Bear Creek Lodge

Victor, Montana

Specialty Recipe

Chili with Roasted Vegetables

This is a great Sunday night supper for a crowd recipe. I like to serve it with a crusty bread and individual focaccias as well as a crunchy green salad with grapefruit sections, and hearty beer or merlot. If you have a gas grill readily available, roast the vegetables there instead for a great smoky flavor. The chili may be prepared a day ahead and reheated before serving. It only gets better! ...Elizabeth Turney

Ingredients Beans

1 pound of dried beans: great northern, pinto and/or small red, any combination.

Roasted Vegetables

6 plum tomatoes

4 ears corn

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and diced

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dry)

1 Tablespoon fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dry)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Olive oil for tossing

4 red peppers, quartered and seeded or left whole for grill

For the Soup Pot

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons cumin

2-1/2 Tablespoons chili powder

3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian chili)

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

Toppings

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup chopped red onions

1 pound sausage meat, browned (optional)

Guacamole (optional)

Before you begin to build chili, sort beans then cover in water 3 inches deeper than beans. Soak for at least 8 hours or overnight, then rinse and drain.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or grill to high. Halve tomatoes, removing and reserving seeds and juice, then dice. Remove corn kernels from ears with sharp knife, then scrape again to remove milk. In a large oven pan, place onions, tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, and herbs. Separate kernels from milk with a slotted spoon, draining so as to leave juices behind, and toss with vegetables, spraying or sprinkling with olive oil to lightly coat. Sprinkle with salt and toss again. Place peppers, skin side up, atop vegetables and place in oven for thirty minutes, or place whole peppers on grill, turning regularly to roast all sides. Place pan beside them and cover grill. Vegetables are roasted when onions are transparent and the vegetables are tender. Pepper skins will blacken. To facilitate the peeling of skins from peppers, place them in a paper bag, whole or cut, roll the bag closed, and set aside until cool.

Meanwhile, put olive oil in large soup pot at medium high heat; add cayenne, cumin, and chili powder. Stir about a minute until aromatic. Add chicken broth and beans and begin to simmer. Add onion, tomato/corn mixture, corn milk, tomato seeds and juice, and tomato paste. When peppers are cooled, remove skins and seeds, chop, and add to pot.

Let simmer covered for at least 1-1/2 hours. If too thin, remove lid and allow steam to escape; chili will thicken as it continues to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with sausage, onions, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 1-1/2 hours

Serves: 8

• You found this recipe on 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook. (www.virtualcities.com)

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