Texas Chili

A few weekends ago, on The Barefoot Contessa, Ina was joined by a friend who made some mighty fine-looking chili.   She referred to it as Texas Chili and she’s won awards for it.  My mouth watered as I watched her put it together and I was definitely wishing for “taste o’vison” so I could try it too.  So, off to market I went.  (Well, truth be told – off to market I sent my husband.)  I’ve made some adjustments to her recipe – but kept true to most of her ingredients.   The chili has the perfect bite with just enough spice to make it interesting – but not so hot that your tongue is on fire. 

Ingredients:

3 lbs. stew meat, cubed

Olive or Vegetable oil

2 white onions, chopped

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 green bell peppers

1 ½ - 2 lbs. fresh tomatoes, rough chopped (alternatively, you could use 1 large can - 28oz - of diced tomatoes.)

2 tlbs. groound cumin

2 tbls. chili powder

1 ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

¾ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbls. Salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 bay leaves

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup brewed coffee

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Garnish: Sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, green onions

Directions:

Add enough oil to a heavy pot (that has a lid) to fry the stew meat in – approximately ¼ cup – and heat. 

Dry the meat by patting with paper towels. Dry meat will brown better.  Fry in batches until browned.  Remove from pot to a plate or bowl.  Fry in small batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Overcrowding will keep the meat from browning.

After all the meat has been browned and removed from the pot, add the chopped onions and garlic.  Fry for about 8 minutes until translucent.  Add the cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt and pepper to the onions.  Continue cooking for a minute or two to cook the spices. 

Add the tomatoes and bell peppers to the onions.  Continue cooking and stirring for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the meat and juices back to the pot, along with the bay leaves.  Stir to combine.

Add the wine to chili and bring to a boil.  Cover with the lid and turn heat down.  Simmer for 2 hours. 

Remove lid after two hours.  Add the coffee and beans.  Stir to combine, replace lid and continue cooking for an additional hour.

Serve with crusty bread and garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese and sliced green onions – or whatever your little heart desires.  Delish!

Click here for printable recipe.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers

I believe in giving credit where credit is due.  I found this recipe on Pinterest, which led me to this wonderful blog by Michelle Hoover.  You can find it here:  http://unboundwellness.com.  She believes in clean eating using whole fresh foods and warm spices to make the foods exciting and interesting.  I made these poppers for our monthly “dinner and a movie” night with friends.  These were a huge hit with all of us.  They are really full of flavor because of all the wonderful spices.  The Ranch Dressing or Dip provides a delicious cool bite.  Made as the recipe outlines, they are gluten free.  I confess I didn’t use coconut flour, rather I used regular all-purpose.  So, if gluten isn’t an issue for you – you can absolutely substitute the regular flour for the coconut.

Ingredients:

1 lb raw ground chicken (or turkey)

2 cups raw shredded carrots (shredded in a food processor or bought pre-shredded)

3 slices raw sugar free bacon

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried chives

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried dill

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Add the shredded carrots to a food processor along with the bacon and blend on high. You want both the carrots and the bacon to be very finely shredded

Remove the carrots and bacon from the food processor and add to a mixing bowl

Stir in the raw ground chicken (or turkey), seasoning, coconut oil and flour and thoroughly combine

Line 2 baking sheets (or one large baking sheet) with parchment paper

Roll the mixture into small poppers and slightly flatten them (you'll have 25-30 poppers)

Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping them half way through.  OPTIONAL- Place them under the broiler for 5 minutes to crisp before serving.

Serve warm with ranch dressing or dip.  (I used Hidden Valley Ranch Party Dip.)

Click here for printable recipe.