Pressure Cooker Mushroom Chili

Yum! Using dried beans makes such a textural difference in this tasty chili. Using a pressure cooker to expedite the cooking of the dried beans is genius! They were cooked perfectly and added a wonderful contrast to the softer “meaty” mushrooms in the finished dish.

The spiciness of the red pepper flakes is magnified in the pressure cooker- I reduced the amount suggested in the original recipe and the spice level (medium?) was just right for our crowd. This recipe was adapted from Hip Pressure Cooking: Fast, Fresh, and Flavorful by Laura D.A. Pazzaglia, founder of hippressurecooking.com. The recipe can easily be made without the bacon to be vegetarian by using more vegetable oil in lieu of bacon fat. We ate it with cornbread and green salad on the side. A perfect cold weather meal- or for the Superbowl!

I am bringing this tasty bowl to share with my friends at the Novice Gardener for Fiesta Friday #51! Enjoy!!

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours, plus soaking beans overnight

• 2 T canola oil (4 T if using instead of bacon fat)
• 7 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped, optional
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 8 oz white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• 24 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• 2 T ground cumin
• 2 T ground coriander
• 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups beer (I used New Castle)
• 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes with juices
• 2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight (up to 24 hours), rinsed, and drained
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 tsp coarse salt, or to taste
• 1 large bunch of cilantro, stems removed, minced, for serving
• sour cream, for serving, optional

1. Cover the dried beans with several inches of water in a large bowl. Soak overnight. (or up to 24 hours)
2. Heat the pressure cooker on medium heat; add the oil and heat briefly. Add the bacon and sauté until almost crispy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion and celery; sauté until the onion has softened, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the sliced mushrooms; sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned and about half of the juices have evaporated, 5 minutes or longer.
5. Sprinkle the cumin, coriander, cocoa powder, and red pepper flakes over the mixture and stir to combine. Saute for 1 minute more to lightly toast the spices.
6. Stir in the beer to deglaze the pan.
7. Add the tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf and mix well.
8. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat and release the pressure by “Natural Release” (letting it sit off the heat) as it continues to cook. (It took my pressure cooker 20 minutes to release the pressure.)
10. Open the lid and remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the salt; taste and adjust the seasonings.
11. Ladle the chili into individual bowls and garnish with sour cream and/or cilantro, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Two Years Ago:

• Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard
• Chipotle Chicken and Rice

Rick Bayless’ Classic Mexican Fried Beans with Onions & Garlic

Refried beans are an essential side dish to every Mexican meal. I am a fan of Trader Joe’s Vegetarian Salsa Style Refried Pinto Beans- I am not sure if I should be embarrassed to admit it. 🙂 They are smooth-textured and tasty.

This dish, Frijoles Refritos, is very different- and delicious as well! The beans are coarsely mashed and thick-textured. I used pinto beans (my preference) but any type of bean could be used and each would have a unique flavor. I also used avocado oil, but I am sure that they would be even tastier with bacon drippings!

This recipe is from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisine. We ate them with Tacos of Creamy Braised Chard, Potatoes, & Poblanos. It would be pretty easy to just eat them as a dip with tortilla chips too.

Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups, 6 generous servings

• 2 T vegetable oil, rich-tasting lard, bacon or chorizo drippings
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced or finely chopped
• 4 cups undrained, seasoned cooked beans, preferably slightly warm for easy mashing (I empty the canned beans into a measuring cup and microwave them, in their liquid, for 2 minutes.)
• coarse salt, to taste
• about 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco, or pressed, salted farmer’s cheese, dry feta or Parmesan, for garnish
• cilantro, for garnish, optional
• tortilla chips for garnish, optional

1. In a large (10- to 12-inch), well-seasoned or nonstick skillet, heat the oil or pork fat over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute or so.
3. Use a slotted spoon to scoop in about 1/4 of the warm beans, leaving most of the liquid behind. With a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, mash the beans into a coarse puree. Add another portion of the beans, mash them in, and continue until all of the beans have been added and coarsely mashed.
4. Add about a cup of the bean liquid (or water if you have no liquid) and stir frequently over the heat until the beans are still a little soupier than you’d like to serve them (they’ll thicken as they sit). They should have the consistency of warm mashed potatoes. The total cooking time will take 10 to 15 minutes. 
5. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
6. Serve sprinkled with crumbled cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips, as desired.

Notes:

• It is easier to mash warm beans than cold ones. (I microwaved the beans to warm them before adding to the pan.)
• Cook the beans softer than you want them because the dish thickens as it cools.
• If the dish is made in advance, keep the beans warm in a double boiler rather than over direct heat. Check consistency and stir in a little water, if necessary, before serving.

One Year Ago:

• Hungarian Lentil Stew
• Lentil-Kielbasa Soup