Chili

Directions

Pre-soak white beans*.

2.  Drain the beans, and boil them in a big pot with 7-8 cups of water till they are very soft (at least 1 hour).

3.  While beans cook, clean and chop onions, garlic cloves and peppers.

4.  In a separate pan, heat the oil, and sauté the beef, onion, garlic, and green pepper together until soft.

5.  Add the meat mix to the pot with the white beans.  Add kidney beans (with liquid), chili powders, canned tomatoes (with juice) and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and heat.

6.  Once chili boils, taste and adjust seasonings. If you feel your chili needs a little more bite, add a splash of vinegar.

                                                              

Notes: This recipe can be reduced if you are not feeding an army – or don’t want to eat this chili for a week. If you love leftovers, this recipe keeps well in the fridge for several days. Chili is super served with grated cheese and sour cream.

 

Variations: You can leave out the meat and make it a vegetarian chili. You can also vary the beans based on what you can find in your market or supermarket. You can use only dried beans if you’d like. Some folks like to add corn or other veggies – this is a nice healthy option. The corn improves the nutritional value for vegetarians.

 

Substitutions: Canned beans/Dry beans. Green pepper/Any colored pepper. Ground beef/Any ground meat, chopped meat or sausage. Canned tomatoes/Fresh tomatoes.