Red and Black Chili

Red and Black bean chili topped with Guacamole and Cheese

So I love chili. All types of chili. And when my job has black bean chili and rice I'm in a special happy place. But I won't generally eat it in the summer months so when fall/winter get here off to market I go. Now I have always made my chili with the seasoning packets from the grocery store so I figured I'd try a little something different this year. A chili from scratch that has beer in it. Now the beer is optional and you can use almost anything you can find but I don't suggest the cheap stuff. Just think about the flavor of a $2 vs that of a $6. Oh and please let me know if you tried this and if you used beer and what type. This recipe was inspired by Bobby Flays Beef and Black Bean Chili

2lbs of ground beef (feel free to use cubed steak, ground chicken or turkey)
2 jalapenos chopped
3-4 green onions chopped
half a red onion diced
3 cloves chrushed garlic
3 tsp chili powder
3 tsp cumin (gives it a smokey flavor)
bottle of beer
32 oz chicken stock
can of diced tomatoes
can or black beans drained and rinsed
can of kidney beans drained and rinsed
can of corn (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in a large pot. Once done remove from pot leaving some of the grease in the pot. Add your peepers and onions. Cook til onions are translucent (about 5 min). Add garlic cooking an additional 2 mins. Add seasonings and cook for 2 mins. Everything should be smokey and smelling really good at this point. and red in color. Pour the beer in and reduce completely. There should be little to no liquid left at this point. Add your meat back to the pot with the tomatoes and slowly pour in your stock. bring liquid to a boil then reduce and let simmer 45 mins with lid on. Add beans and corn and cook for an additional 15 mins. Remove from heat and season to taste.

TIPS:

• Top with cheese, sour cream, onions, guacamole, or even salsa
• Want something spicier uses a a hotter pepper, or just had some crushed red pepper flakes
• Experiment with different beers or even red wine to get different flavors 
• Easy recipe to double and freeze

Infused Water

This summer all the rage was about infused water, also called spa water. Restaurants sell it and most spa and gym provide it for their guest. So how about you make it at home. Please please please don't buy any type of infused water. It's a huge waste of money when you can do it yourself.

It's also great to set on a table in a pitcher for parties.

I'm sure there are some great health benefits that come with it. Like getting the vitamins out the fruit without the carbs or calories. And it just taste better than drinking plain water all day.

There is no real recipe and you can use almost any fruit and herb you like. But I'll share a few my favorite.

Infusion #1
sliced oranges
half a grapefruit sliced
a pint of strawberries
a few mint leaves

Infusion #2
sliced lemons
pint of strawberries
2-3 sprigs of rosemary

Infusion #3
sliced cucumber
sliced lemons
few leaves of tarragon

Infusion #4
watermelon cubed
raspberries
mint leaves

Add all the ingredients in a a large pitcher with ice and water. Let sit for a hour before serving for best flavor.

Tips:

• Sometimes you have to wake herbs up. Either muddle them in the pitcher before adding the other ingredients or tear them with your hands or a knife
• Use sparkling water or club soda to add a lil bubbles to it and make it fun for kids
• Wash off your fruit before adding it. 
• If using limes don't let sit long or juice the limes first. They can become kind of bitter after a while
• Only let the water sit for a day or two. 

White Bean Chicken Chili

So I'm sure everyone loves chili or knows someone that does. It was a staple in my house growing up in the winter months and even as an adult I continue to make it. So I decided to try something a little different and I encourage you to adjust this according to your taste. The best part of all this, you only need one pot.

2 tablespoons of olive oil
half an onion diced
2-3 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
1 bunch of green onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 lbs of ground chicken
2 tablespoons of cumin
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
2 teaspoon of chili powder
3 tablespoons of flour
4 cups of chicken stock
4 (15 ounce) cans of any white bean drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to season

In a large pot heat oil over medium heat.
Saute onions and peppers til tender, about 5 minutes.
Add meat and seasoning to the pot. Cooking until meat is done (about  10 minutes)
Sprinkle flour over meat and stir.
Bring liquid to a boil then lower the heat til it simmers.
Simmer chili til liquid has thickened and reduced to about half.


Tips:

• For a little extra heat add red chili pepper flakes and simmer for an addition 10 minutes
• Try other peppers but remember the heat is in the seeds and vein
• Serve with a nice heap of sour cream cheese and croutons
• This would probably work well with left over turkey (add it in at the end since it's already cooked)
• Also try with chicken breast. 
• Add corn. At the same point that you add the beans