Beef, Chipotle & Bean Chili with Avocado Salsa


Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 lb yellow onions coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausages, removed from casings
  • 4 lb ground beef
  • 1 12 oz can tomato paste
  • 4 chipotle plus 1/2 cup adobo sauce, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup ground cumin
  • 2-3 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp dried basil
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 28 oz cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • 4 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 16 oz cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 5 oz cans pitted black olives, rinsed and drained


Optional garnishes:
  • 4 cups sour cream
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 4 cups cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 bunch spring onion, chopped
  • 2 avocado avocado, chopped


Directions
  • Heat the olive oil in a very large pot. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage meat and ground beef, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until it's well browned. Spoon off as much excess fat as you can and discard.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley, kidney beans and chipotle with adobe sauce. Stir well and simmer, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Just before serving, add the olives and simmer for about 5 minutes more to heat through.
  • Just before serving the chili, stir in the remainder of the cilantro and 1/4 cup of lime juice and cook about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper if desired. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream, a generous scoop of avocado salsa and a sprig of cilantro on top of each serving. My friend Charles' fabulous Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread pairs brilliantly with this Super Bowl chili!




 Avocado Salsa
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
  • 2 avocados, finely diced
  • 1 cup sour cream, optional
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
While the chili simmers, start the Avocado Salsa by first dicing the avocado and placing in a bowl with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice. Add the onion and half of the cilantro into the avocado-lime mixture, stirring to combine. This can be kept in the refrigerator until the chili is ready.

Turkey Soup Dingman



Ingredients

  • 1 Turkey carcass, with 6-8 cups of good meat reserved
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 7 carrots, 6 diced fine and 3 coarse with fronds
  • 7 celery stalks, coarsely diced
  • 2 onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 leeks, diced fine
  • 2 cups of fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 cup wild rice, uncooked 

Directions

  • Chop up the turkey carcass to fit in a large stock pot (with a built in strainer if you have one). Add the bay leaves, 1 coarsely chopped carrot, 3 celery stalks coarsely chopped with fronds and 2 onions. Add enough water to cover the carcass and vegetables by an inch or two, and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down enough so it maintains a bubbling simmer. Let it bubble away for 3 to 4 hours, replenishing with some water if it gets too low.
  • Remove the carcass and vegetables from the stock pot, using a strainer. Discard the vegetables and carcass, but save any good looking turkey meat. Meanwhile, keep the strained turkey stock at a gentle simmer in the stock pot until needed. 
  • In a skillet, sauté the leeks and celery until soft, about 6 minutes. Add to the warm stock, then add the parsley, carrots and wild rice; salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Finally, add the peas, corn and turkey meat (good meat plus the meat that fell from the carcass).
  • The soup can be bagged and frozen for future use, or served hot with some lovely warm bread and a lump of good cheese.

Mini muffin tin


INGREDIENTS
  • 1 roll of Pillsbury Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet
  • tomato sauce 
  • 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 16-20 slices of pepperoni

DIRECTIONS
  • Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
  • Unroll the Pillsbury dough sheet on a cutting board. Cut 16 2-inch squares. Press each square of dough into the muffin cups. Top each with a teaspoon of tomato sauce, a pepperoni slice and cheese.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove pizza bites from the tin and serve.