Chili

I love chili.  I grew up eating it A LOT!  My dad was a big fan of chili.  In fact, I was often his partner in crime when my mom made chili.  See, he would go to the kitchen, taste the chili and then decide that it needed more chili powder.  My job was to distract my mom while he doctored the chili!  The really weird thing was he would put the chili on a piece of sandwich bread to taste it!  A chili dog without the dog!  Good times!  While this isn't my moms chili (can't be duplicated) it comes close and, the good thing is, it can be made very thick or thinner if you want to eat it like soup.  The night I made it we had chili dogs so I left it really thick so the chili dogs would be easier to eat.  If you want it thinner just add more water or add a can of diced tomatoes (which I've done before).  You should also feel free to use ground chicken or turkey to save on calories (I've done that too).  Enjoy!

Chili (adapted from foodnetwork.com)

2 lb. lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 T. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground oregano
1 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. masa harina (corn flour, found in the Mexican food aisle)
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans (I used light)
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans
Shredded cheddar, for topping
Chopped onion, for topping
Tortilla chips, for topping
Sliced jalapenos, for topping (if you like stuff spicy like my husband!)

Place the ground beef and garlic in a large soup pot and cook over medium heat until browned.  Drain off the excess fat and pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne (you can also throw in diced tomatoes if you are using them).  Stir together well, cover, and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  If the mixture becomes overly dry, add water 1/2 c. at a time to reach the desired consistency.

After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl and add 1/2 c. water.  Stir it together with a fork.  Dump the masa harina mixture into the chili.  Stir together well and taste to adjust the seasonings.  Add more water if you want the chili thinner.  Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheddar, onion, tortilla chips and jalapenos (if desired). 

6 servings (373 calories each serving, excluding toppers) according to my calculator on loseit.com