This past weekend, my husband was way more excited for college football than usual. After being away for almost three weeks for work, he was finally back with family and friends, ready to support his Alma mater, Virginia Tech. Nothing gets my husband more pumped-up than college football. It's like a kid at Christmas when the Hokies come running out of the tunnel to Metallica's "Enter Sandman". It's a little bit ridiculous, but it is my husband. Need I say more?
Back to the food. On a cold and rainy day as this was, the perfect food to get the fans fired-up was none other than Jamie's Chili. It is a warm, filling and delicious recipe that makes any tailgate complete! And the added bonus; it makes your house smell wonderful as it simmers on the stove all afternoon. By the time it's ready, everyone can't wait to get a bowl.
JAMIE'S CHILI
Serves 10 ... or more!
INGREDIENTS:
FAT FREE shredded cheddar, FAT FREE sour cream, chopped green onions, for garnish
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped jalapenos
2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon Hot-Mexican Chili Powder
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 small(6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 can chili beans
2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb ground beef (95/5), browned and drained (meat is optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Brown ground beef in skillet and drain. Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes; add tomato paste. Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, and remainder of spices. Partially cover, and let simmer for 4 hours.
Serve with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
RESULTS
The football game...not so good. The chili...FANTASTIC! The fans were definitely lovin' the chili and the fact that was so good for them. Almost every ingredient in this chili is naturally FAT FREE or about 1 gram of fat per serving, with the exception of the meat. I used the leanest ground beef out there, but if you wanted, you could leave it out completely and not lose hardly anything. Vegetarians will be happy to hear that!
So if everything is naturally good for you, how did I make this lean? Well, by leaving out the sausage and using lean beef, this saved a great deal of fat. But I also made savings in another important area when trying to eat well, and that is with sodium. Chili mix packages are generally packed with sodium, which is why I created my own combination of spices that added flavor...not salt. It is important that we be conscious of our salt intake because too much can lead to high blood pressure; which then can then lead to stroke, heart attack or other illnesses. It's not just all about the fat and calories. They are only part of the "Cookin' Lean" equation.
To sum it up, I have found my official Chili recipe. I hope you like it too! ENJOY!!
NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):
Vegetarian~ 229.2 calories; 1.21g fat; 46.17g carbohydrate; 12.92g protein; 10.54g fiber
With Meat~ 291.2 calroies; 3.48g fat; 46.17g carbohydrate; 22.63g protein; 10.54g fiber
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That looks really good! Thanks for this!
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