it's chili in montreal

When your bones ache from breathing in the sub-zero temperatures, you know it's time for a hearty warm meal and to skip class. My favorite thing about one meal dishes is the lack of mess and the fact that you can transport that bowl of warm fuzzies anywhere you like with a blanket wrapped around you to warm the rest. I was inclined to make veggie chili for those veggies in my life, but then I realized I needed some more substance. TVP (textured vegetable protein- a staple in back-country camping) would have worked dandy, but unfortunately they do not supply such things in "Provigo." So I went the traditional route and filled my cauldron with steaming ground beef. I browsed some recipes on the internet, but they all made it too complicated with too many ingredients. Simplicity is key. I adapted my mother's version for the chili. Black beans have been a recent obsession of mine (as you can tell by the sante-fe inspired cobb salad ) so I dumped 2 cans of those in the pot of boiling goodness. Kidney beans and red beans (I don't know if they are the same thing, but you get the gist).

The "how-to": In large pot with reinforced bottom (option: pressure cooker), sautee chopped onions, when golden add chopped meat on low heat break it up and mix it until brown. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves. Slice a whole red or yellow pepper. Add 1 can red beans, 1 can of black beans, and 1 can of kidney beans. Cook until soft for 5 min. add 3 tbsp. tomato paste (option:1 can diced tomatoes) and 1 tbsp "pilpel tsuma" (6 cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp hot pepper powder, a touch of water in food processor). ½ glass water and mix well and add 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tsp. cumin, salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Let cook on low heat for 45 min. (10 min. in pressure cooker) and keep mixing it and add water if needed.

Recite: Wengardium Leviosa! and you're done. Let it stick to your bones and thank me later.