Vegan Chili

There is a bar on 17th Avenue in Denver that has a wicked vegetarian chili on their menu; it's spicy and full of black beans.  Their chili is a little too hot for me, I like some spice, but not gratuitous burn-your-taste-buds-hot.  I decided to take aspects of their chili and make my own GF version that is now a staple for us on Meatless Mondays.

Ingredients
1 yellow onion finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil or (soy free) Earth Balance spread
1 clove of garlic finely chopped or squashed through a garlic press
2 cans of tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes run through a hand processor
Spicy Heat = fresh chilies or the chili power of your choice - I use chipotle, cayenne and "Secret Salt"..see below
2 large courgettes/zucchini grated
1 can of black beans
1 can of lentils

Optional
Vegetable broth instead of water
Chia seeds to thicken

Method
Saute onions in oil until translucent...I have a pet peeve regarding undercooked onions; onions should not be crunchy in this recipe.  Add garlic and heat for 1 minute, don't over-cook or burn, the garlic should not darken too much.  Add tomatoes, courgettes and chili powders and seasoning and simmer to allow the flavors to blend together.  After 30 minutes the courgette should be almost unrecognizable and you should have a thick red sauce.

If  the sauce is not thickening, stir well and leave for another 10 minutes - add water if it seems too thick....don't worry about adding too much, if you do just cook a little longer and let evaporation thicken it, or add some chia seeds...they will swell and take up some of the excess fluid.. 

Don't forget to taste your chili to make sure it is well seasoned - add more spice if necessary.
If it is too hot, add a medium diced raw potato and simmer for 20 minutes and taste again..

Finally add beans and lentils and heat for another 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro, or top with fresh guacamole or a dollop of cashew cream (see my first blog post).
Serve with corn chips, fresh corn tortillas, brown rice or use to make tacos with chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber...yum!

This freezes very well, I make up this batch and freeze what is left, it's great for a quick lunch or dinner when you don't have much time.

 
Secret Salt
It's not really a secret, it's a modification to a standard spice.  We originally intended this to aid in reducing our salt intake, however we love it so much we probably end up using it more than regular salt.
- Finely grind Montreal Steak Seasoning in a coffee grinder until it resembles fine salt.
Use as you would salt and pepper.