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1.) DParker - 05/05/2013
Now...before anyone starts demanding revocation of my Man Card, or expulsion from the state of Texas...hear me out....
I work with a very nice young woman from India. Due to her cultural background she was raised a vegetarian. She has no moral objection to the consumption of meat, and her husband and daughter are both enthusiastic carnivores. She also has no problem at all with my hunting, and she's frequently an interested listener whenever I recount my tales of days spent in the woods. She doesn't care what anyone else eats. She simply has no desire to add meat to her diet. I can respect that.
The problem is that I frequently bring in samples of my homemade chili for my group to try in order to elicit honest feedback on it from them...which has been quite valuable in my efforts to refine the recipe. But this always excludes my young Indian co-worker. One day I semi-tongue-in-cheek told her that I'd make a tofu chili one day just for her so she could at least try out the gravy and tell me what she thinks. But I never got around to it, not being sure if she'd really want something like that anyway. Well, the other day we all went out to lunch for someone's birthday and she gave me a hard time about never having come through on my promise. I felt like I'd welched on a bet. To make matters worse she's always bringing in some homemade goodie to share with us. Once she even made banana-walnut bread and brought it in just because I said something about how much I loved it.
So, shamed into keeping my word...and viewing it as a challenge to see if I could actually modify my recipe to make a tasty "chili" devoid of any meat products (note that I put "chili" in quotes, because by definition the lack of meat means that it's not actually chili, but should sorta' taste like one due to the sauce being essentially the same)...I decided to see what I could come up with today that I could bring in for her tomorrow.
To take the place of the meat I picked up 1 lb of extra-firm tofu ([I]organic[/I] even...I feel like such a dirty hippy) and a small carton of white mushrooms, just for a meatier texture. The tofu was pre-cubed, and I chopped the 'shrooms into 1/4"-1/2" chunks, just like I would beef. I sauteed both in a little vegetable oil (instead of bacon drippings) in an attempt to brown the tofu (which doesn't really brown...it sort of "beiges") to give it a little carmelization and add a little more texture to it. I also substituted vegetable stock for the beef and chicken stock that I normally use. Everything else was per my normal recipe, except that I cut back on the chili powder by one tablespoon at the end. For some reason it seemed like the heat level was significantly elevated. I don't know if the lack of meat and/or meat-based stock had anything to do with it, but it was definitely hotter than usual. Since I don't know the extent of her heat tolerance I thought it best to tone it down just a little bit (though with her being from India she'll probably think it's not spicy enough).
The end result? Not bad, surprisingly enough. The absence of beef flavor makes it a completely different dish, of course...and the spongy texture of the tofu and mushrooms was a little weird. But the overall taste, in which the chiles dominate anyway, was pretty good. It would probably work well served over rice or some other starch.
Now, for all the Birkenstock-wearing hippy-dippiness of this whole exercise....note that I still did not sink so low as to put beans in it. There are some lines I just won't cross.
I work with a very nice young woman from India. Due to her cultural background she was raised a vegetarian. She has no moral objection to the consumption of meat, and her husband and daughter are both enthusiastic carnivores. She also has no problem at all with my hunting, and she's frequently an interested listener whenever I recount my tales of days spent in the woods. She doesn't care what anyone else eats. She simply has no desire to add meat to her diet. I can respect that.
The problem is that I frequently bring in samples of my homemade chili for my group to try in order to elicit honest feedback on it from them...which has been quite valuable in my efforts to refine the recipe. But this always excludes my young Indian co-worker. One day I semi-tongue-in-cheek told her that I'd make a tofu chili one day just for her so she could at least try out the gravy and tell me what she thinks. But I never got around to it, not being sure if she'd really want something like that anyway. Well, the other day we all went out to lunch for someone's birthday and she gave me a hard time about never having come through on my promise. I felt like I'd welched on a bet. To make matters worse she's always bringing in some homemade goodie to share with us. Once she even made banana-walnut bread and brought it in just because I said something about how much I loved it.
So, shamed into keeping my word...and viewing it as a challenge to see if I could actually modify my recipe to make a tasty "chili" devoid of any meat products (note that I put "chili" in quotes, because by definition the lack of meat means that it's not actually chili, but should sorta' taste like one due to the sauce being essentially the same)...I decided to see what I could come up with today that I could bring in for her tomorrow.
To take the place of the meat I picked up 1 lb of extra-firm tofu ([I]organic[/I] even...I feel like such a dirty hippy) and a small carton of white mushrooms, just for a meatier texture. The tofu was pre-cubed, and I chopped the 'shrooms into 1/4"-1/2" chunks, just like I would beef. I sauteed both in a little vegetable oil (instead of bacon drippings) in an attempt to brown the tofu (which doesn't really brown...it sort of "beiges") to give it a little carmelization and add a little more texture to it. I also substituted vegetable stock for the beef and chicken stock that I normally use. Everything else was per my normal recipe, except that I cut back on the chili powder by one tablespoon at the end. For some reason it seemed like the heat level was significantly elevated. I don't know if the lack of meat and/or meat-based stock had anything to do with it, but it was definitely hotter than usual. Since I don't know the extent of her heat tolerance I thought it best to tone it down just a little bit (though with her being from India she'll probably think it's not spicy enough).
