Meatitarian Chili

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 (14 ounce) cans red kidney beans
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 6 -8 minced garlic cloves
• 1 diced carrot
• 1 stalk diced celery
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• black pepper
• 1 medium chopped red bell pepper
• 14 ounces diced canned tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste (half a small can)
• parsley (to garnish)
• grated cheddar cheese, for garnish

Recipe

• 1 in a medium frying pan or dutch oven, brown the ground beef.
• 2 in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. saute onion, half the garlic, carrot, celery, and seasonings for about 5 minutes, then add red pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender.
• 3 in a large pot or dutch oven, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, browned meat and sauteed vegetables. simmer for 20 or 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. after 15 minutes, add the remaining garlic.
• 4 taste to adjust seasonings.
• 5 serve topped with parsley and/or cheese.
• 6 to make the original vegetarian varitety, heat 1 cup of tomato juice to boiling. in a small bowl, combine juice with 1 cup bulgur wheat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. add to the dutch oven in lieu of the ground beef.