Jocks With Crocks: Meatless Chili with The Minister

I went meatless about 4 months ago and I'm a southern boy who loves his croc pot chili, so I had to give a meatless version a try

You will need the following

Put your crock pot on low and add all of your beans, diced tomatoes, etc. While you are browning your plant-based ground meat, add your taco season to the ground beef at the very end of browning your plant-based ground meat

Once you have everything in your crock pot, give it a few good squirts of both of your mustards. And lastly, give it a good tablespoon or two of your Worcestershire sauce.  Stir really well and put your lid on.

Stir about every 45 minutes over about a 3 to 4-hour period on low.

You're Good To go and can add a sprinkle of cheese and sour cream if you like when ready to serve. Enjoy the meatless chili!

DON'T MISS: CROCKPOT BBQ CHICKEN WITH ROBYN LANE

Today is National Margarita Day! The Jersey Shore locals love their margaritas. There are a few places I enjoy an ice cold refreshing margarita. I used to be a bartender so I've made my share of margaritas. The bartender is your friend and wants you to have a positive experience at their place of employment. They want you to come back.

If I’m going out to commemorate this fine day, I will choose from one of the places on the list below.

Why? Because these places have proven to thousands and thousands of patrons that they are masters of their craft, especially while creating the most common tequila based drink in all of the United States.

According to checkiday.com, National Margarita Day was created by Todd McCalla in the late 2000s because he was sick of high fructose corn syrup and all the other chemicals that were being used to make low-quality commercial margarita mixes.

He later said that the day takes place when it does because February is a "sad, gray time of year for people and it'd be worth brightening it up with a margarita." McCalla not only started National Margarita Day, but National Drink Wine Day as well, which is held four days prior.

We thank Todd McCalla for brightening up our grey skies on a gloomy February afternoon.

The typical Margarita is made with your favorite tequila, triple sec (I prefer Cointreau), and fresh lime juice. If you’re a fan of a salted rim, you wet the rim of the glass with the lime juice and dip the rim onto a plate filled with coarse salt.
I’m a Margarita on the rocks kind of girl, but feel free to have your favorite bartender blend yours with a bunch of ice and serve it up frozen.

It’s hard to say. Several people have claimed to have invented the Margarita. One of the stories I found online traces the Margarita’s origin back to Tommy’s Bar in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in 1942. According to a Texas Monthly article first published in 1974, the inventor of the Margarita was Francisco “Pancho” Morales, who was widely acknowledged as one of the best bartenders in Juarez before he immigrated to the United States. In the interview, Morales said he invented the drink on the fly when a customer asked him for a drink he didn’t know how to make. He mixed tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice—and the margarita was born.

Whoever invented the margarita, we appreciate you.

Let's go on a journey to find the most sought after margaritas on the Jersey Shore.

I used to love coming to see my favorite chef, Jim Vena when he ran the kitchen here. While I was waiting to see him, I sat at the bar and had a roasted pineapple margarita. That one margarita convinced me that Spicy should forever be on my list of places to get a great margarita.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg1NZvVhD4l/

This place is new to me. A hidden gem that shouldn't go unnoticed by tequila lovers.  According to the website: The Barrio beverage team boasts an innovative cocktail program, an inspired collection of rare, sought-after tequila & mezcal.

They have one of the most innovative margarita lists I've ever seen. Plus, they have an Agave Spirits Club. Check them out next time you're in Asbury. Better yet, make plans to have dinner with friends. The food looks amazing.

I can walk to this place after work. The food is fantastic, and the margaritas are delicious. Enjoy a meal and a refreshing margarita at this festive Mexican eatery.

I don't usually order a margarita at a non Mexican eatery, but this place is different.  I saw a woman order a margarita and she was ooing and ahhing all over the place every time she took a sip. So, I ordered one, and then I was ooing and ahhing all over the place.  The burgers and fish tacos here are excellent as well.

https://www.stonefiregrille.com/

How can a place called Margaritas not make good margaritas?  They do in fact make excellent margaritas. I was here with Gotts for an Ocean Of Love celebration and I just had to have a margarita. I've been here many times and I have always ordered one of their refreshing margaritas. The blood orange and the jalapeno spicy margaritas are 2 of my choices. Good food and good times.

The Spicy Pomegranate Margarita is the star margarita at Tucker's. In the summer, the roof top deck is the place to be. to watch the sunset. They've got a great gastro-pub menu and the raw bar is always filled with fresh seafood. Check out the specials, especially when they do wing nights. A Cluck For a Buck.

This is a great choice for Happy Hour or dinner. MATIZ’s menu draws inspiration from the traditional cuisines of Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. A fabulous selection of both margaritas and mojitos. This is a really nice space to enjoy a margarita and a meal.

With a collection of over 150 different tequilas, this place definitely makes some tasty margaritas. They're actually famous for their margaritas. Order the Southwest crab cakes and either a spicy or smoky margarita.

Make sure you have a designated driver or an operable Uber or Lyft app, because the last time I had a margarita here, I was feeling no pain. I will admit, I am a bit of a lightweight when it comes to alcohol consumption, especially with tequila based drinks.

We've been here before and while we waited for our table situated on the lower level, we made it up the stairs to hang with the bartender at the boutique spirits bar. We did a few shots of tequila with our friends and off to dinner we went.  A few margaritas were consumed at the dinner table by a few of us and they were fabulous. if you're into craft beer, this place has one of the best lists in the area. A WRAT Shore Award winner for Best Beer List on the Jersey Shore.

Tequila is in their name, so of course they must make some kickin' margaritas. The house margarita or the mango margarita would be my choices. I have read they make a great prickly pear margarita. I'll try that next time.  I have had some tasty apps here too. They had an ahi tuna guacamole with chips on the menu that was delicious. If they still have the coconut shrimp tacos with pineapple and the mango jelly on the menu, get them!!