Sustainable Cooking: with chili!

This weekend I was listening to Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table and her guest Diana Henry (talking about her book Plenty: Good, uncomplicated food for the sustainable kitchen) inspired me to start thinking about how leftovers play into my cooking. We're really bad at leftovers at my house. If I don't take them to work, the husband forgets they exist and eats things like toast or whole bags of chips for lunch (feel free to judge him for that, I do it all the time). Of course, leftovers are of great value to me because it means there's one less meal for me to plan throughout the week. This is especially desirable since time is such a rare commodity when contending with a one-year-old and a 40+ hour per week job. The only tried and true leftover at my house is chili (which is our winter favorite) and I swear it's because I've become a pro at repackaging and repurposing it.

I probably make chili at least once a month (sometimes twice) because it's cheap, simple, and I don't need a recipe any more. I do always make it on a weekend so I can check in on it every now and then, especially since cooking time varies depending on what ingredients I'm using. Generally my recipe (note: it is vegetarian, but quite a few meat-eaters have enjoyed it) goes as follows:

Rinse 3-4 cups dried beans (half kidney, half black) and put into a slow cooker with a double volume of water (so for 3 cups beans, 6 cups water) for 3-4 hours on high, 6 or so hours on low - I prefer to use dried beans because they're cheaper and I can buy them in bulk at our food co-op so I consider than to be a little bit more environmentally friendly. However, when I'm in a pinch I'll throw two 25 oz cans of beans in a pot (though I usually rinse first to avoid extra sodium).

Once the beans are cooked (or if you start with canned beans), I'll do any number of things depending on how many dishes I want to wash and how much time I have. I always add 30-50 oz tomatoes (sometimes crushed, sometimes pureed - depends on your texture preference; sometimes if I'm low on cans of tomatoes I'll do one 28 oz can with an 8 oz can of tomato paste and 8 oz water). From there I usually spice it the same:

4 or so tablespoons chili powder (to taste really)
2 dashes cinnamon
2 teaspoons coriander
2 tablespoons cumin
a dash of chipotle powder if I want it to be more smokey
4-5 cloves garlic (~1 tablespoon garlic powder if I don't have cloves)
salt and pepper to taste

Then, some semblance of the following is generally thrown in to the mix:

Onions - Sometimes I caramelize onions and add them, sometimes I'll just throw some diced raw ones in - if I do onions, I generally just do one large or two small. If I don't add onions, I usually add a few shakes of onion powder.

Spiciness - I usually add one 4 oz can of chili peppers, but if I don't have that, I keep a jalapeno relish in the fridge, and I'll add about 2 tablespoons of that. I've also added pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that I've had leftover from other recipes (usually only 1-2 tablespoons since this can get pretty spicy and while I enjoy heat, the baby and the hubs have a little trouble with it).

Sweetness - Sometimes when I'm looking for something a little less smokey, and more sweet, I'll add a few tablespoons of something to give it a zip (add slowly and taste the whole time so you don't overdo it). Favorites are BBQ sauce, ketchup, plain old sugar, and jam - in a moment of brilliance the hubs came up with the jam and it is a favorite (so far our best result has come from adding black and blue jam).

Canned corn - Adding a 15 oz can of corn makes for a nice, chunky chili with a little color.

More protein - Every now and then I'll add veggie protein to give my chili a traditional ground texture. This is where you could add ground beef or turkey too. However, if I do add this, I usually only do about 8 oz. I suppose you could go half and half with the beans if you wanted.

That's generally it. I leave it in the pot long enough to heat through and let the flavors meld. The longer it combines, the better it tastes. I'll often make my chili the night before I want to eat it, since I'm a firm believer that chili tastes better with time. I generally like to serve my initial vat of chili with brown rice or corn bread. That being said, these are the fantastic leftover dishes I've made in order to make it last as long as possible:

Heuvos Rancheros - Put chili in a large skillet and bring to medium/high heat. Once chili is heated through and starts to simmer, make four wells in the chili and crack an egg into each well. Cook until eggs are fully poached. Serve on a bed of tortilla chips and cheddar cheese.

Nachos Grande - I always keep cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips on hand because of our chili obsession. They're good for snacking and perfect for Appetizers for Dinner night (something I usually do at least once a month). Other good additions are: red onions, spinach, California black pitted and diced olives.

Chili and Cheddar Omeletes - Two egg omelets with chili and cheddar filling (I do heat the chili in the microwave first), with a little salsa, sour cream, and hot sauce at the table. Yum!

Chili Smothered Corn Fritters - Choose a corn fritter recipe and dump some delicious chili on top.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (or toasted cheese quesadillas) with Chili - Awesome lunch favorite, and has more protein than tomato soup.

Baked Chili, Spinach and Cheddar Burritos - Make about 2 cups of white rice. Stir in about 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro and ~1-2 tablespoons of lime juice and set aside. Saute one large onion in olive oil in a large skillet. Add ~10 cups of baby spinach (usually one of those large salad containers works) and a few cloves of garlic. Stir and cook until wilted. Add 8 oz of cream cheese and 8 oz of cheddar. Fill 10-12 large flour tortillas with leftover chili, a scoop of cheesy spinach and a scoop of rice. Brush olive oil over the wrapped burritos. Bake in a 9 x 13 casserole dish for 15 or so mins at 350 F.

Chili Enchiladas - Mix about 15 oz chili with a 15 oz can of refried beans and one 4 oz can of green chilis. Microwave 12-15 corn tortillas for 30 seconds. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with enchilada sauce. Fill your tortillas with chili filling, wrap and place in the casserole dish. Pour the rest of your enchilada sauce over tortillas, top with cheese. Bake 15-20 mins at 375 F.

Chili Dogs - Every now and then I'll grab a package of veggie dogs to smother in chili and cheese. Comfort food is so important.

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm always on the lookout for more. I think my next attempt will be to make a chili bean burger!

What are your favorite leftover-laden recipes?