Death to Tastebuds: Chili Season!

Well it seems to finally be official.  It's winter!  She may have taken a while to get here, but judging from how quickly my face froze while walking the dog this morning, winter has arrived.  As a lifetime New Englander I feel it is my responsibility and my right to complain about the cold, however this year I have to admit, I'm kind of glad it's here.  The holiday season was just not the same picking out my tree in a sweatshirt or wrapping presents with the windows open.  Of course I will probably be complaining by February, but for the moment I am happy winter decided to make an appearance.

Not only does winter mean snow, skiing, and lots of school vacations, but it also means time breaking out the crock pot, cooking over the stove without your skin melting off, and cozying up to the fire with a nice big bowl of warm comfort food.  So, for those of you grumbling at my support of the frigid temperatures, let me offer you something to cheer about; chili recipes!  There are two in this post, both being what I call "primal capable" and delicious.  One is easy and quick to make, the other involves some more time over the stove, but hey, in this weather I will take the warmth where I can get it.

(enter personal story, recipes farther down)

I grew up hating chili.  It was something I wanted nothing to do with.  Kidney beans?  Chili powder?  Spicyness?  My young mind saw these ingredients entering the pot and immediately decided against consumption of the contents.  Now, as many of you know, Denise is not one to cater to the picky eater.  I was expected to eat (and finish) every meal, regardless of whether I liked it.  At the time this horrible injustice was topped by the fact that the chili smelled, well, good!  Every time I'd think for SURE this time finally, I will like the chili... but no, my mouth always failed me.

Someone told me not to worry about this when I was younger.  They said that my taste buds would start dying as I got older and my tastes would change (wow, that's uplifting for a 5 year old).  But at the time I was so busy pushing cooked carrots, onions, and steak around my plate pretending to eat that I only paid enough mind to remember the (somewhat creepy) advice for later.  And here I am, finally able to say I love cooked carrots, onions, steak, and of course CHILI!  Heck, I'm even writing about one of my past arch nemeses of food. 

So, The Girl Who Hated Chili is no more.  She is now a lean mean chili creating machine.  I will warn you, I am still a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so feel free to add your own tongue-altering spices because you won't find them here.  There's also the issue some people have with crock pots.  Admit it, at some point in your life you thought they were for old people.  Well, I'm proud to say I would be lost without mine.  Yes, at one time this might have caused me some embarrassment, but I am now that person who only wants appliances for Christmas.  Anyways, if you don't want to use one, don't.  Standing over the stove for hours will give you the same results, you will just be missing out on the feeling of awesomeness cooking in a crock pot gives you.  Seriously.

This first recipe is one that I've been making for years with a nice, strong, dark beer.  When we went primal I substituted the beer with beef stock instead.  Your choice, both are equally smile worthy!

Beer (or not) Chili

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 1 can Trader Joe's fire roasted green chiles
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 6 oz corn 
• 1 can black beans (optional)
• 1 bottle dark beer OR 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp flour or arrowroot powder (mix with stock/beer)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper to taste

Heat pan on medium with a little olive oil, add pepper and onion, cook for a few minutes.  Add the meat, cooking for about 5 minutes until most of the pink is gone.  Drain the fat, place back on stove, add all seasonings plus the can of green chiles.  Cook until no pink remains.

Add stock/broth with flour to pan.  Mix with meat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until starts to thicken.  Mix tomatoes, corn, and beans in crock pot and add meat from pan.  Combine all and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 on low, scoop into a bowl, and eat!

This next recipe is lengthy.  I assure you that the time is worth it.  This recipe has been modified by me, but the website I got it from is really easy to follow if you'd prefer the original.  Anyways, the ingredients are broken into groups so you know what to add when, and I recommend prepping all the materials and placing them in these groups to make sure you aren't frantic once you start cooking.  Overall you need about 2 hours of prep/stove time to do this right.  And it IS worth it!

Buffalo Chicken Chili 

**stock pot needed**

Group 1                                                              Group 2

1 tbsp olive oil                                                       2 tbsp butter       

1 lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs                     3 celery ribs, chopped 
(cubed with salt & pepper)                                    2 carrots, chopped

                                                                             1 medium onion, chopped

Group 3                                                             Group 4

5 garlic cloves, minced                                         1 cup chicken broth                            

2 tbsp chili powder                                              1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot (NO wing sauce!)

1 tbsp ground cumin                                            15 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp ground coriander                                        14.5 can diced tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Okay, here we go... place stock pot over heat, make sure all things are prepped and ready to go in since this requires your full attention!

Add Group 1

With wood spoon, cook chicken over medium to low heat.  Browning equals flavor, so do not rush this step.  Do not drain, cook for 5-10 minutes.

Add Group 2

Combine veggies and butter with chicken and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add Group 3

Clear a spot in the center of the pan to cook the spices for 30 seconds, then add about olive oil to the center of the pan with garlic and other spices.  Let them sit without mixing with other ingredients for about 30 seconds, then mix in rotisserie chicken together and simmer all for about 5 minutes.   

Add Group 4

Finally add the rest of the ingredients.  Add stock first, using it to scrape up bits stuck to pan from other simmering sessions.  Once the pan is deglazed (as in nothing is stuck to the sides anymore), add rest of group and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes, mixing occasionally and making sure nothing is still stuck to the pan.  Let simmer to the desired thickness that you prefer.

 

Well, that's all I've got for today, remember, no chili is complete without cornbread, cheese, and sour cream... thanks for reading!