Chili

San Diego has been cold and rainy lately, which is perfect for "comfort food". Consequently, I have made chili for social events a couple of times over the last few weeks. A few people have asked for the recipes so I will post them. I tried to take pictures but they ended up looking about as appetizing as dog food so I just did a Google image search and will post pictures of what the food SHOULD look like. (I am not going to get in trouble from "the blog people" for doing that, right?

Three Bean Chili

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 29 oz. can tomato sauce
1 29 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
¼ cup chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. white sugar
⅛ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp. cinnamon
1 15 oz. can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed


Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.
Add all ingredients to a large kettle. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 14 oz. cans chicken broth
1 pound dried navy beans
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. lime juice
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tps. oregano
¼ tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 whole chicken cooked and cut into pieces (I use a rotisserie chicken because it is flavorful and easy)


Rinse beans well, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes then turn off heat and soak, covered for 2 hours. Drain and rinse. Put the beans in large pot with the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
In a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender, add to beans. Stir in chiles, beans, cilantro, lime juice and spices; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove 2 cups of beans and blend in a blender to make a paste. Put back into pot of beans to thicken chili. Add chicken. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Serve with sour cream, green onions, and grated cheese.