. After roughly two more hours (bringing us to five hours total) your chili should be roughly two inches farther down the pot than when you started.  Stir it once more and remove it from the heat.  Put the lid back on and leave it alone for at least 30 minutes.  This will allow the chili to thicken.  If you intend to freeze or refrigerate it I recommend you leave it covered in this way overnight to cool and put it in the refrigerator in the morning.

Nutritional Information:

• Serving Size:  1 cup
• Approximate Servings:  17
• Weight Watchers:  4 points per serving
• Aproximate Cost:  $12.00 per pot.

Serving Suggestions:

• Eat it “as is.”  It’s delicious on its own!
• Add one link of turkey sausage per serving.  (4 extra WW Points.)
• Add browned ground beef or turkey to make it non-vegetarian.
• Add pasta or pour over a bed of rice for a bit of variety.
• Add a box worth of prepared Mac and Cheese to two or more servings.