Spice Up Your Night (or at least your dinner)

On cold, wet January nights, I can't help but crave something hot and spicy. For me, that comes in the form of chili!

I love it and the more beans the better! Now I know that there are a million and one different recipes and ways to both eat and make chili - over rice, with bread, smothered in cheese and sour cream, over pasta, with corn chips, etc. My favorite chili is made with tomatoes, beans, and steak and accompanied with avocados and cornbread. Yummy!

So here is my super easy recipe and my secret ingredient - Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce...1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 pounds stew meat, cubed
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1, 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 small can green chilies
1 can black beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 can garbanzo beans
2 medium onions
chili powder to taste (2-3 tablespoons)
cumin to taste (2-3 tablespoons)
salt & pepper to taste
chipotles peppers in adobo sauce (1 small can)

• In a large pot over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil and cubed stew meat and brown on all sides.
• Add the garlic and onions to the meat and cook until the onions are translucent.
• Cut up the chipotles in adobo - these will make the chili very hot if you use the entire can. Try adding about a tablespoon first, you can always add more later! If you don't use the entire can, freeze the remaining amount in small batches.
  
• Turn down the heat to simmer and add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and green chilies. Drain the beans and add them along with the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
• Cover the chili and let it cook all day - the longer the better!

Feel free to add/remove any ingredients that you like - my family likes peppers (I am not much of a fan) too. Enjoy plain or with anything you eat chili with!