Chili

When I talked to my sister Cathryn at 830 this morning, big, beautiful snowflakes were falling and we decided to camp out at my house and sit by the fire and make a real snow day out of it. Unfortunately/fortunately as most of you now know, we are celebrating a rain day instead, but it was a great excuse to get some work done from home and make a big pot of chili. It didn't take long to make, and is going to be perfect for dinner (although we have been snacking on it all day long with tortilla chips). The recipe will turn out well even if a few of the measurements are not exact, so feel free to tweak the seasonings etc to your personal taste.

Ingredients:

-2 chopped white or yellow onions
-2 tbs olive oil
-1 lb ground beef
-3 Italian sausage links, squeeze meat out of the casing
-1 small can tomato paste
-1/4 cup dijon mustard
-1/2 cup burgundy wine (pinot noir or bourgogne)
-1 tsp garlic
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp ground black pepper
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1tsp dried basil
-2-3 tbs chili powder
-2 tbs cumin
-2 large cans diced tomatoes, juice drained

-1 large can of red kidney beans

-2 tbs fresh chopped dill

-2 tbs fresh chopped cilantro

-2 tbs fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

-1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (optional if you hate olives, but they add a really nice flavor)

-sour cream for garnish

-grated cheddar cheese for garnish

-chopped scallions for garnish

-tortilla chips for garnish

Directions:

-Heat olive oil in a large pot. Saute onions until tender.

-Add meat and saute until it is cooked through, using your wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces.

-Add tomato paste, mustard, wine, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, chili powder, and cumin.

-Add tomatoes and kidney beans.

-Add chopped fresh dill, cilantro, and parsley. Cook on medium/low for about 30 minutes. 

-Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

-Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of chopped scallions, and tortilla chips on the side.