Warm It Up With Chili and a Winner!

I am really getting cabin fever.  I am finally feeling better after being sick for a week.

I have stayed indoors all weekend because it has been so cold and miserable outside.

Seems like perfect weather for a big pot of my all day chili!

I will give you my recipe in a minute, but first I want to congratulate

Judy of 20 North Ora for winning my giveaway of the little rusty bird

and birdhouse.  Email your address to me Judy so that I can fly that bird

down to Tulsa!  And thank you to all of you who participated.  I have

another giveaway in mind that I hope you all will enjoy.

Susan's All Day Chili

1 pound of beef stew meat

EVOO to coat pan

1 diced yellow onion

1 diced green pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

Chili seasoning blend

2 cans diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 can of drained black beans

Pat the stew meat dry.  Heat oil in dutch oven.  Add meat a few pieces at

a time.  Make sure that all of the meat browns well.  Remove meat from 

pot and add onions and green pepper.  At this point I add some Kosher salt

to make sure the onions and the pepper sweat.  After a few minutes, add the

minced garlic.  Now add the chili powder blend.  Let this heat up a bit to

bring out the flavor.  Add some of the juice from the tomatoes to deglaze the

pot.  Add the rest of the tomatoes, all of the juice and the meat.  Cover and let

the pot simmer for at least one hour.  I like the meat to be really tender, so 

take your time with this.  Then remove cover and let the chili simmer for another

45 minutes.  I like the juices to condense and to intensify the flavor.  Just before

serving, add the drained and rinsed black beans.

I usually serve my chili over cooked brown rice, and I garnish the bowls

with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped scallions.

Love some homemade cornbread with this too.  

Happily Joining

On The Menu Monday

Bentley has been smelling the chili cook all afternoon.

His daddy gave him some popcorn as an appetizer.  

What a lucky dog!

Hugs,

Susan and Bentley