while I do a bunch of laundry.
Nothing provides more foodie comfort than a hot bowl of chili on a cold winter’s night.
Chili (with beans) and accoutrements.
Julia’s Chili
2 large yellow onions, diced
4-5 jalapenos, seeded and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
12 cloves garlic, minced
Saute in a large Dutch oven or stew pot in 3 Tbs. canola or olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
When veggies are beginning to brown add 2 lbs. ground beef, turkey or chicken. Cook through, stirring frequently.
Stir in:
6 Tbs. chili powder
4 Tbs. cumin
a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg
more black pepper and salt to taste.
Add:
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can whole tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
Simmer for an hour.
Add:
4 heaping Tbs. brown sugar or 1/2 cup molasses
1 turnip, grated
8 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 can or bottle of beer- whatever you have on hand.
Simmer another hour.
Add 4 cans white beans. (Yeah, it’s not real chili. But we like beans.)
Serve with chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese, chopped avocado and sour cream.
Yummy for my tummy!
Oh yeah- I’m putting together a collection of non-romantic short stories. It’s slow-going. Typing with this finger is a real bitch.
That sounds very nice. Hope the finger’s recovering.
Some like it hot. *Whew* Except for jalapenos, fantastic.
Heartburn is good for writing non-romantic stories. Good luck!
Ah Roberta, if you are careful to remove all seeds and ribs the jalapenos are totally mellow, not hot at all. I use a grapefruit spoon. Just don’t stick your fingers in your eyes afterwards!
I have to have green peppers to call it chili - they can poblanos or other cultivars but they gotta be green. I know you hate them. I won’t make you chili.
Poblanos are fine, Steph. Just not green bell peppers!
Yum! I don’t think I could concentrate on my writing with your chili simmering. All I would be doing is dreaming about when I can chow down!
Diana…
No, you can’t remove the ribs of the jalapeños. That’s where all the flavor is. And celery and a turnip? In chili? Weird.
Personally, I brown the meat first, then throw in the onion, garlic, and jalapeños (or serranos, but they are even hotter than jalapeños). Otherwise, you have a pretty decent recipe. Although I prefer dark red beans when I add beans.
Good luck with your stories. What a pain typing with one finger. Hope it gets better soon.
Thanks, Diana - it’s actually typing without my right index finger. Annoying.
Ah, William, if it’s just for me I go hot. And I used to brown the meat first, now I do the veggies. I can’t use dark beans, well, red kidney beans, because they give my kids a stomachache. They seem to tolerate white beans just fine. Sometimes I sub black beans. Yeah, I know… celery and a turnip. It’s a little crazy but it works.
Chili (ANY recipe) is great on a cold night. Typing without one finger? Not so great! Working out a way to write, anyway? Excellent!
Yeah chili is great, any recipe, on any cold night Anny! Actually the issue is holding the finger out of the way and teaching my other fingers to type new keys!
Typing with one finger-and seeding and chomping a pepper, plus all the other things-is a challenge, but the end result of both the story collection and the chili will be excellent! Chilly nights are perfect.
FYI, Julia. On their hike today, Jim and our dog Maggie were “paced” by a coyote. When it finally ran up on them, the coyote was bony, scraggly, snarly and hungry, which made it desperate. But it made Jim aggressive, too, yelling and stomping his feet and rushing the coyote, who ran off. Maggie wanted to chase after it, but Jim put her on leash and got her out of there.
Early freezing snows, less food, desperate wildlife.
Oh Marylin… I’m more scared of a desperate coyote than a cougar. Yikes!