One snowy Sunday I promised my boyfriend Chris I'd make chili for dinner. But when dinner time came around, no chili. I still needed to shop for the ingredients. Tired and cranky, yet wanting to keep my promise (and eat), I set out for the supermarket, windshield wipers clearing away the snow; I was determined to keep it simple. The chili turned out to be so easy I made it four more times -- not in a row. It became such a staple my oldest nephew, a burgeoning foodie in college, wrote me in an email that he’d rather be eating my jalapeno chili than studying. Stick to the books, I said, and chili will be your reward. One day he will make it himself.
Serves 8
Preparation time: ½ hour
Cooking time: at least ½ hour to 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
½ jalapeno pepper, seeds taken out and finely chopped (wear rubber gloves if your skin is sensitive to the heat of the chili pepper).
1 pound ground beef, lean
1 small can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 large can whole tomatoes
½ cup frozen corn
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper to taste
GARNISH:
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, grated
In a large pot with thick bottom – ideally Creuset cookware – put in the olive oil. Heat medium or until you smell the olive oil. Add garlic and onion, stir until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure it’s medium low heat so the garlic does not burn. Add the green pepper and jalapeno and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
In a separate skillet cook the ground beef, adding salt to taste. Once the meat is cooked, drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Add the ground beef to the pot with garlic, onion and peppers. Add the drained and rinsed beans. Stir in the crushed tomato; add the whole tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon or your fingers. Add the corn. Stir in chili powder, add the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust by adding more chili powder or more salt and pepper.
Cover and cook over medium/low heat for at least a half hour, checking and stirring often. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Perfect for a football Sunday and company.