Chili Con Carne - Dairy and Egg Free

 Chili Con Carne - for game night or any night of the week!

A little spicy and very lean..... and can easily be adjusted to make it your own. This recipe makes a small pot for 3-4 portions.

This is a dairy and egg free recipe. Vegan options include leaving out the meat and frying up carrots, celery, mushrooms and peppers. Use a variety of canned beans such as Pinto,Romano along with kidney beans.

Chili Con Carne
https://youtu.be/C99yxnLXuMo

Gotta have chili on super bowl night!! The great thing about making your own chili is that you can control the salt content, the fat content....I use lean ground beef....but you can also use chicken or turkey meat and you can control the “ heat”.

You will need:

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Half a medium sweet green pepper, chopped- you can use red if you prefer or leave it out altogether. If you want extra heat, add Serrano or Poblano peppers.You can also add mushrooms for more texture.

1.5 lbs of lean ground beef

1 can Italian plum tomatoes 

2 cups Passata ( if you don’t have the jarred Passata you can add one more can of plum tomatoes)

1.5 tsps salt...or to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper...or to taste

1 tsp dried oregano 

1tsp dried basil

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 to 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper....or to taste

1 tsp red chili peppers...or to taste

3- 4 tbsps chili powder - ( very important!do not leave out) may seem like a lot, but it’s not. Chili powder is not spicy hot.

1 can Red Kidney Beans, drained

Pickled jalapeño peppers for garnish - you can also chop and throw about 2 tbsps into the chili itself if you like. Do whatever makes your tastebuds happy.

Begin by drizzling 3 to 4 Tbsps of olive oil into a large pot.

Over medium heat, fry your onions and garlic for a few minutes then add the green pepper. Fry for a few minutes and throw in your beef.

Stir and break up meat. Continue cooking until water evaporates, and it begins to fry and brown. Add salt, pepper and spices. Stir.

Once meat is nicely browned, add your canned and jarred tomatoes.

This will need to simmer for about an hour. Break down your tomatoes with a wooden spoon. After10 minutes of simmering on medium- low, it’s important to do a taste test.This is where you want to adjust the salt and spices.

As it it simmers, the liquid will evaporate and chili will thicken.

Add your can of drained red kidney beans the last 15 minutes of simmering. Throw in your pickled jalapeños if you like or lay on top of your chili.

Different ways to enjoy chili:

In a bowl with crusty, toasted bread topped with pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped green onions

On nachos topped with jalapeño peppers, grated cheddar cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream

On a baked potato with grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, green onions

Endless possibilities..............