Here are some pictures that correspond to a chili that I made several months ago, during the summer. It was a Saturday and I had just bought many fresh ingredients, such as kale, Swiss chard, onions, and banana peppers from the farmer’s market. When I got back I made a fabulous chili discussed more below.
There is a nearly endless variety to the kinds of chilis you can make. I put just about anything in. Nearly every chili I make is different in some wah. During the summer months when the ingredients are available from the farmer’s market, my favorite things to put into chilis are chopped greens, such as kale and Swiss chard. The meal shown below has both kale and chard. Putting a few slices of (Kraft singles American) cheese is also great for chilis, and another fantastic variation would be to put in a can or two of cream of mushroom soup in place of the tomato sauce and beans. Adding a chopped garlic clove always helps, too. (I did not happen to have one at the time of this cooking.) I frequently “spice up” chilis, and the dish below has some chopped red banana jalapeno peppers; this warms it up nicely. I also spice up chilis with several chopped hot Thai chili peppers.
The chili shown below has chopped fried vegetables consisting of:
- two kinds of onions
- kale (purple)
- Swiss chard
- red banana peppers
- mushrooms
There is nothing in this chili here that is high in cholesterol or unhealthy (that I know of). Putting in a few slices of cheese or a can or two of cream of mushroom soup would add an interesting taste but would diminish the health aspects.
Gentlemen and gentlewomen, start your stove burners. And we’re off to the chili races … . This chili is hot and really souped up.
So here is a chopping mat full of ingredients.
I always fry vegetables in olive oil.
You can see the chopped purple kale in the pan below. There is a touch of olive oil in the pan.
Freshly washed Swiss chard is brilliantly green. It is just ready for chopping.
Bright red chopped banana jalapeno peppers add warmth. They are warm without being too hot.
Chopped chard and kale are in the frying pan.
This dish has two kinds of onions. When I cook with green stem onions, I chop and fry most of the stems. Also there is an ordinary onion (also delicious).
The frying pan is full to the brim. After 10-15 minutes of frying it will reduce in volume to almost a third.
It’s much smaller now.
Look at all the different colors.
Fry hamburger (pour off any fat), and then mix in the tomato sauce and chili beans.
Finally mix in the stir fried vegetables, and you have a wonderful chili.
