On a cold and rainy day in the UK, all you want is a body-warming meal- unfortunately, you can’t survive on beer and cider alone.  Traditional English cuisine is notorious for being hot and heavy (probably to compensate for the almost constant rain), utilizing beans, bread, and root vegetables to create filling meals.  Many people make fun of English food, calling it bland and even disgusting (to be fair, black pudding?), but I found it delicious and comforting, like Southern soul food.  After hibernating for several winter days, wrapped in blankets and wearing fluffy socks, I was coaxed out of bed  by the smell of this amazing spicy chili.  It’s quick, easy, cheap, and can feed a small army.  Alter spice amounts to suit your tastes.  Enjoy!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 whole garlic cloves
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 Romano peppers, diced
• 1 dozen white button mushrooms, sliced
• 4 large tomatoes, diced
• 14 oz/300 g  Kuorn mince meat (or your favorite vegetarian meat)
• 2 red chili peppers, diced
• 2 green chili peppers, diced
• 3 1/2 oz/100 g of tomato puree
• Half glass red wine
• 2 bay leaves (taken out after stewing)
• 1 pinch of Herbes de Provence
• 1 tbsp of chili powder
• 1 tsp of fresh chili flakes
• 3 1/3 tbsp olive oil
• Ground black pepper (to taste)
• Sliced jalapeños peppers (to taste)

Method:

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a stew pot and sauté onions, shallots, and garlic on low heat.  Add mushrooms and peppers and sauté for another five minutes.  Add the vegetarian “meat”, tomatoes, tomato puree, red wine, 3 tbsp olive oil, and all herbs and spices.  Leave to simmer for 1 hour.  Remove bay leaves and top with cheese and/or sour cream.  If you like it spicy, add jalapeños.

Yields 6 to 8 servings