Crock Pot Veg Chili

At the end of this week I had a lot of odds and ends of veggies that needed to be used. This, in combination with temperatures dropping into the 30s and a canned bean sale at the grocery store, resulted in crock pot chili!

Crock pots are great! They hold SO. MUCH. FOOD. which makes them perfect for entertaining. You can throw everything in, push a button, and let it sit for a few hours or all day. Why don't I use this thing more often?? Leftover chili is great as taco filling, over mashed potatoes, made into soup...

Let's talk tofu. Tofu is made from coagulated soy milk, and is a great source of protein, calcium, and iron (non-heme). Tofu can (and should, in my opinion) be marinaded or seasoned... it tastes less than awesome plain. Firm and extra-firm varieties hold up best for stir-frying and chili where it acts as a meat substitute. There is some controversy surrounding soy products and estrogen, and a possible link between soy and breast cancer. This link between soy and cancer is complicated by other factors (diet, activity level, exposure to other carcinogens), and there is no strong evidence one way or the other. Women in Asian countries who have been eating soy their entire lives have lower rates of cancer than we see in the United States. I plan on continuing to consume soy products in moderation, like everything else.

For this veggie chili you will need:

• 1c lentils
  
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
  
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
  
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed
  
• 1 can corn, rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes
  
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red pepper, cut into 1" pieces
  
• 1 green pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 packet taco seasoning (or make your own)
• 1lb extra-firm tofu
• 1/2 c salsa
• 2 tsp chili powder
• Veggie odds and ends... I used some carrots, broccoli, and 1/2 an acorn squash; about 3c chopped vegetables total

1. Drain the tofu and wrap it in a towel or two. Place it in the refrigerator under something flat and heavy (milk carton, roommate's six-pack of beverage, sheet pan weighted with a textbook...)
2. Turn the crock pot to "low." While the water is being pressed from the tofu, put ~2c water in the crock pot. Add lentils, beans, corn, and tomatoes.
3. Add taco seasoning and stir.
4. In a frying pan, saute onions, garlic and bell peppers in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the mixture to the crock pot.
   
5. Cut up any veggie odds and ends you plan to use into bite-size pieces. Add these to the crock pot, stir, and leave it. Seriously, just walk away (and come back to stir every hour or so).
6. After the tofu is pressed (at least a half hour), remove the tofu from the towels and cut it into 1/2" - 1" cubes. Gently shake the cubes in a tupperware containing the salsa and chili powder until the cubes are coated. Put this back in the fridge until thirty minutes before you are ready to serve the chili.
   
7. I made my chili before I left the house at 9am, and didn't eat until 6 or so at night. However, I found this recipe only needs 2 or so hours of cook time since there is no meat. When everything is soft/cooked (carrots and potatoes take a while... beans will not), place the tofu into a med-high heat frying pan to cook (~4 mins), and then transfer it to the crock pot, or just pop the marinated tofu cubes straight into the chili. Stir gently to avoid breaking up the tofu.

Om nom nom!