Cold Hands, Warm Chili

Warm Creamy Chili

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, in juice
• 1 15 oz vegetable broth
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 1 12 oz can corn
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 – 2 cups Creamed peas, (see directions below)

• Creamed Peas
• 1 bag Yellow Peas, Rinsed and drained

Directions:

In a large pot, saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients except for the creamed peas. Stir together. Simmer on medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. To thicken the sauce and to add a creamy texture to the chili, add the “creamed” peas. I used the full 2 cups, but you can add one cup at a time until you get the desired texture.

Creamed Peas:

This is not the creamed peas from your childhood. This is my recipe for a pea paste you can add to recipes to thicken and add flavor. First of all, follow the directions on your bag of yellow peas (which should cost you less than a dollar!). This means either soaking them overnight and cooking them in water the next day until they are tender. Or you can follow the quick soak method which is what I did. Rinse and sort the peas. Then add them to large pot with 6 – 8 cups of hot water. Bring to a rapid boil and boil for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain water and rinse peas. Add the cooked peas to either a blender or food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. Scrape down any peas that might have tried to escape and pulse again until very smooth, up to about 1 minute if necessary. This will make more than 1 cup of “creamed” peas, but I find this stuff is great to have on hand and I use as a thickener or filler for other recipes too.