Well, I promised to share my favorite ‘Last of the Tomatoes’ recipe and here it is: Chili & Cornbread. It’s the best for the last of the tomatoes for 2 reasons. First, by the end of the season, the tomatoes are no longer at their peak flavor so cooking really brings out their best. Second, it’s Fall! There’s a nip in the air, why wouldn’t you want chili & cornbread?
Chili is also a really handy thing to have in your cooking repertoire simply because it is easy to have simmering on the stove on Saturday or Sunday when you want to clean out the produce drawers. You can pretty much throw any number of veggies into chili, and they will taste awesome as long as you have the basic seasonings in there. Here’s my basic recipe…
Hannah B’s Basic Chili
Ingredients:
1lb. Ground Beef
1 Onion (medium in size; yellow, white, red, it doesn’t matter.)
2 Bell Peppers (For this particular pot I had green, yellow, & red leftover halves from another dish… sometimes I just use green. Each color you choose will affect your flavor but, again, you really can’t go wrong.)
2-3 Jalapenos or Poblano Peppers (Basically just a pepper to give it a rounder little kick.)
Tomatoes (Whatever you’ve got, chop them up and throw ’em in. If I am buying fresh tomatoes from the market to use, I’ll usually buy 5 or 6. Throwing in a few smaller tomatoes: romas, cherries, etc. will also add a nice little something.)
(Sometimes I add zucchini. This time I added a can of artichokes. Seriously, whatever veggies you have in the fridge.)
2 cans of Tomato Paste (These are usually 6 oz. each. The tomato paste helps thicken up the chili.)
1T Cumin
2t Chili Powder
Salt to taste
Play with the rest of the seasonings:
-My mom usually adds a few Tablespoons brown sugar to her’s because she’s from Ohio.
-I’ve been known to add garlic, onion powder, and ground mustard. It’s all about what you’ve got on hand.
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1. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and drain it.
2.) To a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil and your veggies on medium high heat.
3.) When these start to soften and the onions begin to grow translucent, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, meat, and the basic seasonings. Mix well, cover, and wait until it boils.
4.) When it begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer. Adjust the seasoning a little bit at a time.
Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream and…
Addendum: February, 2014… Click here to get our cornbread recipe!
Life Lesson: Every belle should own an iron skillet
& have a cornbread recipe up her sleeve!
