Chili

 



Make a large batch of chili so that you have some leftover to put in the refrigerator for a meal later in the week or to put as individual size meals in the freezer.  Chili is one of those foods that improves with time and so can taste better when you reheat it for a second meal.  In fact, I forgot to take the photo of the chili until I had only one bowl left that I was eating for lunch, already dished up ready to stir in the rice that is on the bottom.

 

Customize your chili recipe for your family (use only good quality real ingredients).  I usually add other vegetables (diced) that we had on hand.  Try the standard recipe and then adjust.  Adjust slowly if your family is not into eating vegetables in their foods yet.  Add a little bit of something, chopped up finely.  Don't tell them what you are doing, and their taste buds will slowly start to change, and then soon they will be enjoying (hopefully) a much greater variety of flavors.

 

About 3 years ago, I started cooking dry beans instead of using canned beans.  We can taste the difference (improved flavor), and they are much less expensive.  The key to cooking dry beans is not to use beans that are over 6 months old.  Old beans never soften.  (If you have old beans and live in the Dallas area, please don't throw them in the trash - I will take all of your old beans to feed to my chickens!)  I will be showing you how to cook beans soon.

 

Ingredients (I use all organic ingredients):

 

1 1/2 Tbl. chili powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin                          (I use all organic spices)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

 

1 lb. 100 % grass-fed ground beef

1/2 - 1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes (I like Bionaturae or Muir Glen fire-roasted)

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (I use ~ 1/2 bottle of Bionaturae Strained Tomatoes)

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans (or ~ 1 1/2 cups cooked)

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans (or ~ 1 1/2 cups cooked)

1 large can (25 oz) black beans (or ~ 2 1/2 cups cooked)

 

Mix together seasoning.  Cook ground beef and drain (I place the ground beef on a ceramic plate between paper towels).  Saute onion and garlic with 3 tsp of the seasoning mix.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, cooked ground beef, and the rest of the seasoning mix.  Cook on low heat for 1 - 6  hours (add smashed bean option if you don't have at least an hour cook time available).

 

Optional:  Place ~ 1/2 cup of kidney and ~ 1/2 cup of pinto beans in the food processor or smash with a fork.  Add the smashed beans to the chili at the beginning of the cook time when you add the whole beans.  This step gives the chili a wonderful thick texture.  This is good to do if you don't have several hours for your chili to simmer before eating.

 

Serve over brown or yellow rice and, if you wish, top with grated raw milk cheese or a yogurt sauce.

 

Some optional vegetables you can add are chopped mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, zucchini, or winter squashes such as butternut.  Or make it with steak instead of ground beef.