The end result? Not bad, surprisingly enough. The absence of beef flavor makes it a completely different dish, of course...and the spongy texture of the tofu and mushrooms was a little weird. But the overall taste, in which the chiles dominate anyway, was pretty good. It would probably work well served over rice or some other starch.
Now, for all the Birkenstock-wearing hippy-dippiness of this whole exercise....note that I still did not sink so low as to put beans in it. There are some lines I just won't cross.
2.) BULLZ-i - 05/06/2013
[B][COLOR="#0000CD"]TEXIFORNIAN![/COLOR][/B]
3.) Old Crow - 05/06/2013
I was going to suggest portabaellas to give some meat like texture but you hit on it with the white shrooms ...... My sister is veggie and she made me some awesome lasagna .....portabaellas as meat and tofu curd as rocatta cheese it is really good
P.s. .....veggie chili seems to be a natural location for beans just saying ....:wink
P.s. .....veggie chili seems to be a natural location for beans just saying ....:wink
4.) bluecat - 05/06/2013
[QUOTE=DParker;5765] The tofu was pre-cubed[/QUOTE]
I always get pre-cubed. It's just a skill I never could master.
I always get pre-cubed. It's just a skill I never could master.
5.) DParker - 05/06/2013
[QUOTE=Old Crow;5778]I was going to suggest portabaellas to give some meat like texture but you hit on it with the white shrooms ...... My sister is veggie and she made me some awesome lasagna .....portabaellas as meat and tofu curd as rocatta cheese it is really good[/QUOTE]
I almost grabbed the portobellos out of sheer habit (I use them in most things). But after thinking about it for a second I came to the conclusion that it would be waste, since the intense spice flavors of the gravy would likely make it nigh impossible to taste the difference between them and plain white mushrooms.
[QUOTE=Old Crow;5778]P.s. .....veggie chili seems to be a natural location for beans just saying ....:wink[/QUOTE]
Not just no...but HELL no. Like I said, there are lines that even I won't cross.
[QUOTE=bluecat;5782]I always get pre-cubed. It's just a skill I never could master.[/QUOTE]
So you're a dirty hippy on regular basis? Cool. I don't feel so bad now. :wink
I almost grabbed the portobellos out of sheer habit (I use them in most things). But after thinking about it for a second I came to the conclusion that it would be waste, since the intense spice flavors of the gravy would likely make it nigh impossible to taste the difference between them and plain white mushrooms.
[QUOTE=Old Crow;5778]P.s. .....veggie chili seems to be a natural location for beans just saying ....:wink[/QUOTE]
Not just no...but HELL no. Like I said, there are lines that even I won't cross.
[QUOTE=bluecat;5782]I always get pre-cubed. It's just a skill I never could master.[/QUOTE]
So you're a dirty hippy on regular basis? Cool. I don't feel so bad now. :wink
6.) bluecat - 05/06/2013
[QUOTE=DParker;5785]So you're a dirty hippy on regular basis? Cool. I don't feel so bad now. :wink[/QUOTE]
I resent that. Every Sunday evening I go down to the communal baths and dip my toe in the water.
I resent that. Every Sunday evening I go down to the communal baths and dip my toe in the water.
7.) Swamp Fox - 05/06/2013
I went out with a vegetarian chick for a while...Needless to say, it didn't work out...
D'oh!
It's been a loooong time, then, since I've been near tofu. Have they made any improvements?
LOL
D'oh!
It's been a loooong time, then, since I've been near tofu. Have they made any improvements?
LOL
8.) DParker - 05/06/2013
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;5799]It's been a loooong time, then, since I've been near tofu. Have they made any improvements?[/QUOTE]
I'd like to think that smothering it in spicy chili gravy represents something of an improvement.
I'd like to think that smothering it in spicy chili gravy represents something of an improvement.
9.) Swamp Fox - 05/06/2013
LOL..
It's still bean curd, though, right? Right?
You see where I'm going with this? :-)
(I'm not sure I even want to know what a curd is...:wink)
It's still bean curd, though, right? Right?
You see where I'm going with this? :-)
(I'm not sure I even want to know what a curd is...:wink)
10.) Swamp Fox - 05/06/2013
....
11.) DParker - 05/06/2013
Well, yeah. It's not like anyone has genetically modified soy beans to taste like beef yet. But I'll fire off a quick note to Monsanto and see if I can't get them working on that [I]post haste[/I].
