If it’s the start of the week, it’s Crock-Pot Monday at Chez Recessionista!
I think I’ve mentioned before that my mother-in-law (hi, D-Ma!) surprised me at Christmastime with a copy of Robin Robertson’s cookbook One-Pot Vegan, and already I’ve put it to use several times. Like every other Robin Robertson cookbook I’ve ever used, these recipes are tried-and-true, and I know I can rely on them to pan out in the end! Love the ingredients, love the final product. It’s as easy as that.
This morning, I put the ingredients for her Chili Java in the good old Crock-Pot and let ’er rip on Low for about eight hours. I won’t get into all the details of the recipe – I’d encourage you to buy her book! – but I will say I made a couple of substitutions, the most meaningful being swapping TVP out in favor of chopped-up veggie burgers. I can’t say what this dish tastes like with TVP, but the burgers certainly didn’t hurt the recipe at all! We both loved the texture they brought to the dish, and I’ll import this substitution into some of my other chili recipes as a result!
But the burger substitution wasn’t the only thing we loved about this Chili Java. In fact, our favorite component of the recipe was the addition of fresh-brewed coffee to the mix! Spoiler alert: In the end, you don’t actually taste the coffee. What you do taste, however, is a dark, rich undertone that you can’t quite put your finger on. The coffee brings a wonderfully earthy, slightly acidic taste that really makes the flavors sing. Paired with some hot diced green chilies, it was the perfect unexpected addition to the dish.
Also, speaking of singing: My heart is absolutely operatic with the knowledge that we have enough Chili Java for lunch tomorrow! I do love a gift that keeps on giving.
:)