On this very chilly day (so chilly that there was a sheet of ice covering the city this morning) I decided to make chili for dinner. Granted I don't need a chilly day to make chili...I've been known to make chili during the summer months just because I love it. You can find my regular chili recipe here
Below is what I used today:
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 T. chili powder
- 1 T. chili 3000 seasoning
- 1 T. cumin
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 3 cans of beans (2 kidney, 1 pinto)
- 1 can of petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can of mexican diced tomatoes
- 1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
- 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
Start by heating some oil in a soup pot..(I use this Le Creuset and I love it! I bought it at a Le Creuset outlet)
Add in the onion, peppers, and garlic...saute over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.
Add the seasonings and stir
Then add about a cup of water
Add the tomatoes and rinse cans with a little bit of water (about 1/2 full for each can) Also add the green chiles.
Now the beans...PLEASE rinse your canned beans...every single time! The liquid that they sit in is a disgusting, stinky, salty mess. I pour mine in this handy little strainer and run it under water until all the foam/bubbles are gone and the water runs clear. Then, and only then, do you dump them into the chili. sorry if I seemed a bit stern...it's just really important to rinse the beans :)
Now stir it all up, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for at least 40 minutes...longer if you've the time. I simmered mine for a couple of hours, stirring it every 30 minutes or so.
Then add the corn for the last 15 minutes or so. I'm not sure why I wait to add the corn, I just always do.
Then serve it in bowls and top with shredded cheese. Brian loves fritos with his chili, Frito's scoops to be exact....I like Fritos, but I LOVE macaroni. I know, I'm an odd bird...macaroni in chili...is it a Midwest thing? I know chili 3 way and chili 5 way is a Cincinnati thing, but they use spaghetti and their chili is kind of sweet. Anyways...I love chili with macaroni...chili mac I guess you would call it.
Brian's bowl of hot and steamy chili
My bowl of hot and steamy chili
I'm so starving right now and this looks so, so good! I will have mine with tortilla chips and maybe soft corn tortillas ;)
Posted by: Danice Oliver | February 05, 2011 at 03:03 AM