Ironically, she just stopped by my office to thank me for the "chili" and to tell me that she thought it was delicious. We talked about it for a minute and both agreed that it in fact would have been better to omit the tofu in favor of something else, just because the texture is too spongy. But then she suggested beans. Ingrate.
Ironically, she just stopped by my office to thank me for the "chili" and to tell me that she thought it was delicious. We talked about it for a minute and both agreed that it in fact would have been better to omit the tofu in favor of something else, just because the texture is too spongy. But then she suggested beans. Ingrate.
12.) DParker - 05/06/2013
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;5807](I'm not sure I even want to know what a curd is...:wink)[/QUOTE]
13.) Nathan - 05/14/2013
I've heard of people using butternut squash. It seems like that would make it to sweet though.
14.) bluecat - 05/14/2013
Squash is for making nice little displays with pumpkins and haybales and scarecrows and cornstalks and such. But NOT for eating. YUCH!
15.) DParker - 05/14/2013
[QUOTE=Nathan;6014]I've heard of people using butternut squash. It seems like that would make it to sweet though.[/QUOTE]
Not only that, but I think the texture wouldn't really work either. I do like butternut squash though (and several others as well).
[QUOTE=bluecat;6016]Squash is for making nice little displays with pumpkins and haybales and scarecrows and cornstalks and such. But NOT for eating. YUCH![/QUOTE]
Pumpkin pie, grilled summer squash, spaghetti squash w/meat sauce, squash soup, fried squash blossoms......man, you're missing out.
Not only that, but I think the texture wouldn't really work either. I do like butternut squash though (and several others as well).
[QUOTE=bluecat;6016]Squash is for making nice little displays with pumpkins and haybales and scarecrows and cornstalks and such. But NOT for eating. YUCH![/QUOTE]
Pumpkin pie, grilled summer squash, spaghetti squash w/meat sauce, squash soup, fried squash blossoms......man, you're missing out.
16.) bluecat - 05/14/2013
[QUOTE=DParker;6017]
Pumpkin pie, grilled summer squash, spaghetti squash w/meat sauce, squash soup, fried squash blossoms......man, you're missing out.[/QUOTE]
Put all that stuff in a big tube, cap it off with a nice eggplant and light the fuse.
I do like pumpkin pie but hey who doesn't?
Pumpkin pie, grilled summer squash, spaghetti squash w/meat sauce, squash soup, fried squash blossoms......man, you're missing out.[/QUOTE]
Put all that stuff in a big tube, cap it off with a nice eggplant and light the fuse.
I do like pumpkin pie but hey who doesn't?
17.) DParker - 05/14/2013
You're dissin' eggplant too?! Eggplant Parmigiana...vegetable dish of the gods:
I can understand hate for, say...Brussels Sprouts. Those things are the vile spawn of some lesser demon from the lowest level of hell. But eggplant? Sheesh.
I can understand hate for, say...Brussels Sprouts. Those things are the vile spawn of some lesser demon from the lowest level of hell. But eggplant? Sheesh.
18.) bluecat - 05/14/2013
LOVE BRUSSEL SPROUTS!
Okay, high noon, OK corral. Bring your six shooter.
Okay, high noon, OK corral. Bring your six shooter.
19.) bluecat - 05/14/2013
Eggplant is the only food where the mere thought of it makes me want to...to...to...
Back in five.
Back in five.
20.) DParker - 05/14/2013
Eggplant, fresh from the garden. Wholesome and just plain friendly. Look at how this just says, "Cook me into something delicious for your family":
Now compare that with these unnaturally vertically grouped things. These are obviously alien eggs just waiting to hatch face-hugging monsters that want nothing more than to use you and your neighbors as hosts for reproducing and furthering their agenda of colonizing the Earth. I say we blast off and nuke the sight from orbit. It's the only way to be sure:
Now compare that with these unnaturally vertically grouped things. These are obviously alien eggs just waiting to hatch face-hugging monsters that want nothing more than to use you and your neighbors as hosts for reproducing and furthering their agenda of colonizing the Earth. I say we blast off and nuke the sight from orbit. It's the only way to be sure:
21.) bluecat - 05/14/2013
Now I thought you'd like those little vertically grouped things. Think of them as little arrays of goodness.
22.) Hunter - 05/15/2013
[QUOTE=bluecat;6021]Eggplant is the only food where the mere thought of it makes me want to...to...to...
Back in five.[/QUOTE]
I'm with BC on this one!
Back in five.[/QUOTE]
I'm with BC on this one!
23.) Swamp Fox - 05/15/2013
Let's face it....Vegetables are for girls...
24.) DParker - 05/15/2013
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;6027]Let's face it....Vegetables are for girls...[/QUOTE]
Hey, you've gotta' have [I]something[/I] on the side to give you the illusion that you're eating healthy while stuffing your face with steak.
Hey, you've gotta' have [I]something[/I] on the side to give you the illusion that you're eating healthy while stuffing your face with steak.