Red Hot Chili Cook-Off

It’s that time of year again….the cold and dreary winter months that seem to require warm, nutritious meals to heat us up. Chili is a wonderful winter dish for it can be easily prepared in advance, it doesn’t require a lot of effort, it is full of nutritious legumes (if you choose to use them), and it makes a fairly complete meal in and of itself.

Italian Style Chili

Traditionally beans are not a natural part of chili, in fact, true Texas chili contains no beans or tomatoes and simply consists of meat and hot chili peppers. However, we find that beans absorb the flavors of chili beautifully and actually create a nice robust dish. The chili recipes we chose to make this month all contain a variety of beans — you can easily use kidney, black bean, navy beans, lentils, pinto beans to name a few. The meats you use can also vary from everything from ground meat, chuck roast, chicken, pork, and even various sausages. The true beauty of chili (whether traditional or not) is that it can be a unique creation of your very own without much effort.

Chicken Chili

If you choose to use beans in your chili and you have enough time and forethought to prepare your beans, it is advisable to use dried beans. The flavor is better and fresher and most serious cooks would be insulted if asked to use canned beans. If you are using dried beans, the traditional method of preparing your beans is to pick the beans over and wash them. Cover them with water in a large bowl, enough to submerge them far under the surface of the water. Soak them for 6-12 hours (changing the water several times throughout the soaking time). For a quicker method, pick over and wash the beans. Cover the beans with hot water in a large saucepan. Bring the beans to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let soak for 1 hour. When ready to cook, drain the beans and rinse thoroughly. If you are looking for an even quicker method, canned will certainly do in a pinch. To help with your dried bean quantity conversions use the following:

1 cup dried beans, uncooked = (2) 15.5 oz. cans of beans (drained)

1 lb. dried beans, uncooked = (3) 15.5 oz. cans of beans (drained)

1-2/3 cups cooked dried beans = (1) 15.5 oz. can of beans (drained)

1 lb. dried beans = 2 cups dried beans = 6 cups cooked beans

This month join Glutenfreeda in making some wonderful chili’s. Try the delicious and simple Chicken Chili or a wonderful Texas Bean Chili — perfect for a snowy evening or even a winter picnic lunch on the slopes. For a different variation try the Italian Style Chili which uses Italian sausage and wonderful aromatic spices that will delight your palate.

Enjoy!

– Glutenfreeda