Any suggestions to put a new twist on chili?

[Glorie]

I have a recipe for a white bean chili which is a bit different if you'd be interested in that.....

 

[kitchenelf]

I put some pumpkin puree in mine. It adds a great undernote of flavor to it and a smoothness that people can't quite figure out. It's not too much though - just enough.

 

[JustMeToo]

Wow, I like that..pumpkin.

 

[Seven S]

corn kernels, cinnamon.... dried chilies, first dry toasted in skillet, then soaked in hot water for 30 mins and later blended with a little of the soaking water

 

[Tahiti Rover]

My special "spin" on chili is one that is cooked in a pressure cooker in only four minutes! It is an authentic south-of-the-border recipe that calls for chorizo and cocoa. A bowl of this traditional chili has brought many a smile to the faces of my guests and crew. I'm a sailor, traveling on the ocean in a small sailboat. I spend a lot of time in the tropics and Central American waters, so I have excellent access to fresh spices, chorizo, cocoa, and veggies. But cooking safely on a boat that is heeling to the wind and bouncing on the waves is a real challenge. The pressure cooker not only has a lock-on lid that prevents spillage, it reduces cooking time to a minimum, saving fuel and reducing heat build-up down below.

Try this "Chili Rapido" recipe sometime in your shore side kitchen. And cook up a skillet of fresh jalapeno cornbread to accompany it.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 cups Spanish onions, chopped coarsely
1/2 lb. Mexican chorizo, chopped
1 lg. green bell pepper, seeded and chopped finely
1 can (15 oz. diced tomatoes (I like the Ro-Tel brand)
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Put olive oil in the cooker over high heat and toast the cumin seeds for about 20 seconds, then add the ground meat a little at a time, stirring to break up any clumps and continue to cook over high heat until meat is brown. Now, stir in the onions and half-cup of water. Give the bottom of the cooker a good scraping with your wooden spoon to free-up browned bits that may be sticking to the cooker. Next, stir in the cocoa powder and the chili powder, then add the chorizo and bell pepper. Finally, pour the tomatoes on top of it all but do not stir. Lock on the lid and bring the cooker up to high pressure, then reduce the heat to maintain pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Then remove cooker from the heat and use the quick-release. Remove the lid and now stir in the oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Adjust any seasoning while simmering uncovered until the taste is to your liking. Garnish with diced red onions or grated cheddar cheese, or a dollop of sour cream if that's your pleasure. Serve with slices for fresh jalapeno cornbread.

 

[FincaPerlitas]

Tahiti, the chili sounds great. Thanks for posting it. Welcome aboard the forum.

 

[Erinny]

I sometimes use Italian sausage in mine -- the hotter, the better!

 

[JustMeToo]

Yum, sausage sounds good.

 

[Jeff G.]

My new recipe has cajun spices and a little peanut butter in it.. Nice...

 

[expatgirl]

at the end of a traditional recipe add to a bowl with the chili some fresh chopped cilantro, green onions, and sour cream........

 

[buckytom]

i'm with expatty: ya gotta have the onions and sour cream!

i also like to use cubed lamb (not ground) in my chilli. it gives it a more meaty flavor, imo.

larry, since you're a vegetarian, i guess you don't need meat suggestions. but, how about adding a diced fennel bulb to substitute for some or all of the onion, or fennel stalks for some/all of the celery?

i love fennel. it's another one of those background flavor dealios.

 

[expatgirl]

I love fennel, too.........it's fantastic for dietary upsets and freshens the "breath".......it's great to grow in the garden but do give it some room as it loves to spread out but you'll be glad that you did.....also the beautiful black swallowtail butterflies (if they are in your areas.......I'm zone 9) will lay their eggs on it as well.......back to food it goes so well with many foods esp. fish...........