Chili

As a Texan by upbringing, I am contractually obligated to make chili now and then. It was the first thing I learned to cook, and one of a small list of things that I make from memory.
Of course, being chili, I don't really make it from memory - I make it up as I go along, with whatever is taking up space in the fridge/pantry/freezer.

Most of the chili I've made is vegetarian, because I prefer supporting industrialized slaughterhouses as little as possible, and I don't like paying a premium for "happy cows." More recently, I've even developed a vegetarian chili that has no beans, just to see how far I could push the envelope of avoiding common food sensitivities. I love beans, so this recipe I use now is more a supplement to a normal chili, rather than a stand-alone.

Eggplant, mushrooms, and cauliflower (especially the latter) seem to be very in right now. I'd say that part of their popularity is because of their use as providing healthy substitutes to meat, while not trying to be meat. Particularly when roasted, these three foods develop a wonderful texture, caramelization, and savory-sweet flavor.

What does this have to do with chili? Well, those who are willing to wait all day for chili (and you should, because good chili is worth cooking all day), use these three things to improve your veggie stews. Oil up a big roasting pan - slice eggplant into 1-inch rounds - roughly chop mushrooms and cauliflower - line the bottom of the pan with eggplant, then layer on the other stuff.

Heavily season with chili powder, black pepper, and cumin before baking at 450 degrees F for...a while. This usually takes upwards of 45 minutes. If you're feeling extra-lazy in food prep, throw in some chopped onions and tomatoes to simmer in their juices and flavor everything in there. Garlic cloves and sweet bell peppers can go in at the half-way point of the roasting, which is also when everything needs to be stirred. Keep roasting this mess until everything is browned and about to blacken. You now have something akin to a sofrito, mirepoix, or włoszczyzna (never, ever ask me how to pronounce the latter) without all the work of sauteing and sweating over the stove-top.

I did this a couple times as an experiment to produce bean-less vegetarian chili and was pleasantly surprised. I still prefer it mixed with beans, however, as it provides a nice, meaty texture and absorbs seasonings better than tofu would.

I also made vegetarian shepherd's pie for the 14th of March (or "Pi-day"). The Greek letter on top of the pie is made from homemade mushroom gravy, which takes a infuriating amount of simmering to make, but is well worthwhile as a topping for potatoes or biscuits.

I really need to make this again...