Chef Charles Carroll is an award-winning chef who travels the world speaking on championship thinking and personal greatness. Past president of the World Association of Chefs Societies, he’s been lauded by five U.S. presidents for his work with U.S. troops abroad. A luminary of the Culinary Olympics, held every four years in Germany, he is currently executive chef of Houston’s prestigious River Oaks Country Club. In addition to his book, The Recipe: A Story of Loss, Love and the Ingredients of Greatness, he also the written award-winning books, Leadership Lessons from a Chef (Wiley2007) and Tasting Success: Your Guide to Becoming a Professional Chef (Wiley 2010). In 2011 Chef Carroll founded Operation HOT (“Honoring Our Troops”), putting on a series of Vegas-style shows and presenting a home-cooked Cajun meal for thousands of U.S. troops in the middle of a war zone in Afghanistan and giving away more than seven tons of gifts. Chef Carroll was personally commended by for his work U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

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Four Bean Vegetable Chili

1 cup dry organic pinto beans
2 cups dry organic red kidney beans
2 cups dry organic black beans
1 cup dry organic cannellini beans
5 bay leaves
1-2 large pieces of kombu seaweed
1 Tbs. salt
1 can small tomato paste
2 organic onions, chopped
4 long green organic peppers, chopped
½ cup shredded carrots
2 Tbs, minced garlic
1 large can organic fire roasted diced
tomatoes
olive oil
1 small can organic fire roasted diced
tomatoes
1 small can organic fire roasted diced
tomatoes with chili peppers
2 t. salt
2 t. smoked paprika
3 t. chili powder (add more if you want it
spicier)
3 t. chipotle powder
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
2 habenerp peppers, chopped
4 cups broccoli florets, cut small
1 Tbs. Tamari
1- 8oz block of tempeh
3 Tbs. fresh, chopped cilantro

Start by soaking the beans over night in filtered water. Soak the black beans separately,
since they need to cook a little longer than the other beans. The next day, drain the beans. Put the black beans, Kombu, salt and Bay leaves into a heavy stockpot and fill it with filtered water, 2” above the beans. Set the other beans to the side. (You will add them to the black beans in 45 minutes) Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, then add the other beans into the pot. Add enough water into the pot to cover the beans by 2” inches. Bring back to a boil and then reduce to a simmer again. Cook for another 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until the beans are soft. If your beans are old (as mine were) it will take longer for them to cook fully!) You can also cook them in a pressure cooker, but my pressure cooker isn’t large enough for this many beans.

Once the beans are soft, sauté the onions in a large cast iron pan until carmelized. (You can use a little olive oil or dry sauté them, using a little water as needed) Then add the peppers and garlic, and continue sautéing until soft. Add the tomato paste and spices to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes, allowing the tomato paste to brown. Meanwhile, pulse the tempeh in a food processor until it is fully chopped into tiny pieces. Lay out on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper and brown in a 375 degree oven until golden brown.
Transfer the tempeh and the onions, peppers and tomato paste to the pot of beans. Add the shredded carrots, tamari, salt, and cans of diced tomatoes to the pot of beans. Bring to a boil and again reduce the heat. Add the broccoli and cilantro and let it simmer for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Taste the chili and adjust the spices to your liking, adding more chili powder, chipotle powder or cumin as desired. Let simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally, not allowing the bottom to stick. Taste again and adjust if desired. Serve with organic brown rice, or over brown rice pasta!