I am going to be completely honest and tell you right now that I am cheating this week. Yup! Sorry everyone, but sometimes you need more yummy things than just 5, BUT I promise it is just as amazing with all these things than without.
In our house chili is essential winter item. We keep it in the fridge consistently and make a pot every week for those times when I need something warm and cozy for lunch or dinner. I used to hate chili as a kid because it had all this ground beef and it felt so watery. After a lot of time perfecting my recipe, and gathering tips from other people, I finally found my perfect chili recipe…well at least in my opinion.
This recipe is completely vegetarian friendly, which I love since I am not a big lover of meat, though you can easily toss in some ground beef or turkey if you want.
To get started gather the following:
3-4 types of dried beans (1 cup of each type. I used pinto, black, kidney, and garbanzo)
Spices of Choice:
1/2 tsp of Cayenne
1 tsp of Cumin
2 tsp of Garlic Salt
1 tbsp of Cinnamon
2 tbsp of Cocoa
6-7 Large fresh Tomatoes (you can also do 2-3 large cans)
1 Beer (whatever you have on hand works…though I prefer a deep dark porter)
1-2 tbsp of your favorite hot sauce
1-2 Red Peppers depending on the size
1 Large Onion
1/4 of a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (in the Mexican Food aisle)
1 medium can of Organic Tomato Paste
If you have dried beans, make sure to soak them over night before hand. Though that seems like more hassle there are a few good things about using dried organic beans, my dear friend Randee at Kitchen Spark taught me this. One, it is much cheaper across the board. Two, you are insuring you are not receiving chemicals from the cans and the possible BPA from the can. I thought this was awesome to know!! I am complete convert now.
When you have everything together, combine the peppers, onion, spices, and beer in to a medium size pot. Let it all simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until it becomes aromatic.
Next toss in the tomatoes you either have diced or the canned ones. Finally combine the beans, chipotle peppers and as much adobo sauce as possible, as much hot sauce as you think you want, and the tomato paste. Bring the whole pot to a simmer and let it sit at medium to low until you are ready to eat it!
I always top mine it with some avocado and more hot sauce if it needs some heat. Then I enjoy next to the fire with a good beer and a favorite tv show. It always makes for a great evening getting warm after a chilly snowy day.
OH and I finally the winner of the Horne give away. You all were so awesome and had such GREAT picks from their website!!! I loved reading them all. So who won??
Congratulations Mary of B&G Journals!!
Thank you everyone for entering!!!! Mary, I will shoot you an email and we will get your own tablecloth!!!
