Chili

A Great Bowl of Chili!

I love to make a good pot of chili on a frigid winter day! It just smells so good in the house when it cooks!  It's like the aroma spreads warmness! This is the way I make chili:

1. I brown about half a pound of very lean ground beef in a four-quart pan
2. I add about half a medium onion, chopped to the beef so it can begin to cook as the meat browns.
3. Add a couple stalks of chopped celery.  This ingredient can certainly be eliminated if you don't have it on hand or don't care for celery.
4. Once the ground beef is cooked, I put about three tablespoons of chili power in the pan.  If you prefer you chili to be less spicy, use less or more if you like more spice
5. Add a couple glugs  of cider vinegar and stir.  I don't know what the vinegar adds, but I've always done it!  Cook until the vinegar evaporates.
6. Add a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes to let the tomatoes get warm.
7. Add a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce and about three cans of water.
8. Add a 15 ounce can of kidney beans.  If you like another kind of bean, use them - this is your chili!  Also, if you like more beans, add them.
9. Bring this mixture to the point of boiling, then reduce the heat and let simmer until you're read to eat - I think it needs to cook at least an hour for the flavors to meld.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste just before you serve.  If you add salt during the cooking process, it causes the beans to be hard.

In the picture, you can see the pan of cornbread I love to have with the chili.  I'll tell you how to make it another day!

SMALL LIVING TIP: When you have celery that you are not going to use right away, chop it into recipe-size pieces and place in a freezer bag and freeze.  When you want to cook with it, just take what you want from the bag and throw it in the pot.