You Makin' Chili?

When Dave and I first started dating, he had friends over to his house and I made chili. When I started cooking, he cornered me in the kitchen, gave me a big hug and growled, "you makin' chili?". It's kind of been a joke between us ever since.

I'm a big fan of chili. It's economical, it's easy to make, it can simmer on the stove or in the crock pot, etc. I love making it in the morning and not having to worry about lunch/dinner on a Saturday, just like today.

I change my recipe every time I make it, but this is close to what I made today. Chili is a casual food, and I definitely cook it that way. I never ever ever measure my spices. Usually I eyeball things or rely on my nose to guide me. (Read: my recipe may not be accurate) So tweak this one as you wish:

3 cups diced yellow onion
3 serrano chiles, finely chopped
1 lb chorizo
1 lb ground sirloin
4 T. chili powder (I like to use both regular and chipotle)
1 1/2 t. dry mustard
1 T. cumin
1/2 t. celery salt
3 T. garlic powder
2 t. cayenne pepper
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
14 oz tomato puree
40 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juice) (fire roasted is key: try Muir Glen or Hunt's)
12 oz great northern beans, drained and rinsed
24 oz chili beans (in hot or medium sauce)
12 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can beer (some watery ol' Coors Light went into this pot)
4 T. masa harina

For a (big) slow cooker:

In a large sauté pan, cook the onions and peppers until soft. Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker. In the sauté pan, brown the chorizo and sirloin. Drain and transfer to slow cooker. Add everything else (skip the masa). Cook on low 8 hours (or so). Easy peasy. This is a big recipe, so you may want to halve the recipe (skip the sirloin and use only the chorizo).

For a stock pot:

In a large stock pot, cook the onions and peppers until soft. Add sirloin and chorizo. Brown, then drain fat. Add the spices to the meat/veggie mixture and stir until fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato puree. Add beans. Add beer. Simmer on low for a minimum of 30 minutes. Add masa harina for a thicker chili.

I have no idea how many cups this serves. I'd guess maybe 10.

Um... Hi.

It's been a while.

I've been avoiding this blog like the plague because I was embarrassed of how "Cooking 101"-esque it reads. My cooking has evolved in the past two years (hip hip hooray for good tools, more research, etc.), but I feel that my old easy recipes still have a place... mostly because I still use them. My average week night doesn't allow for two hours of cooking time.

So my new goal with this blog is to post recipes from the two extremes - the Sundays when I have all day to putter in the kitchen, and the Wednesday "get it on the table NOW" recipes.

Kicking things off is my new favorite comfort food, Greek Pizza.

* * *



1 Lahvosh cracker bread crust (look for it in the deli section)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium red onion, sliced into thin strips
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 1/4 cups shredded roasted chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket)
1 cup feta cheese (use reduced-fat if you'd like)
1 clove finely minced garlic
1 t. dried oregano
freshly cracked pepper

optional:
1/2 cup shredded parmesan, romano, or parmigiano-reggiano
1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped red pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush the crust with olive oil. Add remaining ingredients. Crack pepper over top of pizza. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown.