Chili!

My grandmother used to make chili every fall for my Grandfather to take to his hunting camp in the mountains to share with his friends. I have fond memories of helping her and my mom in the kitchen making chili. I have tasted a lot of chili and kind of combined recipes in my head to get what I want. The chili that follows is a sweet and spicy chili. If you want to serve it at a party and make it a bit tex mex add the black beans.

Ingredients:

olive oil

1 medium size sweet yellow onion (diced)

1 green pepper (diced)

2 cloves garlic( pressed through a garlic press)

1 lb ground meat ( I used Angus)

or you could substitute turkey to make it healthier

1 can diced tomatoes ( I use no salt added)

1 can light red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

1 can black beans (optional)

1 can tomato paste

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 of a block of Bakers unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 teaspoon of the following:

garlic powder

onion powder

chili powder

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

pinch of cinnamon

a couple shakes of red hot/texas pete/etc.

1 good heaping tablespoon of brown sugar

1/2 cup water

In a large stock pot add a decent amount of olive oil, add green pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté until onions and peppers have softened, 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add ground meat and cook over medium-high heat until the meat is cooked through.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste and stir. Add spices, sugar, liquid smoke and water if you feel the chili is too thick ( I like thick chili) Sauté over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes or more if you prefer. Add beans and stir once more.

Top with grated cheese, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream. Delish!