Chili: A Great Pre-Holiday Feast

If the chili looks this good cold, you can imagine it looks piping hot ladled over a little Basmati rice with some grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. I was too busy and the kitchen was too crowded to take photos of the holiday Master’s swim group gathering. I figured that after swimming miles and miles in the U.S. Naval Academy pool, attendees would be hungry and they were.
This is the week when everyone is rushing around procuring last-minute gifts, even when you told yourself that you were planning to keep gift giving to a minimum. So chili is a good item to prepare and have on hand for family and friends. I don’t have an exact recipe, but for this particular batch I used: 4 pounds of ground beef, 1 pound of ground turkey, two medium onions diced, one large yellow sweet pepper diced, one giant can of red kidney beans, one 8 ounce can of black beans, five 8 ounce cans of chopped tomatoes plus the following herbs and spices: cilantro, cumin, a California pepper blend, parsley, tabasco sauce and approximately 4 ounces of medium heat salsa. Because of the quantity of ingredients, I sauteed the onions, meat, and pepper in batches and combined them in a large pot. Simmer slowly over several hours and stir frequently. Serve with raw onions, a choice of hot sauces, and tortillas if desired.
If you want to avoid the crowds at the mall, walk downtown. It doesn’t matter where you live, there are small downtown areas everywhere, which do not get the traffic and hustle and bustle of the big box stores. Support your local economy. Buy services: beauty gift certificates, lawn care, a massage, personal trainer, pet portrait, the ideas of endless, all make thoughtful gifts that help local residents. Happy Holidays, whether you only have a little time off to relax or a lot.