Chilli love for those chilly days
Chili will take the chill out
What is there about chilli on those chilly days that is ohhhh sooooo comforting?
I seriously must have a dozen recipes for chilli with different meat renditions and vegetarian versions that I all love equally. (Like your children… you really can’t have a favourite! )
Given the upcoming National Chili Day (that falls on the 4th Thursday in February) and with the Super Bowl on February 3rd ( not to mention the frigid temperatures!), I thought I’d pay homage to this fabulously flavourful favourite.
Whether with vegetable base or meat, or preparation via stovetop, slow cooker or Instantpot….there is so much goodness that I love about this dish.
The origins of chilli is said to have originated in what is now northern Mexico and southern Texas. The name itself lends a myriad of potential in that “chili” referring to chili pepper and “carne” is the Spanish word for meat.
According to Wikipedia, the recipe has it’s origins in the 1850’s , and there is a whole host of discussion about it’s specific ingredients.: the beans, the chilis, what kind of tomatoes and so on.
I must say that my love of this dish stems from the slow, long simmering of all flavours that are anchored by cornerstone ingredient: the chili pepper!
If you want to get a full roster and their respective ‘heat’ factor, check out this great chart from Dishably … they also have astonishing recipes !
The following are fresh chilli peppers that are on my personal go-to list:
Red chilli pepper
Habanero pepper
Scotch bonnet pepper (and aren’t they so cute??)
Jalepano pepper
Cubanelle pepper
Now…… unless you want to set your hair on fire from the sheer heat of all that chilli pepper goodness, you may want to experiment with a single or a ‘blend’ gradually to suit your taste and tolerance.
Ohhhh… and then there are the chili powders…. ohhh swoooooon! So many options but I love my La Chinata smoked paprika powder that brings a smokey yumminess to complement that heat blend of peppers.
There is a plethora of amazing chilli peppers. An absolute gem of a resource is from Cayenne Diane.com.
I have to admit I love the flexibility of chilli. Not only is it good for pot luck dinners, massive friend/family gatherings… it is an amazing dollop of goodness when you’re having a salad dinner and need a major flavour hit.
So… here is my go-to meat version ( vegetarian version to follow soon! )
Sandra’s Classic Chilli
Ingredients
* 1 lb lean ground chicken
* 1 lb lean ground beef
* 3 yellow onions – chopped in chunks
* 4-5 celery stalks – chopped in chunks
* 6 Romano tomatoes – chopped in chunks
* 4 fresh garlic cloves – minced
* 3 large carrots – chopped in chunks
* 1 can of red kidney beans
* 1 can mixed medley ( navy, white, kidney) beans
* 2 jalapeno peppers – finely chopped
* 3 scotch bonnet peppers – whole ( keep whole whilst cooking/simmering & then dispose upon serving)
* 1 cubanelle pepper – finely chopped
* 1/2 tap salt and pepper
* 1 T good quality chilli powder
* 3 bay leaves
* 3 369 ml ( 12 oz) cans of tomato paste
* 3 cups water
* 1 cup red cooking wine ( or the real deal)
Directions
– Sauté all the vegetables and seasonings in a very large pot until tender
– Add meats and sauté until cooked through
– Add tomato paste, water and wine
– Stove top: simmer on low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally or have in a slow cooker on low heat for 4-5 hours. Add more water/wine to suit your consistency preferences as the chilli reduces.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese, crusty bread and a salad and enjoy!
Xo – Sandra
