The Winter Olympics "Nail-Driving" Champion and The Hot Chili Pot (...

What in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks does a nail-driving competition have to do with this chili?

During the harsh winters that are Canada's November to March, there is not much to do save from freezing to death outside so we get pretty crafty with our time.

The Nail Driving Champion and the Hot Chili Pot:

Being an angsty youth as I was... I randomly found myself outside in the middle of a snow storm, snowflakes all caught up in my big, fluffy eyelashes hammer in hand, blinking at the speed of light trying to see, frantically smacking down as hard as I could to get the tiny, silver nail into the wooden block before anyone else.

Turns out I was prettyyyy good at measuring where that barely visible piece of metal was and won my prized metal of wood with golden letters proclaiming me the Nail Driving Champion of the Winter Olymics. I held the title for two years, I think I came in second on the third year and then, quit and got into chili tasting.

That said, I grew up cheerleading for my dad at various chili competitions in the Winter Olympics when I was younger and he'd very often come home with a winning ribbon so I know my way around a bowl of chili, my friends.

I have tasted so many chilies in my life that it's become a tradition for me that I sort of started to lose living in the tropics... I mean I hardly need much warming up in Bali!

The other day, the slow cooker caught my eye and before I knew it, the delicious spices of this chili were wafting through the air BUT I could NOT stop there. I had to take it 2 steps farther and add on tofu bakon and vegan sour cream.

Let me show you what that looks like!

What You Need:

Chilli

1 cup kidney beans (soaked over night and cooked)
5-7 shallots (minced)
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
2-3 chives (minced)
1 cup diced pumpkin (cubed)
4-5 small tomatoes (diced)
½ red bell pepper (sliced)
½ yellow bell pepper (sliced)
2 jalapenos (minced)
1 cup chopped celery (chopped thinly)
½ tsp pink Himalayan salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp Cajun spice
1 tsp smoked paprika

Toppings:

1 block firm tofu (pressed)
1 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp liquid smoke
vegan sour cream

What To Do:

Get your chili ingredients ready and add them to a slow cooker, or crock pot
Note: I just toss everything in at once and cook it slow all day!
Cut the tofu into strips and put them in a container with the other ingredients. Close the container and shake it to make sure the ingredients get all over the tofu. Put into the fridge for an hour +.
(If you don't have time, don't worry you can cook it straight away but marinating it tastes more smokey!)
Fry or bake the tofu! (I fried mine for this meal but I alternate baking and frying.) To fry: with a little coconut oil, pour the container into a skillet and let the tofu cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side on medium heat.
(Let it cook longer if you want it to get crispy!)
The chili is done when everything is tender but the longer you cook it low and slow, the more flavor you'll get.
Serve the chili with some vegan sour cream and tofu bakon if you want to spice it up!

You'll never have to fear being cold again with this bad boy! Feel free to adjust for your own spice tolerance. I tend to add tons of cayenne in throughout the process but I love a kick to my bowl!

Note: This vegan sour cream is made from lemons, cashews, rejuvalac and chives. I'm looking forward to making a post about all of the vegan cheezes I've been playing with soon!