Fake Chicken Cashew Chili

By jjadin

Successfully adapted from a meaty recipe, carnivores love this.

Ingredients

• For chili purée
• 2 dried ancho chilies
• 1/4 cup cashews, raw or roasted
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 pounds Quorn naked chicken cutlets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped coarse
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander sprigs (wash and dry before chopping)
• a 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup cashews, raw or roasted
• 1/2 ounce fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Make chili purée:
Heat a small heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot and toast chilies, 1 at a time, pressing down with tongs, a few seconds on each side to make more pliable. Wearing rubber gloves, seed and devein chilies. In a blender purée chilies with cashews and broth until smooth.

Chop Quorn into 1/2 inch cubes

In a large heavy saucepan heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cool onion and garlic, stirring, until softened. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add Quorn and stir to coat with onion mixture. Stir in chili purée, 2 tablespoons coriander, and tomatoes with juice and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking, 15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in cashews, remaining tablespoon coriander, chocolate, and beans. Cook chili over moderate heat, stirring, until heated through and chocolate is melted. Chili may be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled, covered.