Pantry Chili

This is my ultimate go-to meal.  Partially because it throws together so quickly with such little effort, and partially because it is so easily adapted to whatever is in my pantry. I am almost hesitant to write it all down, for fear of removing some of the spontaneity that I so enjoy... I'll do my best to convey the basics without losing the versatility that I love so much.

Ingredients:

Ground meat; the other measurements are based on about 1 pound.  It turns out equally well with white or red meat, from beef to turkey; venison is probably my favorite.

Beans; canned is easiest two 15oz cans, drained. But dried beans can be rehydrated in water overnight.  Anything from kidney, garbanzo, pinto, or black beans-- again, versatility is key!

Vegetables; I prefer equal parts meat and veggies, but the quantity is up to you, just adjust the liquids later so it's the right consistency.  Carrots, celery, mushrooms, and bell peppers are common choices from my kitchen.  For a vegetarian recipe, skip the meat and double the veggies!

Onion; this is really the only one I can't get around, somehow it's just not chili if you don't start with that fantastic onion base.

Spices; this is where the real fun happens.  I'm not sure I've ever used the same blend of spices more than once. I always start with my homemade Italian Seasoning (a blend of oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, and marjoram), about 2 tablespoons, then I'll add anywhere from 1/2-1 tablespoon of any combination of the following: Cumin, Curry Powder, Coriander, Fennel Seed, Celery Seed, Whole Bay Leaves, Fresh or Powdered Garlic.  This is all about your senses, mix them together in a seperate bowl until you've got an aroma you like and then sprinkle it in slowly so as not to overpower the other flavors.  I always save my left over spice mix for a good steak rub later in the week.

Tomatoes; fresh or canned, it's up to you.  For canned, I use one 15oz can of diced petite tomatoes juice and all, and one 8oz can tomato sauce.  For fresh, I'll use about 4-6 tomatoes diced over a bowl to catch all the juices.  But I'm not a big tomato fan for my chili, so this ends up on the pretty light side.

Broth, preferably.  You can use water, but it's just not as dynamic of a flavor that way.  I choose my broth to match my base, red meat gets beef; light meat gets chicken, and of course vegetarian gets vegetable stock.  The quantity depends on how thick or thin you like your chili but I'd say minimum 1 pint, maximum 1 quart.  Where you fall is up to you!

Olive oil. Yep, that's the one simple ingredient... and well, it doesn't even have to be olive! Any kind of cooking oil will do.

Directions:

Start by chopping your onion into medium to large sized pieces.

Heat 1 tbs oil in a large pot, preferably an enamel coated one, although cast iron or crock pots work well too.

Toss in your onion and begin cooking for about 2 minutes.

Once onion starts to soften add in your ground meat and brown.

Next toss in your "hard" veggies, like carrots, celery, etc.

Cook for about 2 minutes, then add in your spices, tomatoes, and any other veggies you want.  Stir until everything is mixed and equally coated in spices.

Now for the beans you have two options, option #1 is toss them in as is with everything else, this is for a thinner chili.  Option #2 is toss 1/2 into the pot, and the other 1/2 into a food blender to puree.  This will give you a thicker base for your chili, it's good either way, so this is just preference.

Now, everything but your liquid should be in the pot.  Pour it in slowly because you don't want to end up with soup.  Add about 1 cup more liquid than you think you'll need because some will evaporate.  But don't stress about it too much, if you think it's getting too thick-- add more later.

Now you get to hurry up and wait.  Cover your pot and bring it to a happy simmer.  Let it cook until all the vegetables are tender, usually about 20-30 minutes.  This is the perfect time to whip up some cornbread to go with it!

Once it's done, serve it up hot! Topped with some sour cream and cheddar cheese makes a a fantastic throw-together dinner.

Enjoy!