Two Bean Beef Chili

Tags

beef, beef chili, chili, cooking, food, recipe, recipes

I don’t think I could ever get sick of chili.

There are so many wonderful chili recipes out there, spicy and mild, vegetarian and beefy, chicken and beans, slow cooker or stovetop — the list goes on.

I make chili for one of two reasons:

a.) Comfort. There’s nothing quite like a full belly, then afterwards just lying on the couch, enjoying being full of chili.

b.) Parties. They are great for crowds. And almost everyone loves a hot bowl of chili (and maybe some tortilla chips and guacamole on the side.)

I made this particular chili for comfort. And this one is made with beef, a rare food in my apartment. As you all know, the slim jims of meat on this blog and in this apartment is not for health reasons (though not eating it does have added health benefits), and I’m also not a vegetarian — I don’t buy meat primarily because of the hefty price it bears. However, stew meat is one of the cheapest cuts out there. It is tough, but when you slowly cook it, it has the tendency to melt like butter in your mouth, plus the added bonus of absorbing all of the wonderful flavors and spices that it sits in.

Mmmm…

Two Bean Beef Chili (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2/3 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt. Place half of beef in pan; saute until brown (5-8 minutes). Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining beef; remove from pan.
2. Add 2 tsp of the oil, onion, and bell pepper to the pan. Saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno; saute for 1 minute. Add the wine, scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits and return the beef to the pan.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and the remaining ingredients, breaking up the tomatoes as you add them to the pot. Bring the chili to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Stir occasionally.
4. Serve by itself or over noodles with Monterey Jack cheese sprinkled on top.

My Two Cents: So when I was making this chili, I decided to try and sprinkle the 1/8 tsp of cinnamon into the pot (original measurement from Cooking Light), thinking my super professional kitchen eye would shake out just the right amount.

Except I didn’t really take into consideration that the cinnamon container I was sprinkling from was one with extra large holes. (You know, the kind you buy from Xmas Tree Shops…? ) And. Well. So… my “sprinkle” turned into a “dump” of cinnamon.

But mistakes can sometimes turn into wonderful things, and that’s what happened here. Instead of a really spicy chili, which is what Cooking Light intended this recipe to be, I got a slightly sweet and milder chili, with a back kick of spice in there.

I’m OK with that

Enjoy!

P.S. Have you seen my new Photo A Day tab at the top of the page? I’m going to be taking one photo every day and posting it to the new Cooking Whims tumblr. Something to look at from my life besides food —- check it out

Whip it up Wednesday: Cinncinati Chili

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chili, cinncinati chili, cooking, food, healthy meals, quick meals, recipes, stew, whip it up wednesday

Confession: This Whip it up Meal takes 45 minutes in total, not 30 (oops!). But you’ll love me for posting this because of how easy and hands-off this chili is. So read on, my friends.

I started my new job this week (hooray!), so Monday night after the long weekend I was hunched over some cookbooks I had recently taken out of the library, looking for a quick, hearty, healthy, and delicious meal that would make lots of leftovers for the week. Lucky for me I took out The Six O’Clock Scramble that features recipes just like that.

I’ve looked at many a cookbook in my day, and they all have their pros and cons. What I like about this book is that its recipes are separated into Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer—not Appetizers, Soups, Meat, Poultry, Vegetarian, etc. I skimmed through the Fall section, bookmarked a few I wanted to make in the future, but the Cinncinati Chili struck gold in my heart. And it had two steps. Two! It can do no wrong.

Cinncinati Chili (Adapted from The Six O’Clock Scramble)

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 30 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, with liquid

Directions:

1. In large stockpot over medium heat, saute ground turkey in its own juices until browned. (Drain fat if desired, but it’s not necessary.)
2. Add other ingredients in order listed above. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes (and up to 1 hour). Serve over egg noodles, or by itself with some cornbread on the side.

My Two Cents: Some of my chili recipes include cinnamon in them, but I’ve never made one with sugar in it. It adds just the right touch of sweetness to the chili. And it’s not too spicy, so people who can’t stand a lot of spice can definitely tolerate this dish. (Add more or less chili powder, even, to your liking.)

The original recipe called for cloves, not nutmeg. But I don’t have cloves in my giant array of spices (I know, I have so many, yet I’m missing so many. That’s how it is with spices.) So I substituted nutmeg. Nutmeg packs less of a punch than cloves, but in this case I think it works. It keeps the chili mild.

Not sauteing the onions before adding them to the pot made them ridiculously sweet. They absorbed the sugar and the cinnamon and nutmeg and added wonderful texture to the dish.

I recommend breaking up the canned tomatoes in the pot. They’re too big to eat in one mouthful. And as usual, substitute lean ground beef if you aren’t in the mood for ground turkey.

And as I mentioned above, this takes about 45 minutes in total to make, but browning the meat before simmering the whole pot of chili isn’t laborious. Dinner will be on the table before you know it, and it makes superb leftovers the next day for lunch or dinner.

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P.s.! Cooking Whims won a Top Foodie Blog Award from eCollegeFinder! This is the first award I’ve won for the blog—how exciting! Thanks, guys!

P.P.S. I changed the look of Cooking Whims. What do you think?!

Apple Chicken Chili

Tags

apples, chicken, chili, fall, food, poultry, recipes

Have you gone apple picking yet this Fall?

Sadly, I have not had a chance to get out to an apple orchard and relive the bliss of my childhood, but apples are lining the produce section these days. So I bought a large bag of gala apples last time I was at the store. They were red. They were pretty. They’re my favorite. I didn’t know what I’d use them for that week, but I knew I’d find something.

