Autumn Chili 4 College Cooking

PMy travels to Europe and South Africa have finally ended, and returning to Chicago found me bedridden with illness after 22 hours of steadfast flying--but, I also came home with a great recipe for low-budget college cooking after meeting up with friends in Germany who made this simple supper (a variation on Chile Con Carne) while we reminisced about high school and the good 'ol days!

This is an easy one-pot meal for the cold fall and winter days ahead. Packed full of vegetables, nutrition, protein and flavor; and, this is yet another option to limit your meat consumption and stretch your grocery dollars--for an apartment of college students this will satisfy any hunger with leftovers to spare. 

(Not a chili or stew fan? Try these alternatives to make winter's chill bearable: Lemony Chicken Orzo Soup, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, Corn Bacon Chowder with Shrimp, or Loaded Baked Potato Soup.)

Another benefit to any chili-stew recipe is that if you only have black beans instead kidney beans...use them...or add some corn...or not! Don't like green peppers...skip them...exchanges are easy...wanna go vegetarian or save on grocery dollars...omit the meat altogether!

Don't sweat the small stuff with one-pot meals!

Add a simple salad, like a simple Arugula Salad with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper, and some Cheesy Toasts for a meal worth sitting down for. Make time to connect (and re-connect) with the folks that matter in your life no matter where you are...never eat alone! Share a meal! Invite a friend and find out what's going on in their life! 

(Courtesy recipe from Dorothee Reiniger-Pointer--thanks for a wonderful evening and welcome back to Germany!)

Autumn Chili 4 College Cooking

Equipment:
5qt-sauce pan with lid
Can opener
Wooden spoons

Ingredients:
1 lb ground hamburger
2 onions, coarsely diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick rounds
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 peppers (red, yellow, green--or as available, cheapest), cored & coarsely chopped
3 (15oz) crushed tomatoes
1 (15oz) light red kidney beans
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sambal oelek (optional if you like it spicy, or substitute 1/8 cayenne pepper)
Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche

Add-Ons:
Baguette with cheese, cold cuts, or plain ol' butter
Salad

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands and produce.
2. Prep all of your ingredients before starting the skillet.

3. Brown hamburger meat, garlic and onions in a large non-stick 5 qt-saucepan

4. Add carrots and cook 5-6 minutes.

5. Add peppers.

6. Add tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, and sambal oelek.
7. Simmer on low-heat x one hour.

8. Add kidney beans (or black beans or corn) and simmer another 15 minutes.
9. Prep your add-ons, i.e. cheesy toasts for the broiler and/or salad.

10. Call some friends over for supper tonight!