Recipe: Chili because it's CHILLY

Brrr. It's really cold these days in the Balkans, but nothing warms me up like some good 'ol chili... My dad actually perfected a recipe that started with a slab of steak cut into fine cubes and seasoned with his secret-blend. It would take all-day to prepare and simmer-to-full-flavor, but since that's a secret-family-recipe, and in the interest of time, I thought I'd share my basic throw-it-all-in-a-pot version that I enjoy making (and with a Macedonian-pepper twist). It's quick, easy and quite enjoyable.

Ingredients:

1 lb (1/2 kilo) ground beef
1 Large onion, diced
1 Med onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Large ripe tomatoes, diced
(or 2 tomatoes & 2 14oz cans stewed)
3 Green peppers, diced
2 Red peppers, diced
(a favored personal addition since living in the Balkans)
1 14oz cans kidney beans
1-1/2 T chili powder (adjust up or down for heat)**
1/2 tsp salt
(can add more, I just don't like to use a lot of salt)
1/2 tsp ground pepper blend
(preferably a fresh grind mix of green, black and white pepper)

Preparation:

Brown meat in skillet with diced medium onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 diced green pepper and sprinkling dash of salt.

While that's browning simply dump remaining ingredients (tomatoes first) into a large stew-pot and turn heat on low.

When meat is completely browned, drain excess fat and then combine with ingredients in pot. Cover and cook on med heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Serve with fresh bread (pictured on a fun plate that my nephew made). It's also good served over rice (something I learned from my East Coast colleagues) or with homemade cornbread. And don't forget the side salad to round out the nutrition. :)


Personally, I like to store my chili in single-serving containers in the fridge for one night to cement the flavors. Then I place them in the freezer for quick and easy meals during the week. :)

Spaghetti Sauce: It's simple to turn this basic chili recipe into a Spaghetti sauce simply by excluding the kidney beans and substituting 1 T rosemary in place of the chili powder. I also enjoy adding a little chopped zucchini as well (in the US I'd add yellow squash too). Don't forget to sprinkle the finished product with parmesan cheese. :)

**Note to my Balkan friends: The chili powder that is referred to is not exactly like bukavetz or ljutenitsa (pictured up top), it's a blend that I got ready-made from the US (or has been sent in a care package). Anyways, I did find some recipe's online with instructions on how to make your own, which I will try as well... One from the Sacramento Bee (my hometown paper btw), another from the Food Network and finally one from Wikipedia. I know you can't get Ancho chili pods here, but the ljut piperki will work as a substitute (see pic on right). Prijetno jadenje!

If anyone else has a good recipe for making homemade chili powder, please share! :)