Selena Robins, Author

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday where I’m featuring a CHILI THROW DOWN where I’ve invited two chefs hailing from the U.K, and Southern USA to join me in comparing our chili recipes.

First up, please join me in welcoming, Gitte Doherty a witty and fun blogger from the U.K. with her Magic Mike chili recipe. (She names her crock pot Mike and she tells us Mike keeps her satisfied and warm. More on Gitte later.)

LET THE CHILI THROW DOWN BEGIN!

First Up:

Gitte’s chili recipe proves that real men eat chocolate.

Gitte’s Medium Hot Chilli made in Mike the Magic Crock Pot

Serves 4 people

Time in Crock Pot: 8 Hours on Low

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

1 red pepper, de-seeded and thickly sliced

Small bunch of finely chopped fresh coriander stalks

1 tbsp. sunflower oil

28 oz. fat trimmed stewing steak/beef brisket cut into matchbox size pieces

2 crushed cloves of garlic

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. chili powder (can add more for extra hotness)

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. tomato puree

16 oz. chopped tomatoes

12 fl oz. cups hot beef stock

16 oz. red kidney beans

1 cube of excellent quality dark chocolate preferable with a minimum 70% cocoa solids

Preparation:

Place the onion, red pepper and coriander stalks into a crock pot/slow cooker.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, season the beef with salt and black pepper then fry in batches until golden brown, transferring to the crock pot when ready.

Add the garlic, spices and oregano to the pan juices and fry for one minute. Stir in the tomato puree, tomatoes and stock then bring to a boil.

Pour the hot sauce into the crock pot covering the meat. Place the lid onto the crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours.

Stir in the beans, then cook for 1 hour more.

Pop the chocolate piece into the sauce, let it melt then stir in. Season the sauce to your taste, then scatter with the coriander leaves and serve.

Serve with white fluffy rice, sour cream and warm baked baguette.

ABOUT GITTE:

Along with her friend, Jenny (Brit/Aussie) Gitte (Danish/Brit) both enjoy reading and discussing book that consumes them. They started the blog TOTALLY BOOKED in July 2012 as a way to share their mutual love and passion for books and the wonderful authors who bring them into their lives, with fellow like minded readers.

To learn more about TOTALLY BOOKED, please click here to visit their website.

To join in the fun had by authors and readers from all over the globe, please click here to follow Totally Booked on Facebook.

Next up is a recipe submitted by Pat Fordyce, book lover and reviewer extraordinaire. Pat lives in from Southern USA where the women say, y’alls and the men like their chili with no beans and lots of meat.

Second up:

All Meat Chili by Pat

(Pat doesn’t like it too spicy, so the ladies don’t need to pull out a fan and chase away the vapors)

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground meat of your choice: turkey, beef, lamb, chicken (Pat uses ground beef)

2 cans stewed  tomatoes (original recipe, I use Del Monte) 14.5 oz.

2 cans tomato soup

Spices:  adjust these spices to taste (I’ll give you my approximate measurements)

1 – 2 tsp Chili powder

1/2 to 1 tsp. Cumin

1 – 2 TBSP Brown sugar

Sprinkle of chipotle seasoning

One medium onion, chopped

Grated cheese of your choice

Directions

Brown chopped onion and ground beef till cooked through, drain grease.

Add  tomatoes and soup. (We don’t like our chili ‘chunky’ so I use an immersion blender to break the tomatoes up.)

Add spices

Simmer. I usually will let it simmer for an hour or so, or longer if necessary.  If you want the chili to be thicker leave top off, if thinner cover.  As it’s simmering I adjust more spices to taste.

** If you like beans in your chili use them.  Any  kind and as much as you want.

We serve with a nice crusty bread and salad.   Sour cream can also be used as a garnish.

Third Up:

Selena’s Wine, Beef and Bean Goodness Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs premium cut stew meat, cubed in small pieces

1 lb. pork sausage, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 jalapeno (de-seeded, chopped) (leave seeds in if you like it spicy)

1 sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1 sweet orange pepper, chopped

2 zucchini, chopped in small pieces

2 cups cherry (or grape) tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans, drained

1 can white kidney beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can tomato soup

1 can of plum tomatoes (drain the liquid and chop up the tomatoes)

6 oz dry red wine (don’t use cooking wine, use wine that you would drink)

6 TBSP chili powder

1 TBSP (or less or don’t add if you don’t like it spicy) red cayenne pepper

3 tsp. sea salt

Oil

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until soft but not brown.

Add beef and sausage and cook until meat is brown drain off fat, reduce heat to medium low and add red wine and cook for 3 minutes.

Add meat and the rest of the ingredients to your crock pot, stir and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Serve with a dollop of  spicy sour cream.

1 cup sour cream

1 juice of a fresh lemon

As much or as little hot sauce (or red pepper)

Stir all together.

Thank you, Gitte and Pat. It’s been a lot of fun and we appreciate you taking the time to showcase your delicious looking chili recipes.

For more Tasty Tuesday recipes, please visit my fellow authors and pick up some mouth watering treats:

Blue and Gold Salad by Pg Forte

Quick Maple Pudding by Nancy Lauzon