Syracuse.com - Vegetarian chili dish was memorable for this meat eater

[HuntingNY-News]

I found it a challenge this past New Year’s weekend when my son’s girlfriend from college came to visit and I was reminded that she was a vegetarian. Bottom line: The steak, chicken, venison, frozen fish and Canada goose pretty much remained untouched in our freezer during her visit. This was new territory for me.

One thing I really love about covering the outdoors is the diversity of interesting activities that go on year-round in Central New York.

The beat has exposed me to a wide variety of food, particularly dishes involving wild game and fish. I’ve adopted the philosophy that I’ll try anything once.

While working on stories or eating at friends’ homes the past few years I’ve sampled smoked carp, sucker and pickerel cakes, salmon, perch, trout, walleye and bass.

I’ve dined on squirrel, duck, wild turkey, pheasant, ruffed grouse, frog legs, Canada goose, rabbit, wild boar and elk. And last but not least, I’ve eaten a variety of venison dishes.

So, I found it a challenge this past New Year’s weekend when my son’s girlfriend from college came to visit and I was reminded that she was a vegetarian. Bottom line: The steak, chicken, venison, frozen fish and Canada goose pretty much remained untouched in our freezer during her visit. This was new territory for me.

With the cold weather, I thought of making chili and Googled “vegetarian chili recipes.” At the top of the list was a link to the “Best Vegetarian Chili in the World Recipe.”

I couldn’t resist. I made a list of the ingredients and went to Tops Market in Skaneateles. I easily found all the ingredients with the exception of “two (12 ounce) packages of vegetarian burger crumbles.”

I naively checked the meat section, thinking it would be there. Fortunately, I ran into a female friend of ours in the aisle who I know is a great cook. I told her about my dilemma and she related that her son had also brought his girlfriend home from college for the holidays and that she was a vegan. She pointed out she had an additional challenge because the girlfriend wouldn’t touch anything with dairy products or eggs.

She looked at my ingredient list and laughed. “It seems like the same recipe I made. You make a lot, but it’s good-tasting,” she said.

She directed me away from the meat section in the back of the store to the “Natural Organic Frozen” section near the front of the store, where I easily found what I needed. Vegetarian burger crumbles resemble ground beef and are made from soy.

I quickly drove home, got all the ingredients out and followed the recipe. No problem. I supplemented the chili with a nice salad and a loaf of garlic-flavored sesame seed bread.

It turned out great and everyone liked it. It was a big batch, though, and I ended up having it for lunch four days in a row.

Meanwhile, I still have all that meat in the freezer, and for my birthday this past Monday I received a Mr. Twister electric fish fillet knife from friends. The ice fishing season is almost upon us. Stay tuned.

The vegetarian chili was memorable, though, and I would make it again — particularly since I now know where the vegetarian burger crumbles can be found.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

[Skillet]

My girlfriend is a carnivore, but she does like the veggie burgers. I eat them once in awhile, and I'll never let her know how much I really like them, she'd never let it go.

[13BVET]

Sorry, but not in this lifetime for me and my wife. Not even the least bit interested in the vegan thing. Got to have meat!

[SteveB]

Never understood why why vegetarians disguise there soybeans as meat.

[WNYBuckHunter]

My sister went through a vegetarian phase. Some of the foods she made with tofu werent half bad, actually her vegetarian lasagne is pretty damn good. I havent had it in years though.