Healthy Fall Chili Recipes

According to foodreference.com, chili is the official dish of Texas. Darn! Texas beat Montana to the punch. I love chili and what's more I love my mother's chili. Of course, nobody makes it like our mother can, right? I once asked her if she could write her recipe down. It is one of those that just comes out of the head...nothing is measured kind of recipes.

A good basic chili is a stick to the ribs meal. One of the best accompaniments for chili is corn bread and the many variations of corn bread, beer bread, or batter bread. I will humbly try to give it my best for this soup that gets us through really cold winters.

My mothers chili isn't really a recipe as much as it's according to your own taste with the following ingredients: hamburger, canned diced tomatoes, diced onions, red kidney beans, light kidney beans, salt, pepper, chili powder, whatever hot stuff you like, and tomato or v-8 juice. The first thing to do is dice the onions and since I don't really like to cry while I'm making chili I usually use dried minced onion and compensate by adding a little more liquid to the mixture. If I want more onion taste I add onion powder and, oh yes, garlic powder to taste or maybe minced garlic....whatever you like. I usually buy a couple pounds of hamburger and brown that. Then I just throw everything into the pot and let it slowly simmer for a couple hours until the smell is driving everyone nuts and we have to eat it.

This next recipe belongs to my husband. When he wants chili he makes this.....his "real man's" chili.

Texas Chili: 1 (3 to 4 lb.) chuck blade steak; 1/4 cup oil; 3 medium green peppers; 4 garlic cloves; 2 (28 oz.) cans of tomatoes; 1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste; 2 cups water; 1/3 cup chili powder; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 Tbsp. salt; 2 tsp. oregano; 3/4 tsp. pepper; 1/2 cup cheese for garnish; onions. The blade steak will have to be cubed and free of fat. Heat oil in soup kettle and brown the cubes of steak. Dice the green peppers, mince the garlic and add to the mix. Let simmer for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, chili powder, sugar, salt, oregano, and pepper. Turn the heat to low and simmer for several hours. If you use a slow cooker, you will need to brown the meat first.

This recipe is from my seventh grade home-ec class.
Chili Con Carne: Brown 1 lb. hamburger in 3 Tbsp. oil. Add 1/4 cup minced onion and cook 10 minutes. Add a 15 oz. can of kidney beans and a can of tomato soup. Mix in 2 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 Tbsp. flour; 3 Tbsp. water and 1 tsp. salt. Cook over low heat and stir frequently. Serve hot, with crackers.

If you wish for something besides crackers the following should do nicely.

Soda Bread: 2 cups whole wheat flour; 2 cups all purpose flour; 1 cup quick oats; 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking soda; 1 1/2 Tbsp. salt; 3/4 cup sugar; 2 cups buttermilk; 3 Tbsp. molasses; 2 cups raisins. Mix together and form a loaf. Bake at 350 degrees until done.

Honey Corn Bread: 1 cup yellow corn meal; 3/4 cup unbleached flour; 4 tsp. baking powder; 3/4 tsp. salt; 2 eggs, beaten; 3/4 cup milk; 1/4 cup honey; 2 Tbsp. oil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees; oil an 8 inch square baking dish. Mix ingredients in a bowl using an electric mixer on low speed. Bake 15 minutes.

Cheddar Cheese Batter Bread: In large bowl dissolve 1 pkg. yeast in 1 1/4 cups warm water. Stir in 2 Tbsp. honey. Add 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, 1 tsp. salt and 2 cups flour. Beat on low speed of mixer until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 1 minute. Scrape bowl; beat one minute more. Stir in 1 cup flour and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk. Grease a 8x4 inch loaf pan. Stir down the dough with 30 strokes of a spoon. Spoon into loaf pan. Let rise until the top of the dough is level with the top of the pan. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until done. remove from pan to cool.