Snow Day Chili

[velvetpage]

This recipe is one to make on any day when you needed to go out to get groceries, but one or more of the following interfered with your good intentions:
1) Snow. Obviously. The larger the quantity of snow, the better the excuse.
2) Lack of funds. When payday happens to fall this month on a Tuesday, and the larder is bare by Friday, this is a good tide-us-over kind of recipe.
3) General lack of desire to shop. Perfectly acceptable, of course. We all have those days.

Once you've decided it's time for snow-day chili, look out the window. If it's not snowing and hasn't snowed lately, rename your recipe to "Don't want to shop chili" or something more situationally appropriate.

Now, descend to the depths of the house and investigate the contents of the pantry shelves in the basement and the box freezer. The basic ingredients (which I keep on hand at all times if possible) are:

2 big cans stewed tomatoes. If one is whole fruit and the other is crushed, you'll get a nice think sauce. If they're both whole, you'll get a good sauce for toast-dipping.
2 cans red kidney beans
1 lb ground meat, preferably beef, though I've made it with chicken once before and it was still quite good.
1 yellow onion
chili powder and other spices to taste.

I discovered quite quickly that I had all of this. So I loaded myself down with all the cans and headed upstairs. Optional ingredients include, but are not limited to, the following:

Whatever fresh veggies you have that work in chili - peppers of any description, onions of any description, corn, beans of any description, and any leftover bits of other stuff that you want to throw in. I used the rest of my mushrooms today, and a green pepper.
Whatever canned veggies you have that work in chili - other types of beans, chili peppers, corn, etc, etc.
Fresh tomatoes
Extra meat
Garlic
Whatever you normally put in chili that I wouldn't - some of the southern friends on my list would probably put a LOT more peppers in this recipe than I would.

Defrost the meat in the microwave, shaving off the defrosted bits periodically so the middle will thaw in reasonable time. Cook meat, onions, green or other peppers, and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat, add contents of most of the cans (I suggest leaving corn and peas for later), stir, spice, and let simmer until your kitchen has reached the temperature you set your thermostat to, but which the wind chill has pulled down several degrees over the course of the day. Steamy windows are not a bad thing, here. When it's nearly done, add corn or other last-minute type veggies, continue until they're hot, and then serve with:

Toast
Crackers
Sour Cream (this is hard to have on hand and may have to be sacrificed)
Whatever else you have that can take some of the edge off the chili

Eat, store the leftovers for lunches over the next few days without groceries, and invite nearby family to drop in to share, unless of course they made their own snow-day chili, in which case why would they want yours? Discuss the state of the military budget and studiously avoid any mention of same-sex marriage while said relatives are present. (Yes, it was my dad. How did you guess?)

Provide baby with toast, cheese, and other items she will eat when she turns her nose up at the chili. Today's hit: orange juice.

Comments

[pyat.livejournal.com]

It was nummy. :)

[thebitterguy]

You're missing Cilantro. You can't cook chili without it.

Or any food, really. It makes life worth living.

And a jalapeno pepper.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Hey, it depends on what one's got at hand. This is why I get those frozen cilantro cubes (because buying it fresh is guaranteed to result in something unmentionable in the veggie drawer).

You know, I made salsa today, and separately, pasta sauce with ground beef. Never thought to combine the two ideas and make some chili. D'oh! Next time.

[thebitterguy]

I made Cilantro cubes last time we bought it. I just ifgured that since we never use more than half, it would be better than letting it go to waste. They've lasted a few months, now.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

You see, my tastebuds were inherited from my British forebears. They were meat-and-potatoes people. The most exciting thing my grandmother ever put in her food was black pepper that had been on a shelf for a few months.

I just don't do the really spicy, mouth-burning stuff. I've tried, and I've never gotten past the first mouthful. So the jalapeno isn't happening. But I'll keep the cilantro in mind.

[thebitterguy]

Oh, a jalepeno is the friendliest of the spicy peppers! And a single pepper, properly prepared (seeds and veins removed) adds a world of flavour excitement to your chili!

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Every time I've had jalapenos, I've regretted it. Is it possible it just wasn't prepared properly?

Make me some chili sometime and change my mind, please. :)

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

Mine is similar (with the exceptions of my sauteed green peppers and some hot pepper), and I put grated cheese on the top after spooning it into the bowl (the more the better!). Also, bits of sausage would be tasty in there too :)