And ta-da—gojee.com to the rescue this week! I typed in two ingredients I had, apples and chicken, and up popped this hearty chili recipe. I’ve had chicken chili, but never with the crisp taste of Fall mixed in. Comfort food at its finest.

Apple Chicken Chili

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 25 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients: (Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray)

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenderloins (or breasts), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 3 small gala apples (or 2 medium), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 (15 oz) can chicken broth
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• shredded monterey jack cheese for topping

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken, 2 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp cumin. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes until cooked through. Set aside in a bowl. Add the other half of the chicken and the rest of the chili powder and cumin. Cook until done. Set aside in the same bowl.

2. In the same pot, reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tbsp oil. Add the apples and onion and cook, stirring until softened for 6 minutes. Add to the same bowl as the chicken.

3. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute; whisk in the chicken broth and milk and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken-apple mixture and the beans. Turn heat up to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately and top with cheese.

My Two Cents: Did you know that I love apples? Did you know that I’m also allergic to raw apples? This allergy is an adult allergy, I’ve noticed. I used to eat apples with no problem when I was a kid. Thankfully I’m not allergic to cooked apples, which means I can still enjoy applesauce, apple muffins, apple pancakes, apple bread, apple crisp, and most of all, apple pie. This is actually one of the first recipes I’ve tried that is using apples in a savory dish, and I love it. The sweetness of the apples isn’t overpowering at all (plus you’re not adding sugar like you are in all those sweets!) The apple is the perfect compliment to the chicken.

I can see myself making this dish many times throughout the season, and throughout the winter.

And hopefully I get to apple pick before the season is gone!

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Tags

chili, food, ground turkey, recipes, slow cooker recipes

Dear Slow Cooker,

I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made my apartment smell like a little tiny piece of heaven this weekend. I know that’s cliche, because I have no idea what heaven smells like. But it did smell damn good in here. Not to mention the concoction stewing inside of you came out mighty fine. My tummy shouted with joy when it was finally able to digest the amazing turkey chili that I scooped out of you.

You are too good to me. In return, I think I’ll use you more often.

Ever yours,

Megan

If you would like to experience a similar joy, follow the recipe below.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili (Adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
• 1 (10.75 oz) can tomato soup
• 1 tomato soup can of water
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ chilies
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 (4 oz) can green chilies
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Get up around 9:30 am on a cold Sunday morning. Brush your teeth.

2. Brown the ground turkey and onion. Drain the fat.

3. Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 8 hours or until you can’t stand to wait around for it anymore.

4. Serve over egg noodles or baked potato sprinkled with cheese, sour cream and/or all your favorite chili toppings.

I’m a really big fan of this chili. (And so was Chris) Of course, adjust the seasonings and spiciness of this dish to your liking. I’ve made a lot of vegetarian chilies in the past–and those were good, but mannnn…I’m converting.

I also admit that I don’t think I could ever be a full-time vegetarian.

Four Bean Chili

Tags

chili

The best thing about chili is that you can put anything you want in it…and somehow it still tastes good. Also, you can never have enough chili recipes. Ever.

I found this one in a vegetarian cookbook — Vegetarian Times: Low-Fat and Fast. There are a ton of awesome vegetarian recipes in there, so if you’re trying to cut meat out of your diet, or if you’re looking to spice up your recipe box, I recommend that book. I’m not a vegetarian, nor do I ever plan on being one in the near future. However, I do enjoy a lot of vegetarian recipes, especially those with beans, because I find they will fill you up just as much as meat does.

I took this out of the library a few weeks ago, and tonight I was in the mood to make chili. So I searched for one in this book and found a pretty good one. I altered it a bit to my own taste–here’s what I did with it.

Ingredients:

• 1 med. red pepper, chopped
• 1 med. yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2-3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can chicken broth (The original recipe calls for vegetable broth, both work)
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• pepper to taste
• Sprinkle in the following spices: thyme, marjoram, celery salt, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, parsley, extra garlic powder

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cook the bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, onion and garlic powder in oil over med. heat for 2-4 minutes or until they are crisp tender.

2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes so the flavors will blend.

3. Top with sour cream, cheese, or whatever you desire. Serve rice/cornbread on the side.

My observations: Essentially, use whatever spices you want for this recipe, because that’s honestly what I did, and both Chris and I loved it. But I must warn you, this was spicy. I used pickled jalapeno peppers for this recipe, and decided to use four, even though the recipe called for a 4.5 oz can of chile peppers. But, I couldn’t find that in my sub-par supermarket, so had to improvise. If you aren’t a fan of really spicy chili, then cut back on the jalapenos.

Also, the original recipe calls for minced garlic. Either use 2 cloves of fresh garlic, or use 2 tsp of minced garlic. I quite honestly just didn’t see that ingredient when I started making this, so added the garlic powder with all of the other spices. Still tasted great.

The beans are also a free-for-all. The original recipe called for butter beans (someone please explain to me what the hell those are). So I substituted cannellini beans for those (which are white kidney beans) and hey, guess what, tasted great!

Like I said in the ingredient list, either vegetable or chicken broth work for this recipe (I assume, because I used chicken and it tasted great). If you are a vegetarian, use the vegetarian broth. I didn’t have any on hand, so I used chicken.

As for the list of spices, do whatever your heart desires. I personally love making chili because I get to stand in front of a huge pot with about 10 spices lined up next  to me. Then I go down the row and shake a little bit of this and a little bit of that into the pot. Please enjoy this part of the process as much as I did.

PLUS this chili recipe took me 20 minutes! How many do you see that require you to simmer it for hours? No sir, not here. Just heat it up and serve.

A+ on this one.