Four Bean Chili

If you think chili needs meat, then you don't know beans! Unlike meats, beans are naturally low in fat, they're saturated and trans fat free, and are a cholesterol-free source of protein. They're an excellent source of fiber and complex carbohydrates giving them a low glycemic index which is perfect for anyone managing their blood sugar. Beans are also loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals including folate, potassium, iron, copper and magnesium. A purely bean chili makes a protein-packed meal without the added fat and cholesterol that gives a good recipe a bad nutritional reputation.

For this recipe you can start with dried beans that have been soaked and cooked according to package directions. Use 3/4 cup dry beans for each can of beans called for in the recipe. If you're concerned about flatulence associated with dried beans (a very real problem if you're making this before being snowed in during a Minnesota snowstorm), try the quick-soak method. Rinse and sort your beans, cover them with 10 c. of water per pound of dry beans and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture sit  for 1-4 hours. Drain the excess water, rinse the beans and pan, and proceed with cooking the beans as usual. This method helps dissolve the natural sugars  in beans responsible for excess gas production in the gut. Personally, I like the convenience of canned beans but hate the added salt, so I always rinse them well before adding them to any recipe.

The beauty of chili is there are endless ways to make it your own. This recipe reflects my current favorite combination of peppers, but you could substitute any chili powder for the peppers listed in this recipe as long as you have a total of 3-4 T. of chili powder/peppers per batch. Yes, it sounds like a lot of chili powder but remember you are aiming for flavor and not necessarily for heat. The heat of chili peppers is measured in Scoville units, with the mildest peppers starting 0 heat units for bell peppers up to the world's hottest pepper, the Naga Viper, which comes in at 1,382,118 heat units - yowza! Recently I've fallen in love with the flavor of aleppo peppers (10,000 heat units), a Turkish chili that has a little more heat than my usual go-to peppers plus they add a nice tartness that is simply delish in chili. I find I can never go wrong with using ancho peppers (3,000 heat units) which are commonly used in Mexican cuisine. I'm also a fan of dried jalapenos (25,000 heat units), crushed red peppers (20,000-35,000 heat units), cayenne pepper (40,000 heat units), and when I'm feeling bored with my usual recipe I'll use smoky chipotle peppers (15,000 heat units). You get the idea, mix and match and find out what you like best.

Last week I brought all my chili fixings to my big sister's house to thank her family for letting me stay with them during one of my rural rotations. None of them are particularly fond of spicy food, so I really had to coax her to add the right amount of my premixed chili seasoning and was pleasantly surprised when I tasted her product. It was delicious! Even my super-picky nieces loved it despite the weird white beans! Happy Birthday Lee - now you have my chili recipe for life! This recipe is very freezer friendly so if you don't feel like leftovers don't throw them out, save them for later. You can even skip the sauteing altogether and mix all the ingredients in a crock pot and let it simmer on low heat. A serving of this weighs in at 200 calories and 2 grams of fat - yes, just 2 grams of fat! This is delicious topped with shredded reduced fat cheese and a handful of baked tortilla chips, with big slice of Northern Cornbread on the side. Enjoy!

Four Bean Chili, Serves 8
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
2 1/2 T. cumin
2 1/2 T. mild or medium chili powder
2 tsp. aleppo pepper
1/2 tsp. dried jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T. oregano
2-14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 - 1 tsp. salt, optional

Heat oil in an 8-quart stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and saute until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add all spices and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes and stir well to incorporate spices. Add beans and let simmer over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes stirring every five minutes. Taste again and adjust seasonings as desired and add salt if necessary. If you add additional seasonings, simmer an additional 10 minutes before tasting again and serving.