Mushroom Green chili

Ingredients:

2 large onions (about two cups) roughly chopped

1-2 jalapenos, seeded, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

6-8 fresh tomatillos, whole

2 cans diced green chilies

1 carrot peeled and diced

6-8 shiitake mushrooms, re-hydrated and cut into chunks (reserve liquid)

2 Tbsp. Shiitake powder

1-2 Tbsp. AB Chili powder (depending on the level of spice you like)

½ tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

½ bottle of beer lager or ale (nothing too dark)

Reserved mushroom liquid

Directions:

1. Spread onions, jalapenos, garlic and tomatillos over a cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil. Broil until veggies char on the edges. Watch closely and stir once or twice.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven. Transfer veggies to a dutch oven. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add carrots and sauté 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add spices and shiitake powder. Sauté until spices are fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms, beer, and reserved mushroom liquid, bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Simmer for an hour, partially covered, stirring occasionally. Liquid should reduce by half, vegetables should break down.
5. Remove bay leaves.
6. If you want a more gravy-like texture, use stick blender to reach desired consistency. (I did this for the chili pictured here).
7. Serve over rice, in burritos, with cornbread, or use to make really killer nachos, or anywhere else you would use pork green chili.

Cook’s Notes:

This was exponentially better day two. It could easily be done in the crock pot, but in that case I would reduce the liquid, or omit the liquid off the mushrooms.