Simply Authentic...Your Soul Voice is Calling. Killer Chili

A Killer Batch of Chili

I’m not sure how the word ‘killer’ came to mean something wonderful (super-cool, kick-ass, awesome) while it also means someone who decided to take the life of another. Hmmm. Doesn’t look like Urban Dictionary will be helping me with this.

Another phrase I find myself using lately is SO good. I said this at Taco Bell not long ago. At breakfast at Miller’s Homestead Restaurant. And then when I made this killer dinner of browned and baked chicken breasts, garlic mashed potatoes with parsley, and cucumber salad with onions and dressing of light sugar, white wine vinegar and plenty of freshly ground lovely pepper corn blend. SO gooooood. Oh Lordy, so good.

I authentically love to cook. (Baking not so much.) Cooking feeds not just my stomach, but my heart.

We were pretty much snowed in that weekend (Portland tends to shut down with three inches of snow – and this was much more than that, plus freezing rain.) The morning after that scrumptious chicken dinner, I found myself imagining what else was in the freezer, frig and pantry, so that we could have something different and also spread out the leftovers.

I remembered this package of ground beef in the freezer and the idea of chili came to me. I mentioned it to George. He was way on board and asked about corn bread. We were in business right there.

George pulled the beef package and five jalapenos we had frozen from our garden last year out of the freezer, as he brought us generous cups of coffee.

With the ground beef and jalapenos thawed, I began the cooking process early evening, gave George the taste-tester job, and he suggested some killer seasonings I hadn’t used before.  A big huge YUM all the way around!

This is your Killer Chili! Use these (and/or other) ingredients in amounts to your taste:

Ground beef, cooked and drained

Salt & pepper

Finely diced garlic

Chopped onion

Chopped jalapeno peppers (if frozen whole and thawed, use a scissors to cut)

Chili seasoning packet

Can diced tomatoes

Can Rotel tomato chili sauce

Hot pepper sauce

Cumin

Dark chocolate (thin squares)

Celery seed

Oregano

Basil

Red pepper (ground cayenne)

Mustard, dry, ground

Canned beans, drained (we had on hand one can red kidney and one can white beans)

Mix all ingredients together, heat to bubbling, reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency and flavor.

(George’s original version includes cooked bacon, sliced and browned hot beer sausage, bay leaf, cilantro and crushed black olives.)

Serve with grated cheese, and consider crushing some green olives to put on top along with the cheese. I loved the green olive. Killer.

Authentically Yours,

Laura