ED TEMPEHTON: SALAD GRINDS & BEAN PLANTS #35

ED TEMPEHTON

(3-bean chili)

WORDS: Johnny Lozano   

Ed Templeton is so legendary and prolific that crafting some witty opening sentence to introduce him would be almost entirely pointless. The face behind everyone’s favorite “bloodsucking skateboarding company,” a proponent of cruelty-free shoes and diets before they were cool and arguably the king of f/s noseblunts, Templeton isn’t so much the father we never had, but more like the cool uncle our stiff-collared parents forbade us from hanging out with.

While veganism has a reputation of being outspoken and unapologetic, Ed has spent years sticking to his guns without ruffling feathers. Whether it’s Sheep footwear or interviewing with PETA, Ed has proven to be a blessing for those skaters looking to minimize their footwear impact or fuel their sessions with plant-based goodness. Why it has taken me so long to write about him, I’m ashamed to admit I have no clue.

While it’s common knowledge that Ed is a formidable artist and photographer, one might be surprised by his Instagram stories, which are full of, well, ripping of a different kind. Flatulence. Farting. Cooking with gas. Whether it’s elderly couples, muscled-out beach bros or dogs eager to break free of their leashes, nobody is safe from Ed’s tasteful placement of the fart emoji. 

I reached out to him to see if there was some particular genesis of these well-placed gusts of hilarity and in true Templeton fashion, he admitted that it’s all for good fun: 

“It was just a combination of shooting and having so many photos and the discovery/adoption of the Instagram stories. Once I explored what can be done with them, it was fun playing with what the combination of images and emojis could do… The fart emoji particularly just became funny to me. It’s silly and stupid and some people don’t know how to handle it coming from me. Then the GIF ones raised it to new levels.”

As an homage to Ed’s windy commentaries, I wanted to make a vegan chili that was both high in protein and high in fiber. We all know the old adage—beans, beans, the musical fruit—but what gets neglected in this grade school chant is that beans are also packed with protein, magnesium, and all sorts of vitamins. Top that off with some tempeh (so maybe technically this should be called a 4-bean chili) and you’ve got enough protein to make even the most skeptical of gym rats forego the typical question: “Where do you get your protein, bro?”

This chili is thick and hearty and packs a punch with a blend of savory and spicy flavors. It may not be the all-meat chili that Texas enigmatically endorses, but if you’re looking for a solid serving of legumes and veggies that’ll set off a couple of alarms, this is your chili. As a dish all by itself, or slathered on top of Fritos (yes, they’re vegan), this is the perfect post-sesh meal to help replenish your muscles and keep you pushing regular (even if you’re goofy).

As one might hear in Ed’s This is Skateboarding part, “it’s the rage.”

INGREDIENTS (Makes 4-6 servings):

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 block (8 oz) tempeh (crumbled)
• 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
• 1 sweet bell pepper (diced)
• 2 medium carrots (chopped)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• ½ tbsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained)
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans (drained)
• 1 can (15 oz ) navy beans (drained)
• 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth (or water), plus more to thin as desired
• ½ tbsp. salt (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, bring the olive oil to medium heat on stove top. Once it’s heated up, toss in the crumbled tempeh and stir it around for a few minutes until the tempeh is lightly toasted and beginning to brown some. 
2. Once toasted, toss in the onion, bell pepper, carrots and garlic and stir them around for 3-4 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften up and the garlic gets fragrant. Add in the chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and pepper flakes and stir up for a minute or so.
3. Once the spices are as fragrant as the garlic, add in all the other ingredients except for the salt and stir them in until everything is evenly mixed and the tomato paste has thinned out with the broth. Once it’s all mixed up, cover the pot with a tilted lid so that some steam can escape, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. 
4. If you notice that too much broth has evaporated and it is looking dry when it’s done, feel free to add more broth as necessary to keep it moist and just slightly thicker than a stew. Add the salt and add any more spices to adjust the spiciness and dig in!
5. Don’t get caught slipping at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Happy shredding,

Johnny

For more recipes, check out_ www.saladgrindsandbeanplants.com _or find us on Instagram at @salad_grinds_and_bean_plants.