mAkEsHiFt cHiLi

During this week of languor, I realized I was WAY past due on my chili intake. Thus, I began concocting my hodge-podge style chili that continued to get better as the days went by. (The first day, you eat it because you are hungry and so excited about it. On the second, third, and fourth days, all the flavors marry together to excite your taste buds in ways never thought possible.) I've gotten into the habit of adding tons of vegetables and basically whatever I can find here in Korea as chili fixings are hard to come by.

This recipe is really easy if you just don't have much around the kitchen but odds and ends...

Easy Breezy Chili (oh, so true in so many ways)

Round-about Ingredients:
fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes
1-2 cans tomato paste or some spaghetti sauce or some v-8 juice or some tomato juice
cut up carrots
cut up zucchini or green pumpkin
random veggies - this time i used some bok choy
cooked potatoes, diced, if you have them
1 onion, chopped (I like white or yellow onions)
some garlic, chopped
some beans, any kind will do
1/2 or 1 packet of chili seasoning or add cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper, tabasco and whatever
other spices you have around
some ground beef or ground turkey (optional)
some tofu, medium or firm texture (opt)
salt
pepper


Directions:
1) Sautee onions and garlic with olive or vegetable oil until they are slightly browned in a frying pan.

2) Add tofu, carrots, zucchini/green pumpkin, random veggies, bok choy, sautee. Remove from heat.

3) In a chili sized pot, brown ground beef or turkey (opt) - you can add some of the seasonings now to get friendly with the meat.
**If you did not cook meat, get a chili sized pot ready now.

4) Add beans, tomatoes and paste/sauce/juice to meat. Cook for a bit - bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer.

5) Add the rest of the seasoning packet.

6) Add sauteed veggies to mix.
**You can add the cooked potatoes or you can just put them in the bottom of the bowl when you serve the chili.

7) Add salt and pepper to taste

You can serve with saltine crackers or top with cheese and fresh onions.

I deliberately left off the measurements because chili is something that tastes good pretty much any way you make it. Let your tastebuds be your guide. Let me know if you make it and how it goes!