Winter meals and summer meals tend to be different. When it's cold out, we tend to want something to warm us up, while the hot summer months make cooking over a hot stove almost unbearable.
During these chilly months, chili seems like a natural option. I've added five chili recipes here. Actually, it started out as four fecipes, but one of them has been tweaked: The Vegetarian Chili is originally from an issue of Runner's World; after fixing it many times, I began to change it to where it's different from what was published in Runner's World. Both recipes are marked accordingly so that there is no question as to which is which.
It seems that another one of the recipes might have been discovered in an airline magazine while in flight decades and decades ago (we're talking over forty years ago!). However, since my dad discovered it while flying home, and airlines have folded, merged with others, etc., I have no idea where it came from and how much Dad changed it. If anyone knows the origins of the Texas Chili (as far as airline, etc.), please let me know so that I can give credit where it's due.
Texas Chili
One of my dad’s recipes. Note: Actually, it is the one he said he found in the airline magazine. Whenever Dad fixed this, he’d have to make 2 batches of chili: this for those brave enough to try it, another for everyone else, somewhat cooler.
A funny anecdote: Dad had been involved in Civil Defense when we lived in New York. He had a friend who was also in C.D. who swore that since he'd grown up in New Mexico, he could eat anything spicy hot without it bothering him; in fact, the hotter it was, the better he liked it.
One evening, Larry and his wife came to dinner. Dad had invited them, fixing up a batch of this chili, along with the milder batch. Larry was served the hot stuff. Next time Dad went to a C.D. meeting, he overheard Larry state, "I can eat anything hot - except John S's chili!" Be forewarned!
3 balls ground beef suet
4 slices bacon, cut up
2 lbs. stew beef, cut small
2 lbs. chopped chuck
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Bernudea onions, chopped
1 T paprika
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne
6-9 T chili powder
2-4 walnut-size pieces suet
1 can beef broth
1 tsp. oregano
3 cans measured water
3/4 tsp. cumin
6 C tomatoes & juice
1 2/3 T salt
1 1/2 lbs. drained kidney beans
In heavy pot place 3 balls suet with bacon. Cook out fat. Add & brown beef & chopped chuck. After browning, add garlic. Cook lightly. Add remainder of spices. In another pot, heat 2-4 pieces of suet. Add onions. Cook until almost burned. Add to meat pot. Deglaze pot with meat broth. Add water, tomatoes & juice. Mash tomatoes into chili. Cover & simmer slowly 1 1/2-2 hours. Uncover. Cook down for about 1/2 hour, adding kidney beans. Serves 6-8.
Super Chili
One of my inventions.
2 C pinto beans
4 C water
4-8 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 onions, chopped
2 T chili powder
6 oz. can tomato paste
2 T oil or butter
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. bacon, chopped
28 oz. can tomatoes (undrained)
1 tsp. oregano
1 T chili powder
Soak beans in water for several hours. Drain & place in 4 C water. Add 2-4 cloves gar-lic, 1 onion & 1 T chili powder. Bring to boil, stir, reduce heat, cover & simmer several hours, or until soft & creamy. Add tomato paste & 1 T chili powder & water as needed. Stir, cover & let simmer 30 more minutes. While beans are simmering, brown 1-3 onions, 2-4 cloves garlic & ground beef in butter. Add to beans. Cook bacon & add to beans. Add tomatoes, oregano & 1 T chili powder. Cook for 1-1 1/2 hours. Great for anyone who likes good, hot chili. Better the next day.
Vegetarian Chili
This is from Runner's World. Apparently, it was in the December 1999 issue and repeated after someone mentioned it in a letter in the February 2000 issue. I'm always amazed at the great food coming out of there!
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon soybean or olive oil
1 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 or 2 19-once cans of beans (kidney, pinto, or white)
1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sauté the onion, pepper & garlic in oil over medium heat. Add the tofu and sauté until crisp & lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Add the beans, stewed tomatoes, carrots, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, & salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 50-60 minutes. Serves 4.
From Runner’s World, December, 1999/letters Feb. 2000
Reworked Vegetarian Chili
I've fixed this recipe probably several hundred times, easily. I started off with the above Runner's World recipe; it slowly morphed into this recipes.
Note: I have a habit of buying anywhere from 16 to 20 (or more) peppers of varying colors at the same time, then chopping them all up, putting them into several containers, and freezing them. When I put them into the containers, they're not separated by color, but, rather, dumped in together. This way, I end up with containers with red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers all thrown in together. Then, whenever I need cut up peppers, I end up with a colorful bunch of peppers in whatever I'm putting them in. If you prefer, you can buy one or two peppers as needed (like for this recipe) and cut it up at that time. You can use whichever color bell pepper you want; if I'm out of frozen peppers, and am planning to buy only one or two for this recipe, I usually go with the green peppers, since they're usually the cheapest.
Also, with the onions, I usually try to have both yellow and red onions on hand; when I do, I use one of each in this recipe. Finally, for the cans of beans, I lean toward one can of black beans and one can of either Navy or Great Northern beans, both of which are white. Between the multi-colored peppers, two different kinds of onions, and different colored beans, it makes for a more colorful chili. But if you only have two cans of white, red or black beans, that's fine, too.
2 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 peppers, chopped
16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
2 19-once cans of beans, drained
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sauté the onion, pepper & garlic in oil over medium heat. Add tofu and sauté until crisp & lightly browned. While this is cooking, peel and cut the carrots. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, carrots, chili powder, cumin, & salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 50-60 minutes. Serve over noodles. Serves 4.
Quick And Easy Chili
I first had this at my former in-laws' house. It is about as quick and simple as you can get. It took me a while to warm up to this chili, after eating Dad's Texas Chili. No matter; my younger two love it, and I've grown to like it.
Note:The beans were pretty much required for this recipe. I usually don't push certain brands, and I suppose that other cans of chili beans could be used. But when I fix their dad's/paternal grandparents' chili, I use the beans listed. I've also added the oil to this, but this was not an original part of the recipe.
2 T olive oil
1 pound ground beef
4 cans Ranch Style beans
1 can tomato soup
Chili powder, to taste
Brown ground beef in oil. Add beans, soup, and chili powder. Stir, heat, eat.
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