Because this boosts your immune system (and we’ve added secret ingredients), and helps with “social distancing,” we’ve decided to also call it:
Corona Chili!
Ingredients
- Mushrooms (Shitake, Maitake, Portabello, ABM, Turkey Tail, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Cordyceps, Oyster)
- Black Beans (refried, or powder/flakes); can also use Pinto Beans (flakes)
- 28 oz Diced Tomatoes
- Medium Onion, chopped
- Minced Garlic
- Sweet Yellow/Orange/Red Pepper (optional)
- Celery (chopped) (optional)
- Grated Cheese on top before serving.
Spices
- Chili Powder
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Celtic Sea Salt
All of the above are optional, but again, you will need at least salt and chili powder. Coriander gives it a very fragrant aroma, and some chop up cilantro leaves instead. Cinnamon is found in all “hot & spicy” dishes, but just a pinch.
We call this a Bachelor’s Recipe because we don’t measure anything.
The spices make the chili, but I never measure. Let’s put it this way: lots of chili pepper, a good amount of black pepper, a dash (or more) of cayenne pepper (up to you; how hot you like it). A bit less cumin than chili pepper, half that in coriander, and half that in oregano. Just a pinch of cinnamon and salt to taste.
Super Chef’s Secret
We all know the flavor of things we’ve cooked for hours. There is a tiny shortcut to getting that same depth of flavor without camping out in your kitchen, and that is to just add a square of baking chocolate, or a teaspoon of cacao powder. Melt it or stir it in, and let it simmer a bit longer. Mmmmm.
Let’s not forget FIBER
Since many of us are staying at home having food delivered (I spray everything down with BACO) veggies will be hard to find. The beans we’ve pointed to above at Frontier have FIBER and you will be needing fiber.
Directions
Chop up your onion, peel and crush the garlic. Remember to keep the garlic out of the pot for at least 10 minutes to allow the enzymes to make those great phytochemicals.
Next you can either have your black beans cooked and ready (you’ll mash them and add water to make a thin sauce) or you’ll add water to black bean flakes. The link above to the bean flakes is to Frontier Co-op. We don’t have an affiliate program with them, but they are a great company. Lots of good, organic foods and spices.
How Much Water?
I’ve found that a good ratio is 2 cups of water to ½ cup bean flakes. And since we’re fighting the Coronavirus, we recently added two ounces of BACO to our water.
Note on BACO: THE LESS THE BETTER!
If you take too much, your body purges. (Read the damn book! Click Here.)
But know this, you can mix BACO into ANYTHING, just make sure it comes into your body slowly. You can dehydrate it and rehydrate it. You can add it to your coffee (no more than a teaspoon). But do not ever chug down more than a tablespoon at a time. Sure, I’ve heard people tell me, “Oh I drank half a cup at one time. Nothing happened.”
I’ve also heard people say, “Yeah, I played Russian Roulette.”
Do not play Russian Roulette with your health. Putting an ounce or two ounce into this recipe is safe. You’re not going to chug hot chili. Right?
About the Mushrooms
If you don’t know that mushrooms boost your immune system, you’ve not been on the web long. We were one of the first websites (back in the mid-nineties) to write about the ABM (Agaricus Blazei Murill) mushroom. Back then you could get them directly from Brazil, or you could get “related” ones from China, though they were not the original. They were the best of the best immune-stimulating mushrooms, but are ridiculously difficult to get today. The link we have up in the ingredients to Shitake Mushrooms, is a good place to start on Amazon. Many love the flavor of shitake mushrooms, and they’re quite potent. There is so much on the web about mushrooms and the immune system we’re not even going to bother. Just get them into you. And forget the Reishi. Great medicine, but lousy taste. I ruined this recipe once adding them. Blech.
So, if you’ve started with cooked beans, heat them up, mash them, and add more water to make a soup. Or just add the water to your dried bean flakes, your spices and heat up. If you’re adding veggies (celery or peppers), add them last, before serving.
Options
Instead of Canned Diced Tomatoes, try dicing up your own fresh tomatoes. Also, a “white” chili is to die for, so add heavy whipping cream. It’s fabulous. If you don’t want that much fat, try coconut milk (powder) and a scoop of Greek yogurt. Very smooth and delicious. And one secret of making coconut milk powder taste like whipping cream is to add a teaspoon to a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.
How We Fight the Virus
Onions and garlic are natural immune stimulants. All mushrooms seem to be immuno-supportive too, some more than others. Add in a little BACO, and you’re on your way to killing pathogens, and finally, the beans. Very important these days, because they tend to give us the farts.
And there, folks, is your “social distancing.”
Wash it all down with a beer, and you’ll be farting for a couple of days and you’ll soon be an expert in this social distancing stuff.
Be happy, be well, and stay well.