Chili

Today I made a batch of chili for dinner and for the freezer.  I don't really have a recipe for chili but I'll go through the steps so you can follow along.  I like to simmer my chili for 2 or 3 hours so start it about 3 hours before you want to eat.  Start by browning a couple of pounds of ground beef in a Dutch oven.  Use about a tablespoon of oil and season with 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. When the beef is browned, check to see if it needs drained.  If you used lean or extra-lean beef, you probably won't need to drain any fat.

Once the beef was browned, I added my chopped vegetables.  I chopped one half an onion, one and half peppers, one stalk of celery, and sliced 10 mushrooms.  I also added 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tsp of dried oregano, 1 tsp of cumin and 2 or 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chopped fairly finely).  I like to buy the canned chipotle peppers and then freeze what I don't use.  It's easy then to take out as much as you need for each recipe.  This is really worth the extra effort as it adds a sensational spicy flavour to your chili.

I also added a large can of red kidney beans (not drained) and a large can of diced tomatoes.  I stirred everything together and added a cup of water.  I then simmer it for 2 to 3 hours. I spooned double servings into 4 containers for the freezer and froze wedges of cornbread.

Tonight's dinner was served in a rimmed soup bowl with a dollop of sour cream, a couple of Tbsp of grated cheddar and a wedge of warm cornbread.  Yum yum!