Zucchini Buffalo Chili Recipes

WEST TEXAS-STYLE BUFFALO CHILI

Steps:

• Soak beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse.
• In a large pot, combine beans with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 to 2 hours, until tender. Once the beans have absorbed most of the water, and are starting to soften, season with chile powder, red pepper flakes, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Reserve the seeds.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium low heat. Saute the onion and bell peppers for 3 minutes. Stir in diced zucchini, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and salsa. Season with jalapeno seeds and chili sauce, stir well, and leave on medium-low heat.
• Place ground buffalo meat in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir buffalo and vegetable mixture into beans. Continue to simmer for 1 hour.

ZUCCHINI CHILI

Steps:

• Char the skins of the poblano chiles by placing them over a gas burner or under a hot broiler with the oven door slightly cracked. Turn the chiles until the skins are black. Remove and cool the chiles in a tightly covered bowl, then peel and finely chop or process into coarse puree in food processor.
• Heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat and add zucchini, onions, garlic, hot pepper, cumin, coriander, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper, stir frequently for 10 minutes. Add in the tomato paste, and stir 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with beer, stir in poblanos and beans and about half of the stock, bring to a bubble then reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes to combine flavors. Cool completely, cover and store for make-ahead meal. Reheat over medium heat.
• While the chili reheats make the rice. Melt the butter in a saucepot over medium heat and add the rice, toast a minute or 2, then stir in 1 1/2 cups stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook covered, over low heat 15 minutes.
• To food processor, add the spinach, cilantro, if using, and a little salt, and pulse into a fine paste. Stir the paste into the rice after 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the rice stand another 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve in shallow bowls with zucchini chili and toppings of choice to garnish.
• Toppers to choose from: crushed tortillas or warm soft tortillas, sour cream, shredded cheeses, scallions or finely chopped onions, lime wedges.

BUFFALO CHILI

Steps:

• Wash and soak beans in BIG pot.
• Cook garlic, onion, celery and 1/2 the spices in olive oil in a skillet.
• Add buffalo meat and cook until brown.
• Rinse beans, and then add water and beef broth in bean pot.
• Add contents of skillet to bean pot.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the big pot.
• Cook for about 3 hours.

VEGETARIAN ZUCCHINI CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large chili pot.
• Sauté all zucchini, squash, celery and chopped onion til tender - about 9 minutes.
• To the pot, add the sauce ingredients to the zucchini mixture.
• Simmer slowly, uncovered, 1-1/2 hour. Stir occasionally.
• Add olives, kidney beans, mushrooms, chunked onion, optional pepper. Simmer 30 minutes.
• Serve over slabs of firm polenta or rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

CONTEST-WINNING VEGETARIAN CHILI

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook zucchini, onions and peppers in oil over medium-high heat until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute., Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.