Root Beer Chili

Root Beer Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup root beer (I used 1.5 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (I used a whole can)
• 2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• Hot cooked spaghetti
• Optional toppings: crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onions, and shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheeses

Directions

• In a large saucepan, cook the beef, onions and green pepperover
• medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute
• longer. Drain. Add the tomatoes, root beer, chili powder, tomato
• paste, chipotle peppers, cumin and bouillon. Bring to a boil.
•  
• Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to
• blend. Serve with spaghetti. Garnish with chips, green onions and
• cheeses if desired. Yield: 4 servings. 

TACO CHILI

TACO CHILI
Source: Katie French, Portland

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 7oz. can diced green chiles
1 8 oz. can Mexicorn
2 packets taco seasoning
½ can Foster’s (big can)

Garnish: Sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions
Brown ground beef in a large saucepan.
Add onions & cook until tender.
Add all other ingredients with their juices. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.
Simmer 1 hour or until desired consistency. Serve topped with cheddar.

Sweet & Smoky Moroccan Spice Chili

Sweet & Smoky Moroccan Spice Chili
Source: Cook’s Illustrated (modified)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
  
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 4 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 2 pounds organic ground beef
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 limes , cut into wedges

Directions

1. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and spices; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Slow Cooker Option: At the end of step 1, transfer the cooked beef mixture to a slow cooker; add the rest of the ingredients as directed in step 2. Cook the chili on the high setting for four hours.

Housewarming Vegetarian Chile

Housewarming Vegetarian Chili

By CONNIE SCHULTZ

You’ll notice that this recipe calls for 1/4 cup of chili powder, or to taste. Make sure you’re using chili powder, not chile powder. Chili powder is a blend of spices, usually including cumin, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne. Chile powder, on the other hand, is simply dried, powdered chile peppers, such as cayenne—a very spicy product! For this recipe, you need chili powder, because pure chile powder will make the finished dish too hot. However, because each brand of chili powder uses a slightly different blend of spices, some will be rather hot and some will be quite mild. So taste a pinch of your chili powder before using it, and then add it to your family’s taste. 

INGREDIENTS

·         4 cups no-salt-added tomato juice, divided

·         ¾ cup bulgur wheat

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         4–6 cloves garlic, minced

·         1½ cups chopped onion

·         1½ chopped green bell pepper

·         1 cup chopped celery

·         1¼ cups chopped carrot

·         2 (14½-oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained

·         ¼ cup chili powder, or to taste (not chile powder)

·         1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

·         1 tsp dried basil

·         1 tsp dried oregano

·         1 tsp ground cumin

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

·         1 (15-oz) can red kidney beans, drained

·         1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained

·         1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained

·         Corn bread, grated cheddar, diced onion, cilantro, and sour cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1.    Bring 1 cup tomato juice to a boil in a pan. Add bulgur, stir, and remove from heat. Let stand.

2.    Meanwhile, warm oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, celery, and carrot. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, chili powder, lemon juice, basil, oregano, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer; cook 2 minutes. Add beans, remaining tomato juice, and bulgur mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring ­occasionally. Serve with corn bread and toppings, if desired.

NOTES: I made this and it was the first vegetarian chili worthy of even being a starting point, probably due to the bulgur, and the bean combination. Next time I would omit the carrot, and substitute the green pepper with a combination  of more exotic peppers (pasilla, red jalapeno, Anaheim), diced much smaller. The large chunks of green pepper were pedestrian and unappetizing, and the carrot seemed out of place in a chili. 

Cincinnati Chile

Cincinnati Chili Recipe

Cuisine: Great Lakes, Cincinnati, Ohio
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
1 pound extra-lean ground beef, bison, or turkey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin*
1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate*
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 (16-ounce) package uncooked dried spaghetti pasta
Toppings (see below)

Preparation:

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté onion, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked. If using turkey, add olive oil.

Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions and transfer onto individual serving plates.

Ladle Cincinnati Chili mixture over the cooked spaghetti and serve with toppings of your choice. (I used grated mozzarella and fresh ground pepper)

Randy says: Stoned for the first time in weeks, so take this with a grain of salt, but it’s delicious. 

Chile Verde

CHILE VERDE
Source: 365 Easy Mexican Recipes by Marge Poore (out of print)

Ingredients
3 T olive oil
2 lbs pork butt, trimmed of fat & cut into ½ inch cubes
1 t. salt
1 white onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. dried oregano
1 T dried cumin
2 bay leaves
2 (7 oz) cans diced green chiles
10 oz tomatillos, cleaned and boiled for 7-10 minutes until olive green, then blended
¾ c. chicken broth
½ t. sugar

Garnish: chopped cilantro and sour cream

Directions
In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 T oil over med-high heat. Season pork cubes with salt and cook in 2 batches, stirring, about 5 mins each batch or lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, remove meat to a dish.

In same pan, heat remaining oil. Add onion and garlic and cook about 3 minutes until soft. Return meat and juices to pan. Add spices, chiles, tomatillos, broth, & sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 35 mins. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 48 minutes
Serves: 4 (big servings)

Schatzie's Original Beef Mole Chile (Slow Cooker)

Schatzie’s Original Beef Mole Chili

1 lb ground beef or bison
1 medium to large onion, chopped (I used combo of white and red)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 poblanos, seeded & chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I didn’t have one this first time, but it will give the dish more chunkiness, so will do next time)
1 jar Mexican mole sauce base
3 jars of water (or try chicken broth)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 t. basil
1.5 t. salt (add more at the end as needed)

Brown the meat. Place in slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Cook 8 hours on low. Then stir it and determine consistency. Cook lidless on high for a while if necessary to reach desired thickness.