Cozy Winter Chili

I don't know about you, but one of my favourite foods on a blustery winter day is a great big bowl of hearty chili. So today, in honour of this cold (-27 Celsius!) and very very snowy day, I bring my favourite chili recipe to all of you (hi mom - I assume you read these). By favourite recipe, I mean I watched my mom make chili as a child and then recreated it when I went to university, and it has evolved to look something like what you see below.

My chili making philosophy is to keep it simple, keep it cheap, keep it filling, and keep it clean. What, you don't have a chili making philosophy? It's just me? Well...let's all get along and call it being unique ;)

Ingredients: 

1 lb ground beef (grass fed if possible)
1 large onion
1 large green pepper (I buy a bunch when organic peppers are on sale, wash and clean them, and freeze for later)
2 TBSP chili powder
2 c. beans (I usually combine kidney beans and black beans, but you can add chickpeas or anything else you like. If you like lots of beans, go ahead and add more! I buy mine dried (the most affordable way to buy organic), so I rarely, if ever measure - I just soak and cook a few handfuls when it's convenient and pop them in the freezer for later)
2 cans diced tomatoes (we get the organic ones from Costco - $10 for 8 cans)
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions: 

1. Brown ground beef. While it is cooking, dice onion and add it to the pot, then dice green pepper and add it to the pot.
2. After the beef has browned, add the chili powder and continue cooking.
3. Add the beans and cook a few more minutes, just to coat and flavour with the chili powder.
4. Add in tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste (if desired).
5. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chili is like soup - the longer you let it stew the better the flavour. I try to cook for at least an hour.
6. Serve it up! We like ours with shredded cheddar, garlic bread, or naan (at which point Wes pretends we are actually eating curry and eats his chili with his naan - in case you wondered how it works here).


Serves 6.

Note: to make this in the crock pot, I just brown the beef first, and throw everything else in the crock pot in the morning and set it to low for the day (8 hours). 


I will be eating a big bowl of this in front of the fire later today while I skip classes to write papers and avoid getting swallowed by a blizzard. Feel free to join me!