Chili with Beans and Ground Meat

Chili is a winter time household favorite that can be reheated easily. Every time I make this it turns out a little different as:

• I like to mix up bean varieties - someone I know has a real problem with kidney beans because they are KIDNEY beans! I will not mention names to protect the innocent (or just flat out strange!)
• I may not always have peppers on hand and just leave them out!
• I like to mix up chili spices by substituting Chipotle or Ancho. 

Chili with Beans and Ground Meat Recipe:

2 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil

4 garlic cloves

2 large sweet onions (or regular if you can’t find sweet onions, but really try harder next time!!)

2 pound turkey or lean ground beef

1 tablespoon cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 ¼ cups cooked chili or black or kidney beans (15 oz can, organic is better! Read the label on the other stuff, yuck!)

2 ¼ cups cooked white beans

4 ½ cups diced tomatoes (28 oz can)

1 tablespoon balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoon black strap molasses

½ cup frozen finely chopped spinach

Heat oil in a large pot (5-6 quarts) and sauté onions and minced garlic for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add ground meat and cook for another 5 minutes. Toss in the cumin and chili powder, stir well and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add beans, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and molasses. Cook, covered for 15 minutes. 

Add chopped spinach, stir and it’s ready to serve! 

Embellish with cheese, sour cream, yogurt, scallions or a little cayenne to spice up your pallet!!

Warm Chili Wishes, 

Bretta =))

Kale Breakfast Bowl

Kale Breakfast Bowl

Bunch or two of Kale
Olive Oil
Nutritional Yeast
Scrambled Eggs
Black Beans  
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Bacon ~ any flavor will do;  turkey, tofu... go hog wild.....sorry
Salsa
Greek Yogurt

Obnoxious right?? Not having any quantities!?!
This is more of a "to taste" recipe and it will depend on the size and tastes of your family.

Method

Cook bacon on griddle or cover and bake in oven, 

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Fill with Kale, not layered too thickly but bunched.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake the Kale at 385 (such an overlooked cooking temperature) for about 5-7 minutes, until crispy but not brown. You'll have to experiment with your oven to get your personal cooking time down.
When you take out of the oven sprinkle with nutritional yeast and salt to taste.

While the kale is cooking scramble eggs with milk. You can add the cheese to the eggs now and make cheesy scrambled eggs or you can save for later. 

And at the same time heat beans in a small pot.

Then throw it all in a bowl and serve or let everyone assemble their own like a taco bar sort of thing.