Ok, I know with this recipe I might be coming toe-to-toe with some picky eaters. You turned your nose at the anchovy thing, but you decided to forgive me since they were optional.
But this recipe...with its ancho chiles and its whole POUND of mushrooms...well, you're crossing your arms and looking down your nose.
This is a vegetarian chile. It has traditional ingredients, like black beans & tomatoes & cumin. And it also has some surprises, like ancho chiles, mushrooms, ground coriander, and lager beer. (Although, c'mon, there are lots of great chilis with beer in them.)
A post for picky eaters of all ages is coming one day. But until then, I want to encourage you with the old mantra of my mother at the dinner table: "Try it, you'll like it!" (And if you don't, then you can make yourself a peanut butter sandwich.)
A big part of this Food-Lover's Challenge is teaching ourselves how to use (& like) new ingredients--to expand our vegetable repertoire in particular. I admittedly have never been a huge mushroom-lover. I tolerate them in a neutral way, and I never gravitate toward them. In fact, thinking of a "vegetarian lifestyle" always brings portabello mushrooms to mind, used in place of beef...which is kind of a mental let-down for me. I'm sharing that to say I made this chili with the mushrooms. And I think the mushrooms were the best part.
This chili wasn't my all-time favorite, but it introduced some new flavors to me. My husband liked it, and my 2-yr-old picked through it, which is a general success in my book. If you take a bite and think "Ummmm, I'm not sure," then keep eating. I felt that way after my first bite, and by the end of the bowl I decided I liked it.
I served my chili with Jiffy corn bread & a little shredded cheddar on top. Yeah, it's kind of cheating, but the corn bread made it, in my opinion. (Or you can go the crushed tortilla chip route, if that floats your chili boat.)
I know this is not a glowing review of something you have yet to cook, but I'm just trying to share the thought process of getting over some food prejudices. Seriously, try it--you really might like it!
ON THE SIDE SUGGESTION: Jiffy cornbread--a MUST at my house :)
But this recipe...with its ancho chiles and its whole POUND of mushrooms...well, you're crossing your arms and looking down your nose.
This is a vegetarian chile. It has traditional ingredients, like black beans & tomatoes & cumin. And it also has some surprises, like ancho chiles, mushrooms, ground coriander, and lager beer. (Although, c'mon, there are lots of great chilis with beer in them.)
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A big part of this Food-Lover's Challenge is teaching ourselves how to use (& like) new ingredients--to expand our vegetable repertoire in particular. I admittedly have never been a huge mushroom-lover. I tolerate them in a neutral way, and I never gravitate toward them. In fact, thinking of a "vegetarian lifestyle" always brings portabello mushrooms to mind, used in place of beef...which is kind of a mental let-down for me. I'm sharing that to say I made this chili with the mushrooms. And I think the mushrooms were the best part.
This chili wasn't my all-time favorite, but it introduced some new flavors to me. My husband liked it, and my 2-yr-old picked through it, which is a general success in my book. If you take a bite and think "Ummmm, I'm not sure," then keep eating. I felt that way after my first bite, and by the end of the bowl I decided I liked it.
I served my chili with Jiffy corn bread & a little shredded cheddar on top. Yeah, it's kind of cheating, but the corn bread made it, in my opinion. (Or you can go the crushed tortilla chip route, if that floats your chili boat.)
I know this is not a glowing review of something you have yet to cook, but I'm just trying to share the thought process of getting over some food prejudices. Seriously, try it--you really might like it!
ON THE SIDE SUGGESTION: Jiffy cornbread--a MUST at my house :)
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