Recipe: Chili

Chili - as the name suggests, this dish is packed with some heat!  If you haven't trained your taste buds and stomach to handle this type of fire yet, you can reduce the amount of chili pepper and powder. 

I would also suggest serving it with a good dollop of sour cream to tame the burning.  A bowl of chili (spicy or not) is still a great, healthy meal packed full of veggies, fibre and protein. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, it's actually an easy recipe with lots of leftovers.  And like most soups and stews, this dish is even better the next day.  YUM!

Serves 8

-1 1/2 lb extra-lean ground beef
-4 strips of bacon
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 large red onion, diced
-2 ribs celery, diced
-1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
-1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and pith removed, finely diced
-1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
-1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
-1/2 tbsp ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
-1 tsp ground coriander
-1 1/2 tsp of salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 can (28 oz/ 796 ml) diced tomatoes, undrained
-1 1/2 cup beef broth
-1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
-1 chiptole pepper in adobo sauce, finely diced
-1 can (19 oz/540 ml) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-1 can (14 oz/398 ml) beans in tomato sauce
-1 cup (1/2 of a 19 oz can) black beans, drained and rinsed
-3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
-2 stalks of green onion, finely sliced crosswise
-juice from one lime
-1 tbsp liquid honey or maple syrup

• Cook bacon, beef, garlic and onions in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Stir and break up the beef until it's cooked and no longer pink.
• Add celery, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper. Cook for a few minutes until veggies begin to soften.
• Stir in chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt and black pepper. Cook for a minute until spices and herbs are fragrant.
• Add undrained tomatoes, beef broth, chiptole pepper and celery leaves. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 min.
• Add beans and simmer, covered, for 10 more min. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, lime juice and honey. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Serve chili topped with sour cream and chives.

Recipe adapted from Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry's Full of Beans Chili on Foodnetwork.ca