Super Bowl! (Mom's chili and beans)

I love it when Will calls and asks for a recipe so he can cook for his friends. 


I just hung up from just that kind of call -- he's having friends over for chili and elk burgers (remember, he goes to school in Montana and now has a freezer full of venison, elk and moose) and needed me to email him the ingredient list for "Mom's Chili."  We couldn't believe that this recipe hadn't been blogged yet -- I sent it to him his freshman year, with a box full of canned goods and spices. 


Steve & I wish we could join the boys for the game, but at least we know how the chili will taste.... delish!

Mom’s Chili with Beans

This is one those recipes that is not exact.  OK you know the drill. You will have to taste as you go and adjust. Here’s what you need:

The fresh stuff:

• 1 to 1.5 lbs ground beef (elk and venison work well, too)
• 1 onion - chopped up
• 2 - 3 cloves of garlic - minced
• XLNT tamale (usually in the deli section of the grocery store) - if you can’t find this, packaged polenta will also work - the polenta comes in a tube and may be in the refrigerated section or where the rice or pasta is. The masa will be in the Mexican section, cuz it's what you use to make tamales and tortillas. Find a nice lady and ask (-; 

The canned stuff

• Big can of crushed tomatoes (or whole tomatoes that you squish up)
• Large can of dark red kidney beans
• Medium can of diced tomatoes
• Small can of tomato paste
• Small can of Ortega diced chilies
• Can of beef broth
• Bottle of beer (optional)

The herbs and spices

• Cumin - I prefer the seeds
• Chili powder
• Oregano
• Salt and pepper

The Method:

Over a medium to low flame

• Brown the beef, drain the fat and remove the beef to a bowl or plate
• Add the onions and sauté until translucent
• Add the garlic - sauté  - be careful, don’t burn it!

Next

• Add 1/2 of the can of tomato paste - sauté it until it looks like it has developed a bit of color
• Add palm full of chili powder
• Add about a fourth to half palm of the cumin - go easy on this. Crush it in your hands by rubbing it together then toss in
• Add about a fourth palm of oregano - crushed in your hands the same way
• Add the beef back in and sauté it all together

Now, add the cans of crushed and diced tomatoes as well as the big ol' can of kidney beans, and stir this well. 

• Add some salt and pepper to taste
• At this point you’ll want to add about 1/2 can of beef broth; stir it well. This is also when you make the judgment call about the beer. It’s nice to add if you will have time to let it cook down. If you don’t have that kind of time add the rest of the beef broth.

Lower the heat and let this simmer for 45 minutes or so. Stir it now and then.

At about the 30 to 45 minute mark I like to add the tamale (or polenta or masa) if you have them. They are not mandatory, but they thicken it up and make it really good.

•  To add the tamale/polenta/masa you will need to smush them up with some of the reserved broth or a little water. You need to get it to a stage where you can mix it into the chili as a thickening agent. Not super thin, but stir-able.

Cook the final mix for another 15 to 20 minutes. It can go longer, but keep an eye on it. Burnt chili is nasty.

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Serve with cheese and onions

(Another way to stretch this for a crowd is to add a can of black beans and/or a can of corn)

Back Porch Summer Evenings (Black Bean Hummus)

I’ve written before about our wonderful neighborhood and the people who live here. As we near the year anniversary of our cross-country move, I continue to be thankful that we made our decision to purchase the house we now call home. 

This summer many of the neighbors have been getting together on alternate Saturday nights for cocktails, appetizers and a lot of laughs.  We inevitably end up on the back porch – the quintessential Southern gathering place on a hot summer night.  

In California we would have called it the deck or patio.  Here a back porch is often screened, which makes it seem even more like a part of the home. Furnishings are typically simple, but the spaces have a cozy feel.  Both the screened and completely outdoor variety back porch often overlooks a wooded yard and, if you are lucky, a creek or stream. A flickering of fireflies and the symphony of cicadas, tree frogs and bullfrogs rounds the whole thing out.

  

We had just such an evening planned for last night.  The day, however, had been long, busy and active day for both Steve and me, so a quick and easy to make appetizer was in order. 

I’d been thinking about making black bean hummus all week (I truly don’t know why, but it sounded like a good thing to do), and earlier in the week had jotted down what I thought would make a good recipe for it. The party was a great opportunity to give the recipe a try.

As usual, I made an adjustment here and there to my original ideas about spices and seasonings.  At one point, Steve (my official taster) declared it “too limey,” so I added a seeded and minced jalapeño pepper, which balanced the whole thing out. 

I also made a batch of homemade tortilla chips, something I hadn’t made since college (so easy – just cut up fresh corn tortillas, fry them in canola oil and sprinkle with sea salt).  Then with crossed fingers and a bottle of wine, we headed over to the party of unsuspecting guinea pigs.

They may have just been being polite, but everyone said they liked it.  The bowl was all but licked clean, so I’m calling it a success.

Here it is for you to try out.

Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ limes (the juice of both and the zest of one)
• 1 large clove of garlic, grated on a micro-plane, or minced and then rubbed with the side of a knife with some Kosher to make a paste (you want the flavor of the garlic, but not a chunk of it)
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp hot sauce (Cholula "original" or another flavorful, spicy hot sauce of your choice - see photo)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted in a skillet until they are fragrant
• ¾ tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, and finely minced
• ½ cup cilantro leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs minced cilantro for garnish

Method

In a food processor

• Pulse the black beans, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, chili powder, hot sauce, cumin seeds, salt, pepper and coriander until smooth.
• Scrape down the sides of the food processor and pulse again to mix.
• Switch the setting to “on” and stream in the olive oil
• Add the ½ cup of cilantro leaves and the jalapeño and pulse to mix
• Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste
• (If you like a thinner hummus, you can thin with a table spoon or two of water)

Remove to a serving bowl or plate and chill for at least 30 minutes

• Garnish with remaining 1 Tbs of cilantro leaves and line wedges

Serve with tortilla chips or sliced red bell peppers and/or sliced jicama

Enjoy!