Cincinnati Chili

My dad's birthday was the other day so I thought I would make an entry with one of his favorite meals: spaghetti and chili..or, Cincinnati Chili. When ordering Cincinnati Chili you have to be quick to the draw and know exactly how you want it. Here's the run-down:
bowl-chili in a bowl
two way- chili and spaghetti
three way- chili, spaghetti and cheese
four way- chili, spaghetti, cheese and onion
five way- chili, spaghetti, cheese, onion and kidney beans

I like my chili 'five way'. The works!


Chili spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, soy crumbles, kidney beans and allspice served over spaghetti.

Cincinnati Chili
serves 3-4
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 cup small dice yellow onion, plus more for garnish
1 celery stalk, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz vegan beef crumbles
2 tbl chili powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 heaping tbl tomato paste
1-15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2-15oz cans tomato sauce
8 oz spaghetti
1/4 cup vegan cheddar cheese

Saute the onions and celery in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, 7 minutes. Add the beef crumbles and garlic and cook until the crumbles are golden brown, 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, salt, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, pepper and bay leaf. Toss to coat and toast the spices, 2 minutes. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with broth, scraping all the bits off the bottom. Add the tomato paste, beans and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes over medium-low heat.
Serve over cooked spaghetti and garnish with diced onion and cheddar cheese.